About Us
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 conservation, including supporting the conservation of public and private lands; and working with federal agencies and other partners to address fish, plant, and wildlife impacts resulting from their actions. Headquartered in Gainesville with branch offices in Panama City, Jacksonville, and Vero Beach, as well as staff co-located with partners throughout the state.
Our biologists have special expertise with the federally threatened and endangered species of Florida, as well as the state's rare habitats.
Our Mission
The conservation of our nation’s most imperiled species is at the heart of our office’s work. Working with partners, we deploy a three-pronged approached to imperiled species conservation:
- Habitat management – We work to improve habitat, which can range from identifying and eliminating sources sources of water pollution to encouraging the development of pollinator habitat.
- Population management – We support efforts to hold, propagate, and rear rare species in captivity, and stock captively-raised individuals into appropriate habitat in the wild.
- Education – We use a variety of tools, including both digital and traditional media and community outreach to provide a deeper understanding our most imperiled species and special habitats.