Author: megansam@ufl.edu

By Megan Sam That’s the question driving Taryn Chaya, a Ph.D. student in the University of Florida’s School of Natural Resources and Environment. She is investigating whether mosquito impoundments — wetlands modified to control mosquito populations — can also be managed to capture nutrients and improve water quality in coastal systems. Her work focuses on the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), once a thriving estuary on […]

By Megan Sam Water managers can now explore how lake conditions and water release strategies could affect Lake Okeechobee’s water quantity and quality, using two new web-based tools designed to support more proactive decision-making.  Co-developed by researchers from seven institutions, the Lake Okeechobee Optimization of Nutrients Exports (LOONE) Forecast and Planning tools were showcased at the Optimizing Solutions for Resilient Coasts summit in December 2025. Project co-leaders David […]

By Megan Sam For the University of Florida Center for Coastal Solutions, 2025 was a year of steady progress and measurable impact.   At the Optimizing Solutions for Resilient Coasts summit in December, Interim Director Andrew Altieri, Ph.D., captured the spirit of the year: urgency paired with optimism. Hosted at the Austin Cary Forest Campus, the gathering served as what Altieri called a “marathon aid station” — a moment […]

Building on a strong foundation  Dear CCS community,  It has been just a couple of weeks since I had the great honor of stepping into the role of director of CCS and I have already been deeply impressed by the commitment and drive of the CCS community to make key contributions to solving todays’ big coastal challenges.     CCS is known for its cutting‑edge research, effective outreach and close collaboration with academic, […]

By Sharon Ryan Coastal resilience depends on solutions that work in the real world and can scale to meet growing challenges, Chris Shepard, Ph.D., director of science for The Nature Conservancy’s Oceans and Coasts program, told attendees at the UF Center for Coastal Solutions Annual Summit on December 12, 2025.  Shepard highlighted the Scaling Up Nature-Based Solutions (SUNS) program, which […]

By Megan Sam New research delivers the clearest evidence so far that exposure to Florida’s red tide drives measurable increases in acute respiratory and gastrointestinal illness. By pairing bloom data with healthcare records, scientists documented a direct rise in short-term symptoms — offering a rare, detailed look at red tide’s immediate health impacts. This study was carried out by […]

By Megan Sam For years, scientists have warned that the Gulf Stream — a major ocean current that drives heat, weather and water circulation across the Atlantic — may be weakening or even nearing collapse. Such a shift could trigger global ripple effects: altered rainfall patterns affecting billions, more intense storms and colder winters in Europe, faster […]

By Megan Sam Just as probiotics can support human gut health, these beneficial bacteria may also play a role in protecting coral reefs. Often called the rainforests of the sea, coral reefs are teeming with life. But a mysterious disease, stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD), is devastating them faster than scientists can respond. A team […]

By Megan Sam Coastal residents in Juno Beach know firsthand how much their shoreline is changing. Stronger storms, recurring flooding and harmful algal blooms have become familiar challenges, and many community members are eager for solutions that don’t just describe the problems — but help them prepare for what’s ahead. That desire for practical answers filled the room at Loggerhead Marinelife Center […]

International school program focuses on science that serves society Dear Colleagues and Friends, I recently had the honor to serve as an instructor at the Global Ocean Oxygen Decade – Ocean Acidification Research for Sustainability (GOOD–OARS) International Summer School, held Nov. 4–11, 2025, at the Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies in Penang, Malaysia. The […]