UF Research

12/03/2025

Retail crime and safety threats are rising, despite reports suggesting theft is declining. The National Retail Federation’s 2025 report, developed with UF’s Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC) highlights increasingly complex, tech-driven challenges such as organized theft, online fraud and in-store violence. Criminals are leveraging social media to coordinate attacks, prompting retailers to adopt new security measures and prioritize worker safety.

LPRC urges early preparation, better data, and collaboration among retailers, law enforcement and tech partners. Federal efforts aim to combat organized retail crime through legislation and centralized reporting. Read Hayes (pictured first), a UF research scientist and director of UF’s LPRC based at UF Innovate, partners with over 200 organizations to deliver evidence-based solutions that enhance store safety and customer experiences.

In the SafePlaces lab at UF, Hayes and his team simulate retail environments to help identify opportunities to deter would-be criminals. LPRC teams are also studying ways to improve safety beyond store walls, testing parking lot technologies including license plate readers and flashing deterrent systems designed to discourage potential criminals and reassure law-abiding shoppers.

“Retailers are under pressure to keep their stores safe, welcoming and competitive,” Hayes said. “The more we can understand offender behavior, customer expectations and emerging technologies, the better we can help retailers, communities and law enforcement reduce harm.”

12/02/2025

"Responsibly programmed chatbots can offer comfort and keep people engaged, much like counseling does. But when someone in crisis relies on a chatbot as a lifeline, they must be redirected from AI to a trained professional as quickly as possible. Anything less risks lives."

In a U.S. News op-ed, Yusen Zhai, Ph.D., offers suggestions to improve AI chatbots, providing more responsible protocols to address the growing use of chatbots as therapists.

11/25/2025

Wild turkeys rebounded after near extinction in 1900, but populations are declining again, especially in the Southeast. Habitat loss is the leading cause, and wildlife ecologist Marcus Lashley studies solutions through prescribed fire, habitat restoration, and ecological factors affecting turkey survival. 🦃

11/18/2025

Daniel Hahn's lab is improving environmentally friendly methods for insect pest control.

11/14/2025

Ever walk up and down the beach and wonder how old the seashells you have in your pockets are?

Florida Museum of Natural History paleontologist, Michal Kowalewski and University of South Florida Professor of Biological Oceanography, Thomas Frazer use seashells as historical records to study habitats and ecological stability through a field called conservation paleobiology.

Their research on Florida’s Nature Coast shows that seagrass meadows, vital for biodiversity and coastal protection, have remained remarkably stable for centuries, as evidenced by mollusk shells dating back millennia. These findings described in The Conversation US article, suggest restoration efforts should focus on preserving existing meadows rather than assuming new ones can easily replace lost habitats.

Scientists are using mollusk shells to evaluate the health of Florida’s seagrass ecosystems.

11/13/2025

Florida is already the nation’s second-highest wine-consuming state, but Pierce's disease has long prevented Florida growers and vineyards from establishing a large-scale wine industry.

But now, researchers are hopeful that a Pierce's disease-resistant grape variety developed by Department of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis, Erante Noir, could change this.

This season Horticultural Sciences at University of Florida researchers worked with Château Le Coeur to make wine from trials harvested at University of Florida IFAS Plant Science Research and Education Unit.

More on this long-term experiment, we hope will lead to a wine renaissance 🔗 go.ufl.edu/3nqbhfp

11/13/2025

Naomi Parker studies how to make cancer clinical trials more accessible.

11/06/2025

Scientists and conservationists are racing to rebuild sustainable oyster populations, something that Indigenous communities were able to steward for millennia. Researchers are hoping to guide this restoration by looking at ancient oyster populations.

🦪 Oysters are keystone species, actively shaping their habitat and supporting fellow marine life. In optimal conditions, a single oyster can filter nearly 2 gallons of water per hour, removing bacteria, minerals and excess nutrients. Clustered together in reefs, oysters form complex structures that provide habitat for fish and other animals.

Oyster shells found in archaeological middens are difficult to measure accurately because of their irregular shapes and tendency to break apart. Traditionally researchers only measure whole left valves and ignore the fragments.

By studying shells in ancient middens, archaeologists can gauge the health of oyster populations at the time the shells were tossed into the pile hundreds or thousands of years ago. If the average size of the shell decreases over time, it may indicate that oysters are being over harvested.

These shells are difficult to measure accurately because of their irregular shapes and tendency to break apart. Traditionally researchers only measure whole left valves and ignore the fragments. A case study of two sites in Florida showed that measuring fragments can improve archaeologists’ insight into past oyster populations and guide conservation work today.

Story: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/when-only-the-strong-shells-survive-archaeologys-fresh-approach-to-turn-oyster-shells-into-tools-of-conservation/

11/04/2025

11/03/2025

Bright, beautiful...and potentially harmful. The golden oyster mushroom, a popular pick in grow-your-own kits and markets, is quietly spreading into U.S. forests.

UF IFAS School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences SFFGS research warns that while these mushrooms may look harmless, they can disrupt native fungal communities, reduce biodiversity, and alter how forests recycle nutrients. Even edible fungi can have big environmental impacts.

Learn how this invasive species is spreading, and what researchers are doing to protect Florida’s forests: bit.ly/43S5bJ0

11/03/2025

Congratulations to Vice President for Research David Norton for being recognized with the Pioneer Award by the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame.

This prestigious honor recognizes his exceptional leadership in advancing Florida’s innovation ecosystem through interdisciplinary research, strategic collaboration, and a steadfast commitment to excellence in education. Under his guidance, University of Florida research has grown significantly — reaching $1.33 billion in annual funding — and continues to drive transformative discoveries that benefit society and shape the future.

10/31/2025

Ever heard of a ghost shark? 👻🦈 They’re not spirits or sharks, but they could be key in unlocking some mysteries of human dentistry.