Author: megansam@ufl.edu

Unlocking resilience: Innovation to adapt, thrive and survive Dear friends and colleagues,   The catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Helene, spanning from southwest Florida to North Carolina over the last few week raises critical questions: can we rebuild communities devastated by this event and if so, when, where and how should we proceed? This dilemma prompts […]

Growing up in Taiwan, where typhoons and coastal storms were a regular occurrence, Chu-En Hsu developed a deep fascination with the ocean and the forces shaping his surroundings. This interest eventually led him far from home to the University of Florida, where he earned his doctorate degree in coastal and oceanographic engineering. As a graduate […]

Alexis Jackson didn’t discover environmental engineering as a career option until right before graduate school, when she was on track to become a wetland ecologist. Now a Ph.D. student in the University of Florida’s Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, she volunteers to connect young students with science fields they might not otherwise encounter. In August, […]

On September 10, leaders in environmental journalism, history, architecture and engineering gathered at Pugh Hall to launch the UF Gulf Scholars Program, a new initiative of the Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida. The program aims to foster stewardship, resiliency and innovation in the Gulf of Mexico by providing students […]

When sea turtles return to the coast after spending their early years in the ocean, they encounter a new threat: the risk of developing tumors. These cauliflower-like tumors are a symptom of fibropapillomatosis (FP), a debilitating cancer that affects all sea turtle species in Florida and worldwide. Costanza Manes, a graduate student in the University […]

More than a quarter of the Netherlands lies below sea level, making dunes a crucial defense for coastal communities against the impacts of climate change. As sea levels rise, the safety of Dutch communities depends on understanding and enhancing the strength and resilience of dunes. To help with this, graduate students Paul Berghuis and Floris van Rees […]

The preservation of our coastlines, vital to both local ecosystems and human communities, demands a unified effort across many fields of expertise and organizations. For researchers, finding the right partners to support and collaborate on these efforts can make or break the success of critical scientific endeavors. For the Center for Coastal Solutions (CCS), the […]

Watching oysters “power clean” a tank of muddy water in 30 minutes. Exploring materials used to make oyster gardens that help clean water and boost oyster reef restoration efforts. Building miniature living shorelines to test how they protect coastal areas from storms. These were some of the hands-on activities led by CCS scientists and volunteers to celebrate our blue planet and explore how […]

It’s a wrap, folks A huge congratulations to four of our students in the environmental engineering sciences department on successfully defending their dissertations and becoming Dr. Hallie Fishman, Dr. Sara Swaminathan and Dr. Sydney Williams and to Yvanna Serra, for successfully defending her master’s thesis! What an incredible culmination of these students’ hard work, ingenuity, tenacity and grit.  Take […]

The sway of plants caused by the flow of water resembles a dance to graduate student Katie Schoenberger, who is researching how this movement can affect the growth and removal of algae in Florida’s springs. Excessive algae growth in many of the state’s springs have rendered blue, pristine bodies of water green and coated in […]

Nearly 900 million people live in low-lying coastal zones around the world and bear the brunt of impacts from more frequent and severe hurricanes, flooding and rising sea levels. Early warning systems play a critical role in saving lives and preventing loss and damage to property from coastal hazards such as hurricanes, flooding and rising sea levels.  Zhe Jiang, Ph.D., CCS affiliate and associate professor in the University of Florida’s Computer and Information […]

In August, we celebrated the graduation of four outstanding students from UF’s Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences and the Center for Coastal Solutions (CCS). Hallie Fischman, Yvanna Serra, Sara Swaminathan and Sydney Williams are all set to continue their exciting journeys in research. Whether they’re pursuing Ph.D. studies, stepping into faculty roles, or diving into […]

Growing up along Florida’s coast, Jack Parker experienced several hurricanes that affected his family’s life. Two of these storms, Dennis in 2005 and Michael in 2018, caused a great amount of damage to his home, and led to several days without power followed by weeks of cleaning up. These experiences made Parker want to contribute to […]

In a groundbreaking study published today in Nature, scientists reveal that the return of sea otters to their former habitat in a Central California estuary has slowed erosion of the area’s creekbanks and marsh edges on average by 69%. The resurgence of these charismatic marine mammals — also some of the habitat’s top predators — […]

In May, the UF Center for Coastal Solutions (CCS) launched its newest research vessel, the “R/V Rogow,” on its maiden voyage to haul more than 20 yards of sediment as part of a marsh restoration project in St. Augustine, Florida. The boat, named in honor of Bruce and Winnie Rogow, was made possible through their […]

As the world experiences more frequent and intense weather and climate events, robust models that predict how people behave before, during and after these extreme events are important for developing effective emergency response strategies. Increasingly, artificial intelligence (AI) is being incorporated into these models yet we don’t understand how most AI models make decisions, because […]

Mud shapes life on Earth and regulates the planet’s climate by storing and cycling carbon. In a study published in Nature Geoscience, scientists from the University of Florida and eight other institutions found that human actions are altering the journey of mud, which has implications for understanding past changes in climate and what future scenarios might […]

The power of positive interactions in nature and networks A year ago, our center volunteered to host the first Network for Engineering With Nature (N-EWN) 2024 Partner Symposium here in the Sunshine State. Last week, we welcomed 170 participants to St. Augustine from around the country for two-days of productive exchanges around nature-based solutions (NBS), a field that is […]

St. Augustine, Florida provided a picturesque backdrop for the inaugural Network for Engineering With Nature (N-EWN) 2024 Partner Symposium from May 22 to 24, which brought together 170 members from 28 network partners from across the country to forge deeper connections while learning about one another’s work to implement nature-based solutions or “actions to protect, sustainably manage, or restore […]

Patrick Saldaña has turned his passion for all things ocean — from diving in sunlight dappled kelp forests to spearfishing off the coast of California — into a career studying the history and future of marine ecosystems around the world. Saldaña, who graduated in May with a doctorate degree in environmental engineering sciences from the […]

University of Florida graduate students Hallie Fischman and Emory Wellman are collaborating with teachers to translate their research into lesson plans for middle and high school students that inspire solutions for a changing world as part of a Florida Sea Grant pilot project in collaboration with the Virginia Scientists and Educators Alliance (VA SEA).   “By […]

New frontiers: AI for climate and nature On April 10-11, I was honored to attend and speak at a spring convening on AI for Climate and Nature hosted in New York by the Bezos Earth Fund and Columbia University where we took a deep dive into how AI can help achieve climate and nature conservation […]

Scientists at the University of Florida are tracking the level of septic tank pollutants that reach the Guana Tolomato Matanzas (GTM) estuary. These efforts will support resource managers in estimating the amount of coliforms entering the estuary and prioritizing septic to sewer conversion efforts.   “There is no comprehensive study that estimates coliform loads from residential […]

From the mines of Ghana to the beaches of Florida, Stephen Adusei journeyed a long way to follow his dream of becoming a geotechnical engineer. Driven by a strong interest in soil and rock mechanics and geospatial data analysis, Adusei’s passion led to a career in research with frequent field work and use of some […]