Commissioned by the state, “The 2024 State Report on Human Trafficking” identifies Florida’s heightened risk due to population, tourism, ports and industries, while also showcasing coordinated prevention, prosecution and policy measures. It reveals that prosecutions are rising and penalties in Florida exceed the national average.

To curb global plastic pollution and to make plastics safer and more sustainable, countries are currently negotiating a global treaty. A new study published in Nature provides a comprehensive and systematic overview of all chemicals that can be present in plastics, their properties, uses, and hazards. Moreover, the study also provides a scientific approach for identifying chemicals of concern. This allows scientists and manufacturers to develop safer plastics and policy makers to promote a non-toxic circular economy.

A new policy brief, produced as part of the LAMASUS project, highlights that strategic agricultural de-intensification in the EU could help reduce agricultural carbon emissions by nearly a third and considerably improve biodiversity recovery.

Researchers will study how ocean currents and river nutrients affect deep coral ecosystems on the West Florida Shelf – one of the Gulf’s largest and least-studied habitats. Funded by the Florida RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Program, the project aims to support sustainable fisheries and conservation of these vital, little-explored habitats, which are home to economically important marine life. The research will guide science-based strategies for protecting the gulf coast’s long-term ecological and economic health.