Chu-En Hsu gives back: Mentoring the next generation as a new professor 

/

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 […]

Read more »

Ph.D. students help future data and environmental scientists build new skills 

/

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, […]

Read more »

New program launched to foster stewardship and resiliency in the Gulf 

/

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 […]

Read more »

Environmental conditions may trigger cancer in sea turtles  

/

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 […]

Read more »

How grasses drive dune growth and post-storm recovery: Dutch students survey U.S. coasts from Florida to Massachusetts

/

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 […]

Read more »

CCS 🧡 SCCF: The transformative power of enduring partnerships  

/

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 […]

Read more »

Gainesville community explores marine wonders with CCS on World Ocean Day

/

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 […]

Read more »

Scientists train AI models to predict natural disasters faster

/

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 […]

Read more »

Jack Parker turns his love for drones into a purpose to protect the coast

/

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 […]

Read more »

Sea otters’ homecoming to a California estuary shows payoff in conservation efforts

/

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 — […]

Read more »

The R/V Rogow sets sail for marsh restoration in St. Augustine

/

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 […]

Read more »

UF researcher developing trustworthy AI to model human behavior in natural disasters

/

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 […]

Read more »

Humans impact mud flow patterns and carbon cycles around the world

/

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 […]

Read more »

Sharing nature’s best practices for resilience at cross-sector symposium

/

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 […]

Read more »

Patrick Saldaña predicts the future of reefs using dead corals

/

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 […]

Read more »

From tides to textbooks: Graduate students develop lesson plans to inspire the next generation

/

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 […]

Read more »

Director’s note March/April 2024

/

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 […]

Read more »

Researchers track septic tank pollution in estuary

/

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 […]

Read more »

Watershed runoff has greater impact on downstream water quality than Lake Okeechobee releases, new study finds

/

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 […]

Read more »

New project to bolster St. Augustine marsh against sea level rise and erosion

/

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, […]

Read more »

CCS’ new board chair: We look forward to CCS being the go-to center for actionable solutions

/

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 […]

Read more »

Researchers reveal astronomic link to water quality challenges

/

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 […]

Read more »

Tool saves counties time and money in setting land conservation priorities

/

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 […]

Read more »

Student’s beach preservation research recognized at statewide conference

/

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 […]

Read more »