One of the most amazing phenomena in nature is the annual migration of millions of Monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus, southward from their breeding grounds in the United States and Canada east of the Rocky Mountains to overwintering sites in the mountains of southern Mexico.
Museum present Migration of the Monarch Butterflies in Mexico Feb. 14-19, 2023 Led
Science fun is available from the Florida Museum for our community! The Science Surprises program is available either virtually or as an in-person presentation for schools, homeschool groups or community organizations. Do the full Physics in Nature four-part series or pick individual topics. Each s
Individual sessions can be from 30min to an hour long with themed science investigations led
FLAS imaged the labels of the bryophytes in the Fairchild Tropical Garden Collection. Kent Perkins picked up the specimens from Miami and brought them to Gainesville. The specimens were wonderfully organized. They were also barcoded and a skeletal spreadsheet accompanied the collection, so basically
Tanaka Dang led this part of the project.
Giant Clams can grow to be huge in nutrient-poor waters due to the help of tiny photosynthetic algae (zooxanthellae) that live in their body. The zooxanthellae gain protection by living on the giant clam, while the clam gains the carbon fixed by photosynthesis. Summary Giant Clam (Tridacna gigas
Unfortunately, over-harvesting of clams for food has reduced population sizes and has led
DNA can unite species that were thought to be different. Scientists believed these Sea Stars to be two different species when first discovered. Further studies of their DNA revealed that they were actually different life stages of the same animal. Summary Cryptic Sea Stars Adult Sea Star (Cho
invertebrate-zoology-cryptic-sea-stars.mp3 Sequencing the DNA of organisms often allows you to tell them apart and has led
New research shows climate change is altering the delicate seasonal clock that North American migratory songbirds rely on to successfully mate and raise healthy offspring, setting in motion a domino effect that could threaten the survival of many familiar backyard bird species. A growing shift in
they’re much less common would be a real loss.� A multi-institutional team led
Ferns are notorious for containing massive amounts of DNA and an excessively large number of chromosomes. Defying all expectations, a fern no larger than a dinner plate currently holds the title for highest chromosome count, with a whopping 720 pairs crammed into each of its nuclei. This penchant of
Comparisons to genomes from other groups also led to the surprise discovery that
An hour after sunrise, Andrew Kratter stands in the dew-soaked grass of an East Gainesville graveyard, watching the sky for what looks like a bowling pin with wings – the common loon, Gavia immer. Kratter, manager of the Florida Museum of Natural History’s ornithology collection, has scouted for
A second group, led by longtime loon researcher Paul Spitzer, records loons flying
The Carr Medal honors the late Archie Carr, University of Florida zoology professor and world authority on sea turtles. The medal recognizes outstanding national and international contributions to the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of our natural heritage. About Archie Carr Archie
These groundbreaking studies led to the rise of a major conservation movement and
Good books broaden our horizons and inspire new conversations, no matter where we are! Join the Florida Museum of Natural History and Alachua County Library District for the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read, a series of events building community while lifting the voices of women in science!
about her journey as a science communicator on YouTube, and how that experience led
