FWC Research Update: August 2026

Meet BOB088 Meet bobcat mom BOB088 as she raises another litter of kittens in Florida! Thanks to GPS collars and trail cameras, FWC biologists have documented her successfully raising four litters over the past three years while gathering valuable data on bobcat behavior, survival, and reproduction. Bobcats are also being monitored alongside Florida panthers as researchers investigate Feline Leukomyelopathy (FLM), a neurological disorder that causes rear leg weakness and difficulty walking in some wild felines. Learn more about FLM on our website. Florida's Native Bees Florida is home to approximately 315 species of native bees! They come in an incredible variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, and play essential roles in pollinating Florida’s wild plants and maintaining healthy ecosystems. Florida's native bees include: American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus): a large, familiar native bumble bee that has experienced serious declines and is a species of conservation concern. Sweat bee (Lasioglossum sp.): some native bees are tiny enough to easily go unnoticed, but they’re hard at work visiting Florida’s flowers. Metallic green sweat bee (Augochlorella sp.): proof that bees don’t have to be black and yellow! These brilliant little native pollinators can shimmer green in the sunlight. Plasterer bee (Colletes sp.): a solitary native bee that gets its name from the cellophane-like lining females create inside their nests. View Post A Summer Filled With Science As the 2026 Steidinger Scholars season comes to a close, we’re celebrating a summer full of one‑of‑a‑kind, hands-on experiences. This year’s scholars didn’t just learn about Florida’s fish and wildlife research, they lived it! Interns worked with FWC scientists, gaining firsthand laboratory experience and field skills in fish and wildlife research. Traveling throughout the state, they contributed to a variety of research projects involving scallops, alligators, gopher tortoises, ghost forests, and bonneted bats, helping inform management of Florida's marine, freshwater, and terrestrial resources. With the help of these scholars, biologists also discovered the threatened southern tessellated darter in a region of the Ocklawaha River where it had not been reported since 1995. These immersive opportunities reflect Dr. Karen Steidinger’s legacy of mentorship and curiosity, giving students real insight into the science that conserves Florida’s natural resources. We’re incredibly proud of their dedication, teamwork and enthusiasm. View Post Name That Species Every year, staff with the Florida Biodiversity Collection spend hours meticulously identifying and categorizing specimens collected from Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP) sampling sites throughout the Gulf. FWC scientists can use external features to identify larger specimens, like the flame box crab or the slate pencil urchin, but other smaller specimens can require a closer look to determine their identity. Each identified specimen becomes a valuable addition to the Florida Biodiversity Collection, which is home to thousands of samples that support future research. View Post Video Spotlight: Florida’s Panther: Research, Conservation, and the Challenges Ahead Go behind the science of Florida panther research and discover how FWC biologists study, monitor and conserve this endangered population. From capturing and tracking panthers to monitoring kittens, studying genetics and investigating emerging diseases, biologists use decades of research to support panther recovery and address the challenges ahead. Watch Video Restoring Corals in the Face of Disease Can coral restoration succeed on Florida’s Coral Reef even when stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) is still present? New research suggests it can. From May 2021 to April 2023, researchers outplanted more than 1,165 colonies of SCTLD-susceptible coral species across Florida’s Coral Reef and monitored them for two years to understand how disease and other factors affected their survival. At the end of the study, 77% of the outplanted corals were still alive. Researchers found that the chance of a coral becoming infected with SCTLD during any monitoring period was generally only about 1% to 2%. Instead, factors such as where corals were planted, the species being restored and where the corals were raised before outplanting played a greater role in their survival. These findings can help researchers refine restoration strategies, from selecting suitable reef habitats to improving how corals are raised and prepared for life on the reef, giving outplanted corals their best chance of long-term survival. View Publication New on MyFWC.com/Research We hope you enjoy these articles that have been recently added/updated on our website: 2026 Manatee Mortalities Annual Rescue Summaries [Manatee] Fisheries Inshore Research and Monitoring FWRI Internships HAB Task Force Products New Publications Red Tide Current Status Red Tide-Related Hotlines and Information Sources Our Mission Through effective research and technical knowledge, we provide timely information and guidance to protect, conserve, and manage Florida's fish and wildlife resources.

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