Serving Florida by conserving our most imperiled species and working with others to conserve plants, fish, and wildlife.
Doing a deeper dive on endangered species policy, planning and species?

Latest News

Refuge visitors photograph a congregation wading birds at Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge
Recreation
Recreation on the Space Coast
The Merritt Island NWR was established by agreement as an overlay of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s John F. Kennedy Space Center. The refuge lies within one of the most productive estuaries in the country.
A rocket launches up to space in the golden dawn light from Cape Canaveral.
Our Partners
Space Industry & Partnerships
We are providing technical assistance and guidance to our partners for both Starship complexes coming to east central Florida.
Freshwater mussels from the Chipola River.
Our Partners
Conservation Success Story: A Tale of Two Mussels
Two species of freshwater mussels living in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint basin may no longer require federal protection after decades of partnered habitat restoration work. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to remove the Chipola slabshell (Elliptio chipolaensis) and fat...
A woodpecker perched on a tree with a bug in its mouth.
Endangered Species Act
Downlisting of Red-cockaded Woodpecker from Endangered to Threatened
The Department of the Interior today announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is downlisting the red-cockaded woodpecker from endangered to threatened status under the Endangered Species Act. This milestone is the result of five decades of collaborative conservation efforts between the...
A large male Suwannee alligator snapping turtle rests on a riverbank.
Wildlife Management
Suwannee Alligator Snapping Turtle
Follow a herpetologist into the tannin-black riverwater to capture the t-rex of turtles and learn what it will take to recover this magnificent species: the Suwannee alligator snapping turtle.
Florida manatee swims in shallow water toward camera.
Endangered Species Act
Servicio Federal de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de los Estados Unidos Propone Hábitat Crítico para el Manatí de Florida y el Manatí Antillano en Puerto Rico
El Servicio Federal de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de los Estados Unidos (Servicio) está proponiendo revisiones y añadir hábitat crítico para las dos subespecies del Manatí de las Indias Occidentales. El Servicio propone una designación total revisada de 1,904,191 acres para el manatí de Florida y una...
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About Us

Biologist standing chest-deep in water holding a gulf sturgeon
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the nation's wildlife management and conservation agency. The Florida Ecological Services Office is the primary Service office serving the state of Florida on matters of federal threatened and endangered species and habitat conservation, including supporting the conservation of private lands; and working with federal agencies and other partners to address fish, plant, and wildlife impacts resulting from their actions. The Florida Ecological Services Office is headquartered in Gainesville, with branch offices in Panama city, Jacksonville, and Vero Beach to better serve those areas of the state.

What We Do

Perdido Key beach mouse sticking its head out from a human-made shelter covered in sand
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Across Florida, we carry out the Service’s mission by:

  • Conserving imperiled species.
  • Helping federal agencies identify and address negative plant, fish, and wildlife impacts from projects they fund or authorize.
  • Conversing with the American public about wildlife conservation via social media, educational programs, public hearings, and other forms of public interaction.

Our Organization

A rocky shoreline of a river. The water is calm. Mist and green branches line the river.
The Ecological Services Program works to restore and protect healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and plants and the environments upon which they depend. Using the best available science, we work with federal, state, Tribal, local, and non-profit stakeholders, as well as private land owners, to...
Program
Baileys Crossroads,VA

Our Species

The most current information on Federally-listed species found in the Florida Ecological Services Office area please search the Service's Environmental Conservation Online System ( ECOS ECOS
Environmental Conservation Online System (ECOS) serves a variety of reports related to FWS Threatened and Endangered Species.

Learn more about ECOS ).  

Use IPaC to identify your project location and receive an official species list (pursuant to 50 CFR 402.12) of T&E species that should be considered when evaluating the potential impacts of a project.

Projects and Research

Lone piping plover, with leg bands, standing on sand
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Working with others is at the core of our operations. We develop many conservation projects across Florida with federal, state, and local agencies, industry and private groups, and individuals. Whether it is Everglades and coastal restorations, project planning, working with landowners, or conservation at multiple military facilities, among others, effective partnering delivers results. Learn more about our efforts currently underway.

Our Library

A sand skink displays a light tan color with spotting on its scales and a lateral strip on the snout. Its body shape is slender with reduced limbs. strip on the snout.
Project Guidelines for Florida Sand Skink & Blue-Tailed Skink
The sand skink and blue-tailed mole skink are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which protects them from harm. If you’re planning a project that might affect these species, you can legally do so, but only after talking to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Library Collection
1 Items
A Florida Keys mole skink is shown from above on sand. His back is brown with a pinkish red tail.
Florida Keys Mole Skink
Browse our library for maps and information about the Florida Keys mole skink proposed listing and critical habitat designation.
Library Collection
3 Items
A Key ring-necked snake is curled on an orange fall leaf. It is a small, black on top with bright yellow, orange and red markings on the belly.
Key Ring-necked Snake
Browse our library for maps and information about the proposed listing and critical habitat designation of the Key ring-necked snake.
Library Collection
3 Items
An adult rim rock crowned snake is curled around limestone rocks and dirt on the ground in Miami, Florida. Its head is brownish black with a red-brown back and tan belly.
Rim Rock Crowned Snake
Browse our library for maps and information about the rim rock crowned snake proposed listing and critical habitat designation.
Library Collection
3 Items
A Florida bonneted bat rests on a tree trunk.
Florida Bonneted Bat
Browse our library for maps and information about the Florida bonneted bat.
Library Collection
2 Items
A Miami tiger beetle stands on a rock.
Miami Tiger Beetle
Browse our library for maps and information about the Miami tiger beetle critical habitat designation.
Library Collection
4 Items
Cedar Key mole skink in sand
Cedar Key mole skink supporting documents
Supporting material for the proposed listing and critical habitat of the Cedar Key mole skink. This collection includes the link to the Species Status Assessment report and the link to the coordinates/plot points from which critical habitat maps are generated.
Library Collection
1 Items

Get Involved

Three people on a beach, kneeling around a partially excavated sea turtle nest
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A fundamental tenet in our approach to conservation is engagement with our community – from private landowners wanting to improve endangered species habitat on their land to non-profits doing on-the-ground work.

Location and Contact Information