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See also: Ecological Risk Screening Summaries for more species summaries

The Flood and Storm Tracker (FaST) maps were created to help assess impacts on nonindigenous aquatic species distributions due to flooding associated with storms. Storm surge and flood events can assist expansion and distribution of nonindigenous aquatic species through connection of adjacent watersheds, backflow of water upstream of impoundments, increased downstream flow, and/or creation of freshwater bridges along coastal regions. These maps will help natural resource managers determine potential new locations for individual species, or to develop a watchlist of potential new species within a watershed.

This week, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Division of Plant Industry (DPI), along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), announced the eradication of the giant African land snail (GALS) from Broward and Miami-Dade counties. This eradication announcement marks only the second time this pest has been eradicated in the world, both in South Florida. For the past 11 years, the FDACS Division of Plant Industry has worked toward eradication through multiple rounds of visual surveys and inspections, K-9 detector dog surveys and inspections, manual collection and treatment programs. In total, 168,538 snails were collected from 32 core population areas comprised of thousands of properties.

The giant African land snail is a highly invasive agricultural pest, known to feed on over 500 varieties of plants. They also pose a risk to humans and animals by carrying rat lung worm, a parasite that can cause meningitis in humans. Both the USDA and DPI will continue to remain vigilant in their commitments to safeguard American agriculture through surveys, early detection, and rapid response. The public should continue to watch for the snails and report suspects to the FDACS-DPI hotline at 1-888-397-1517.

At its February 2021 meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved staff recommendations to create new rules to address the importation, breeding and possession of high-risk invasive reptiles. The approved rule changes to Chapter 68-5, F.A.C. specifically address Burmese pythons, Argentine black and white tegus, green iguanas and 13 other high-risk nonnative snakes and lizards that pose a threat to Florida’s ecology, economy, and human health and safety. For more information, see New Rules for Invasive Nonnative Reptiles.

The Invasive Plant Management Section funds scientific research projects at Florida's universities to improve the state's invasive plant management programs by finding more cost-efficient control techniques and also insuring these control methods are effective, safe, and environmentally compatible.

FLIP (Florida Invasive Plants) is designed to be a mobile field guide that can be accessed by a computer, smart phone, tablet, or other device with internet browser capability. Developed in partnership with the University of South Florida (USF), FLIP currently contains 20 plants: 19 of the 2011 Category I invasive species and one of the 2011 Category II invasive species, as designated by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC).

The vision of the Florida Invasive Species Council is to be a leading resource and partner for advancing invasive plant management in Florida. The mission of the Florida Invasive Species Council is to reduce the impacts of invasive plants in Florida through the exchange of scientific, educational, and technical information.
Note: In an effort to retire outdated invasive species terminology, the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC) formally changed its name to the Florida Invasive Species Council (FISC).

The Division of Plant Industry produces informational videos, training videos and public service announcements as part of its mission to protect Florida's native and commercially grown plants and the state's apiary industry from harmful pests and diseases.

The Florida Python Challenge® (August 9-18, 2024) is an exciting conservation effort which helps protect the rare Everglades habitat and the animals that live there from these invasive, nonnative snakes.
See also: Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez Announces Registration Is Open for the 2024 Florida Python Challenge (May 30, 2024)

On Jan 10, 2020, the Florida Python Challenge™ 2020 Python Bowl officially kicked off in South Florida with more than 550 people registered for the competition to remove as many pythons from the wild as possible. Native to Southeast Asia, pythons pose a significant threat to Florida’s native wildlife. Under the direction of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) have teamed up with the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee and other partners to support the Committee’s Ocean to Everglades (O2E) initiative, which features the Python Bowl. It’s not too late! People interested in taking part in the Florida Python Challenge™ 2020 Python Bowl can still register at FLPythonChallenge.org. 

Researchers have published a first- of-its-kind study that shows that near-infrared (NIR) spectrum cameras can help python hunters more effectively track down these invasive snakes, especially at night.

This online tool is intended to connect Florida landowners and land managers with financial and technical support. Select your county name, target species and other information to retrieve a list of programs. This resource is regularly updated to provide current opportunities and contacts.
See also: Research and Educational Grants which facilitate partnerships that prevent and control the threat of invasive species on public and private lands and waters in Florida, including the following grants:

• Julia Morton Invasive Plant Research Grant Program
• Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA) Grant
• Kathy Craddock Burks Education Grant Program

ARS vaccine helps to defend rare bird from avian influenza. Scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) recently joined other federal agencies to take emergency action to protect one of America’s endangered species, the California condor.

ARS Science Leads Way in Screening at the Molecular Level. Fungal pathogens represent a large and economically significant challenge to crops worldwide. The challenge is so great, in fact, diseases caused by fungal pathogens can cause crop losses of 10-20% (worth $100-$200 billion) each year. Historically, a variety of biological, chemical, and mechanical methods have been used to fight fungal diseases, Lately, though, researchers have focused on molecular methods to develop disease-resistant crops, which would reduce the need for, and damage caused by, chemical fungicides.