University of Florida/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center

Our team had an incredible experience at the Florida State Horticultural Society Annual Conference in Jacksonville. Not only did they attend insightful sessions and connect with fellow professionals, but they also had the honor of presenting their work and being recognized with awards!

IRREC is hosting the face-to-face session of the Transformative Teaching in Extension in-service training for Extension agents today and tomorrow. This training is part of an 11-month program designed for early career Extension agents to advance their program design and implementation skills. Drs. J.C. Bunch and Peyton Beattie with the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication are the instructors.

We were excited to welcome the St. Lucie County 4H group to our Aquaculture Facility! Students had the opportunity to explore our operations and learn about the science of aquaculture through an engaging presentation by Dr. Cortney Ohs. Thank you for visiting and growing your knowledge with us!

A wonderful visit from representatives at the Universidade Federal de Goiás! Together with UF, they're building stronger connections through a Brazilian Government–supported initiative focused on student capacity development. We look forward to the opportunities this collaboration will create for our students and institutions.

We’re proud to announce that Dr. Carey Minteer has been appointed as the new Director of the Hayslip Biological Control and Containment Laboratory.

In this role, Dr. Minteer will serve as the primary point-of-contact for laboratory inquiries while working closely with faculty, staff, and FDACS-DPI partners to advance the lab’s mission. Her leadership will guide key operations—from managing the annual FDACS grant and overseeing daily fiscal activities to supporting strategic visioning and ensuring seamless collaboration with quarantine personnel on-site.

With her expertise and dedication, the Hayslip Lab is poised for continued impact in biological control and research excellence. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Minteer on this well-deserved appointment!

A successful day of learning and innovation at yesterday’s Irrigation Workshop!

Hosted by Guzman Ag engineering- water lab, the workshop brought together participants for hands-on demonstrations, insightful discussions, and the latest advancements in efficient water management.

Attendees explored practical strategies, cutting-edge technologies, and research-driven solutions aimed at improving irrigation practices and sustainability.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this event a great success! Stay connected for more upcoming opportunities to learn and grow.

Happening Tomorrow! Guzman Ag engineering- water lab will be hosting a workshop on how to use soil moisture data to support irrigation decisions in vegetable and specialty crop systems.

You will learn how to:
* Soil moisture monitoring basics

* Making real-time irrigation decisions

* Examples from local growers using soil moisture data

* Turning field data into irrigation tools

* Cost-share opportunities for soil sensor adoption

This workshop includes presentations, discussion, and equipment demonstrations.

Free workshop. Lunch provided.

Location: Indian River Research and Education Center, 2199 South Rock Road, Fort Pierce.

News from IRREC’s Aquaculture Program!

We’re excited to welcome Japanese Masked Swallowtail Angelfish—a beautiful species native to the waters off the coast of Japan—making us the first aquaculture program in Florida to have them!

Even more special, these angelfish were born just weeks apart—February 21 and March 3—marking an exciting milestone for our program.

This achievement reflects our Aquaculture Program’s dedication to advancing research, conservation, and innovation in aquatic sciences. Stay tuned for more updates from beneath the surface!