Author: megansam@ufl.edu

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 […]

In March, three undergraduate students got their first taste of what it’s like to do field research during a daylong field trip to St. Augustine research sites, organized by Ph.D. students Britney Hay and Adam Hymel from the UF Center for Coastal Solutions (CCS). Students Katie Austin, Molly Golding and Abigail Moore dipped their toes into the role of CCS interns for a day, learning the basics of field […]

A new study examining whether the timing of Lake Okeechobee releases could be adjusted to improve the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary’s (CRE) water quality found that while releases from Lake Okeechobee had an impact on water quality, nutrient concentrations in the CRE were more strongly related to flows from the surrounding C-43 basin.   “This suggests that strategies […]

In February 2024, the UF Center for Coastal Solutions (CCS) and WSP Environment & Infrastructure Inc. launched a coastal wetland restoration project in St. Augustine using thin-layer placement (TLP) to bolster wetlands’ ability to keep pace with sea level rise and erosion. This approach, which is relatively new to the southeastern United States, involves the application of dredged sediment onto wetlands to increase their size and elevation, which can boost their ability to protect shorelines from storm surge, […]

The power of positive stories Stories about nature, especially hopeful ones, are rare in the news. Yet there is power in spreading positive messages and sharing what works. In last month’s edition of Coastal Edges, we shared a story about a groundbreaking study published in Nature that revealed how the return of sea otters to California’s Elkhorn Slough, an […]

Alex Sheremet, Ph.D., professor in the University of Florida Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering, is modeling ship waves in the state’s inland marshes to understand to what extent ship traffic contributes to the degradation of coastal ecosystems.    “I was interested in this because the wakes that are produced by boats are different from wind waves. […]

Retired engineering executive Bob Bailey is stepping into the role of chair of the CCS advisory board to help guide the center into its next chapter as a research and technology innovator. Bob, who joined the board in 2021, has played a key role in identifying funding opportunities for the center to advance coastal research […]

The sun and moon can play a role in water quality challenges, new research shows. Arnoldo Valle-Levinson, Ph.D., CCS affiliate faculty and professor in the Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering, is studying how interactions among winds, tides and river discharges affect the Peace River’s water quality. His team has found that solar and lunar […]

If population growth and land use in Florida continues at its current rate, more than a third of the state’s land could be developed by 2070, potentially doubling the demand for fresh water. A new data analytics tool developed through a partnership by researchers at the UF Center for Coastal Solutions (CCS) and the Center for Landscape […]

Teagan Frazier, an undergraduate student in the University of Florida’s Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, captured third place in a poster competition for her research on how to enhance the growth of dune grasses for greater coastal protection from extreme weather events at the National Conference on Beach Preservation Technology, which took place February 7 […]

Sustaining our momentum and scaling our impacts in 2024 In 2023, CCS rode a surge of success, and this year is also rolling out with a whoosh!    In January, we brought CCS students, faculty, advisory board and our collaborators together for a daylong retreat to check progress against the three-year strategic plan we created a year […]

Coral and oyster reefs play a vital role in mitigating the impact of wave energy on coastal areas as water flows through and past the contours and irregularities of their surfaces. Xiao Yu, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering, and Ph.D. student Lauren Cope are developing models to measure how […]

Last summer, blooms of blue-green algae spread across 440 miles of Lake Okeechobee, covering nearly half of the state’s largest inland lake. For years, these blooms have posed a health hazard to the lake’s vegetation and wildlife, and to the people who swim in and drink the lake’s water. Scientists at the University of Florida, […]

Sea otters’ homecoming to their former habitat in a Central California estuary has delivered a remarkable payoff in conservation efforts — erosion of the area’s creekbanks and marsh edges have slowed on average by 69%.   In a study published today in Nature, scientists show that the reintroduction of sea otters, some of the Elkhorn […]

More than 60 University of Florida engineering alumni gathered at the Governor’s House Cultural Center and Museum in St. Augustine on December 13 to learn about the Center for Coastal Solutions’ (CCS) research to address coastal challenges faced by the city.    “What struck me is just how many of the UF alumni at the event […]

The UF Center for Coastal Solutions (CCS) held its second annual strategic planning retreat at the Austin Carey Forest Campus on January 12.   “The purpose of this process is to keep CCS on a clear path to being a stronger organization with positive impact,” said Sharon Ryan, associate director of communications and strategy for CCS, […]

This month’s SeaSquad features Brian Beach, CCS’ newest advisory board member and president of Beachside Strategy, which guides organizations in developing their vision and models for innovation and transformation. Beach shares his deep connection to UF, his motivation for joining the board and features of the coast that he hopes his children and future generations […]

In October, researchers from the UF Center for Coastal Solutions (CCS) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center (USACE – ERDC) shared their efforts to improve coastal dune restoration and resilience in northeast Florida with researchers from around the country at the 2023 American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) […]