Author: megansam@ufl.edu

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 […]

By Megan Sam In June, a patch of salt marsh in St. Augustine became the testing ground for novel coastal restoration tools. Experts from the University of Florida’s Center for Coastal Solutions (CCS) and BESE, a Netherlands-based company known for its sustainable restoration products, launched field experiments on a new generation of biodegradable products designed […]

By Megan Sam In August, we proudly celebrated the graduation of three outstanding students: Yiyang Kang, Nick Chin and Hyun Dong Kim. Each is embarking on exciting new chapters of their careers. Whether pursuing academic careers as professors or stepping into engineering roles, their expertise, passion and dedication to coastal innovation will undoubtedly shape the […]

By Megan Sam Science and design don’t always speak the same language, often working in isolation even on the same projects. Adrian Sakr, an environmental engineering student at the Center for Coastal Solutions (CCS), wants to change that. He believes that building a more resilient future for Florida’s coastlines starts with breaking down these silos […]

CCS: Science for Global Ocean Action On World Ocean Day this year — Sunday June 8th — I sat in a UNESCO workshop in Nice, France on the eve of the UN Ocean Conference. This international gathering of world leaders, policy makers, scientists, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, practitioners and others provided an unparalleled opportunity to take the […]