Environment

Claims of illegal baiting during Florida's 2015 Black Bear hunting season stir controversy. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission plans to issue an in-depth analysis of the hunt in a few weeks.

Red tide algal blooms have been discovered on the coasts of Florida. This organism has toxins that are harmful to marine life's central nervous systems and humans respiratory systems.

A group of University of Florida students has teamed up with the Alachua Conservation Trust to raise awareness for the Oval pigtoe mussel. The species, native to the Santa Fe River area, has been endangered since 1998.

UF is playing a large role across the nation in paving the way for decreasing harmful emissions caused by transportation by implementing Gator Gears, UF’s student bike rental program.

Founders Mike Myers and Sarah Goff created an environmental cooperative, The Repurpose Project, three years ago to help alleviate reusable trash from entering landfills. Today, Goff and Myer's efforts are widely celebrated throughout the Gainesville community with local residents joining in the festival of saving the planet through shared responsibility.

After just two days, Florida ended its controversial black bear hunt because a higher than expected number of bears had been killed. Wildlife authorities said late Sunday that 295 bears taken overall, nearing the official limit.

For the first time in twenty years, hunters entered the woods to kill Florida black bears. At the end of the first day, 207 bears were killed and tagged. Hunting was halted in the Central Florida Bear Management Unit after the 100 bear limit was reached.

Permits are issued to control the bear population. Some of the population is known as nuisance bears, who cause frequent mischief, such as damaging beekeeper's hives and scavenging people's trash.

The University of Florida’s Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience in St. Augustine will open a sea turtle hospital on Oct. 24 that offers medical care to sick and injured sea turtles, including those with fibropapillomatosis virus.

Florida is one of the country's largest cattle producers, and the move toward organic grass-fed beef has an environmental impact.