How to Add an Observation to Our Project
Add an Observation Using the iNaturalist App
Using the IOS App (iPhone)
Using the IOS App (iPhone)
Estuarine communities may temporarily exhibit freshwater conditions during periods of heavy rainfall or upland runoff or marine conditions when rainfall and upland runoff are low, but generally are areas within which seawater is significantly diluted with freshwater inflow from the land. Marine habitats are those areas without significant freshwater inflow. Common marine and estuarine wetlands are:
These freshwater habitat types can be broken down even further into many sub-types. More information and photo examples of these habitat types and sub-types can be found on the Florida Natural Areas Inventory.
These forest types can be broken down even further into many sub-types. More information and photo examples of these forest types and sub-types can be found on the catalog of UF Forest Ecosystems and the Florida Natural Areas Inventory.
Scrub is a community composed of evergreen shrubs, with or without a canopy of pines, and is found on dry, infertile, sandy ridges. These are Florida's desert and possess well-drained, loose “sugar sand”. Common scrub species are shrubby oaks like Florida rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides) and sand pine (Pinus clausa).
Sandhill is characterized by widely spaced pine trees with a sparse midstory of deciduous oaks and a moderate to dense groundcover of grasses, herbs, and low shrubs. Sandhill occurs on the rolling topography and deep sands of the Southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain. Indicator species of sandhill habitats are longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), turkey oak (Quercus laevis), and wiregrass (Aristida stricta var. beyrichiana).
Note that this is not a full list of the many habitats found in Florida, but is instead an introduction to common habitats you may encounter.
Please keep in mind that a growth form is not the same as a habitat. A lichen may be epiphytic and grow on the side of a tree, however, for this project the tree is not considered its habitat. To determine the habitat, observe the other organisms that dominate the community in which you found the organism.
Before you make an identification for your observation, be sure to do two things:
1) Check out the "Identifying Organisms" tab on the Getting Started Page
2) Do some research on what you think you saw using the free online guides below.
Having trouble identifying an organism? Think you have the correct ID but need some resources to verify it? These free online ID guides can help you!
Integrated Taxonomic Information System
GeneralPlant Guides
Florida Invasive Plant Species
Vascular Plants
General Vascular Plants
Ferns
UF -An Overview and Informal Key of the Ferns of Florida (PDF)Florida Native Ferns: Ptropical Pteridophytes (PDF)
Gymnosperms
Angiosperms
Nonvascular Plants
Bryophyte Flora of North America
Guide to the Identification of North American Mosses
USF species project -Florida Fungi
Field Guide to Common macro-fungi in Eastern Forests (PDF)
Lichens
Consortium of North American Lichen Herbaria
General Animal Guides
General Marine Guides
World Register of Marine Species
Picture Guide to Gulf of Mexico Invertebrate (PDF)
Sponges
Corals
Mollusks
Insects
General Insect Guides
Insect Identification -FloridaBug Identification Key
Ants
Mantids
Stick and Leaf Insects
Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids
Orthoptera Species File Online
Caterpillar, Butterfly, and Moth
A Catalogue of the Butterflies of the United States and CanadaDiscover Life Caterpillar ID
Spiders
Myriapoda
Echinoderms
Reef Guide-Sea Urchins/Cucumbers
Marine Fish
Space Coast Saltwater Fish ID guide
Sharks, Skates, and Rays
Skates and Rays
Florida Museum Skates and Rays Species Profiles
Sharks and Rays
Sharks
Florida Museum Field Key to Atlantic Shark Species
Amphibians
Amphibian Species of the World
Florida Museum Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles
Reptiles
General Reptiles
Snakes
Florida Museum Snakes Identification Guide
Birds
Florida Ornithological Society-Official Florida State Bird ListFWC Bird ID Guide
Central Florida Backyard Identification
Mammals
General Mammals
Marine Mammals
Diatoms
Amoebozoa
International Society for Testate Amoeba Research
Algae
Florida Gulf Coast University Algae ID guide (PDF)
Want to become an even better identifier? Here is where you can find tips to become a better identifier:
Example Observation 1) Polycera hummi
Example Observation 2) Ipomoea pes-caprae
1) Appropriate Identification: You need to make an identification that is to (at minimum) the Kingdom level. If you have a general idea of what you're posting, go ahead and include it. That could be as broad as "bird" or "plant." Many people helping identify observations on iNaturalist will filter the observations by the group of species they know how to ID (like birds or plants), so observations with a blank ID or incorrect ID will be excluded from those filtered searches. Putting in a general ID helps funnel your observation to someone who might know what they're looking at so that it can get identified more quickly. Also, please don't add joke or otherwise false identifications on iNaturalist.
2) Accurate Date and Time: Contains an exact date and time when the observation was made. Note that your observations must be made after the start of the semester. Older observations will not be accepted.
3) Multiple, Clear Photos: An observation should have multiple photographs (if possible) of the organism that are high quality, and show key characteristics such as coloration, texture, and (if present) reproductive structures.
4) Accurate Location: Contains a precise location with coordinates that are within Florida and are not private. If you are concerned about revealing the location of a sensitive organism (or where your house is), you can hide the exact location from the public by changing the "geoprivacy" of the observation to "obscured", but please do not make your observation "private".
5) Detailed Description: Each observation must include a description for the observation that includes a visual description of organism, the habitat in which the observation was made, and a reference. The visual description should include shape, size, color(s), behavior, and (if present) reproductive structures. At least one reference (such as a website or field book) is provided that contains a description of the organism.
6) Wild Organism: Observations for this project cannot be cultivated, captive, domesticated, feral, dead, and / or a specimen. iNaturalist is primarily about observing wild organisms.