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Florida Declared a Global Biodiversity Hotspot
The North American Coastal Plain – the low-lying land stretching from Texas to Florida to New England – was recently named the 36th biodiversity hotspot in the world, highlighting the importance of this region, but signaling concerns over threats to the plant and animal life there. UCF Biology professor, Reed Noss, Ph.D., was the lead […]
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UCF Research Steals the Show
The spotlight was on UCF at the 2016 Indian River Lagoon Symposium (IRLS). On Feb. 11-12, the Indian River Lagoon and their sponsors held the Indian River Lagoon Symposium at the Johnson Education Center, FAU Harbor Branch, in Fort Pierce, Florida. This year’s theme was Indian River Lagoon: Linking Research with Management. The goals of this […]
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Order of Pegasus Class of 2016
20 students have received the Order of Pegasus, UCF’s most prominent student award and six out of those 20 students representing the College of Sciences. The Order of Pegasus recognizes exemplary performance by undergraduate and graduate students in the areas of academic achievement, outstanding university involvement, leadership and community service. Because of the breadth of accomplishments required for this […]
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Faculty Cluster Pursues Coastal Sustainability
Coastal systems research will soon evolve beyond its typical limits by integrating an interdisciplinary focus in a new collective opportunity. To no surprise, coastal systems research is vital to the state of Florida, given that its well-being maintains the economy and environment. The University of Central Florida’s faculty has recognized these stresses and has taken […]
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UCF Meets the Conservation Challenge
On Feb. 9–12, a group of UCF faculty, staff, and graduate students from the Marine Turtle Research Group (MTRG) attended the 3rd Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Meeting, hosted by the Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Network in Mobile, Alabama. Two UCF faculty members and one research associate gave oral presentations, and one Ph.D. student presented a poster. The theme of this years meeting was […]
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Biology Student Makes Waves with Research
Congratulations to UCF biology major, Lacie Anderson, for her accomplishment as the February recipient of the Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Award (DURA). Each month, one student is rewarded for their time and effort spent researching a subject of their choice. During their research, students work with a mentor that guides and helps them during the process. With their […]
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Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Joshua King
Growing up in a rural community in New England, Joshua King, Ph.D., entomologist and associate professor in the Department of Biology, began his exploration in the life sciences as many children do: outdoors. With a voracious curiosity, King developed a hobby of observing and collecting insects. Inspired by the support and encouragement of his high […]
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Satellites Show Florida Beaches Becoming Darker, and That’s Good for Sea Turtles
Newly published research that started as a high school science project confirms that the density of sea turtle nests on Florida beaches is reduced where artificial lights along the coast deter nesting females. But the data also show that the network of sea turtle-friendly lighting ordinances along Florida’s coast seems to be working. “It’s a […]
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Presenting Sea Turtles in Peru
CENTRAL FLORIDA FUTURE – Isabelle D’Antonio, Contributing Writer In February 2016, hundreds of sea turtle enthusiasts and researchers from around the world will gather in Lima, Peru, for the 36th annual International Sea Turtle Symposium to present their research and discuss conservation efforts. This year, junior Abigail Hudak, UCF biology major, will be one of […]
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UCF Zoologist Stars in Smithsonian Documentary
ORLANDO, Nov. 4, 2015 — UCF zoologist William Crampton, Ph.D., braves the Amazon River to uncover the secrets of electric fish as part of a new documentary airing on the Smithsonian Channel on Nov. 9 and 22. Dr. Crampton is a world expert on electric eels and knifefish and has spent years studying the creatures […]
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Sunscreen’s Hidden Hazards
Lathering up with sunscreen may prevent sunburn and protect against cancer, but it is also killing coral reefs around the world. That’s the conclusion of a team of international scientists, which includes UCF associate professor of biological sciences and diving enthusiast John Fauth, Ph.D. The researchers found that oxybenzone, a common UV-filtering compound, is in […]
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UCF Bear Brigade
