Author: megansam@ufl.edu

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 […]

By Sharon Ryan For Megan Sam, storytelling is more than communication — it’s a way to connect people to hope. Her passion for environmental storytelling grew through a series of formative internships, from capturing oral histories to collaborating with scientists at the World Wildlife Fund. Those experiences taught Megan the power of relatable characters and […]

A retrospective on what makes CCS great Dear Colleagues and Friends, After nine months as interim director, my stint is ending as the search for the next director enters the final stages. It’s been a rewarding chapter, one that’s deepened my appreciation for the people who make this community what it is and for the […]

By Megan Sam A new machine learning model from the University of Florida could transform how Jacksonville monitors water quality in the St. Johns River, making it faster, more accurate and better able to protect public health. The model estimates E. coli levels using environmental and infrastructure data, reducing the need for costly, time-consuming water […]

Celebrating our students: Past, present and future Dear Friends, As we head into the new academic year, I am reflecting on one of the most rewarding parts of working with the Center for Coastal Solutions (CCS): the incredible energy, curiosity and drive that our students bring to our mission of supporting healthy and resilient coasts. […]

By Megan Sam and Sharon Ryan In a massive wave tank at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Alberto Canestrelli, Ph.D., observes oyster reef breakwaters as they respond to simulated tides.  An associate professor of civil and coastal engineering, Canestrelli is testing how different reef […]

By Megan Sam Six months after Hurricanes Helene and Milton reshaped Florida’s coastline, researchers from the University of Florida joined academic, government and industry partners from across the country for an intensive field campaign at Midnight Pass and Milton Pass, two barrier islands opened by the storms. Their goal: to document the long-term impacts of a […]