Author: megansam@ufl.edu

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 […]

By Sharon Ryan This month’s SeaSquad features an interview with advisory board member Drew Jeter of AECOM, who shares what keeps him energized in his role, the coastal issues he’s most passionate about, and how his personal connection to the coast motivates him to support research that protects these places for future generations. Can you […]

By Megan Sam What happens to a coral reef after it dies? For University of Florida marine ecologist Andrew Altieri, Ph.D., the answer is revealing an unexpected story of resilience. Supported by a National Science Foundation Early Career Award, Altieri’s team is discovering that even after corals die their skeletons still provide critical habitat for […]

By Megan Sam From just 39 clams, University of Florida (UF) researchers are sparking an ecological revival in the Indian River Lagoon. Once home to thriving clam beds, the estuary’s clam population collapsed by the early 2000s, after decades of overharvesting in the ‘80s and ‘90s and a series of devastating algal blooms. Nearly wiped […]

By Megan Sam When researchers returned to Tyndall Air Force Base in September, just four months after installing bamboo barriers to protect seagrass from grazers, they found something striking: in some areas, the only seagrass left standing was inside the bamboo plots.   These early results showcase the success of a simple but effective strategy: using […]