The UCF Bear Brigade, a new pilot educational program to teach ecological concepts to fourth- and fifth-grade students, will visit six Orange and Seminole County elementary schools by the end of this month to foster a greater interest in the subject at an early age. To effectively teach conservation and other environmental concepts, organizers said […]
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2015 College Showcase
On September 19th, the College of Sciences participated in College Showcase 2015 which was an event hosted during Family Weekend 2015. The showcase was hosted by the UCF College of Undergraduate Studies and took place at the student union. The College of Sciences was among the many participating colleges. The COS showcase included displays by […]
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Record Year for UCF Marine Turtle Research Group
Green sea turtles have had their highs and their lows. Before being commercially harvested for hundreds of years, green sea turtles used to be a typical sight in the Atlantic, but now they are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in multiple locations across the globe. Even with being one of the first species to have federal regulations protecting them, green […]
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Outstanding Biology AlumKnight
Alice Bard, ’86, ’89, graduated from UCF with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in biology. Bard was nominated by the Department of Biology to be honored as the 2015 Outstanding Biology AlumKnight recipient at the inaugural UCF College of Sciences Outstanding AlumKnight award reception held in February. She currently serves as an environmental specialist II […]
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Undergraduate Research Excellence
The Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence (SURE) was held on April 2, 2015 as a part of 2015 Research Week at UCF. SURE celebrates undergraduate research and creativity across the university curriculum. SURE is a poster or display based forum for UCF undergraduates to present their research and creative projects to the broader university community. Undergraduates […]
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UCF’s Mansfield Keynote Speaker at International Sea Turtle Symposium
Biology assistant professor Kate Mansfield, Ph.D., and five of her graduate students headed to Turkey last week to present at the 35th annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. Mansfield, who earlier this month gained international attention for a study about young turtles swimming with a purpose, is one of the four keynote speakers. Her topic is “Out […]
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Sea Turtle Myth Busted
It turns out sea turtles, even at a tender 6-18 months of age, are very active swimmers. They don’t just passively drift in ocean currents as researchers once thought. NOAA and University of Central Florida researchers say it’s an important new clue in the sea turtle “lost years” mystery. Where exactly turtles travel in their first years of life, […]
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More Sea Turtles Come to Florida, but Reasons are Mysterious
This year’s early count of sea turtles nesting on Florida beaches is encouraging, though there are many unknowns in the numbers. Welcome to the mysterious world of sea turtles, which spend much of their life far from Florida’s beaches encountering fishing boats, oil spills, plastic trash and any number of other perils. Nesting by loggerhead, […]
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UCF Biology Professor on ‘Monster Fish’
University of Central Florida zoologist William Crampton loves electric fish and that’s made him one of the world’s experts when it comes to these creatures. At 8 p.m. Friday (10/3/14) the world will get to know Crampton as he guides National Geographic Channel’s “Monster Fish” show host Zeb Hogan on a trip to the Amazon River […]
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Swimming With Sharks, Turtles and Eels
Thirteen University of Central Florida biology students swam among nurse sharks, sea turtles, eels and lionfish this month as part of a hands-on summer abroad course. The students spent a week studying more than 60 species in the depths of the Glovers Atoll, about 35 kilometers off the coast of Belize. The atoll is considered […]
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Grammy Winning Grasshopper
A newly discovered grasshopper by UCF scientists now bears the name of Grammy-award winning singer and activist Ana Lila Downs Sanchez.The scientists named the new species discovered on the side of a mountain road near Oaxaca, Mexico, after the Mexican-American singer as a nod to her efforts to preserve indigenous culture and penchant for wearing […]
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UCF’s Littlest Knights Dive Into Ocean Day
Future marine biologists sharpened their communication skills Wednesday while pre-schoolers learned about sea creatures during UCF’s annual Ocean Day activities. Twelve students in Linda Walters’ marine biology lab and marine biology class visited the Creative School on campus to teach children about sea creatures and those found in Florida waterways. Walters has been working with […]