Category: Featured

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 […]

As the year comes to a close, I am delighted to share good tidings of a new partnership between the University of Florida and the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineer Research and Development Center (USACE-ERDC). This partnership will drive innovation and tap into UF’s world-class expertise in fields ranging from civil, mechanical and environmental […]

When it comes to coastal erosion, there’s a lot at stake in places like Ponte Vedra Beach where nearly $200 million has been spent in the last 25 years to replenish beach sand. Copeland Cromwell, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Florida, is using 40 years of satellite […]

Facing one of the fastest rates of sea level rise acceleration in the country, the city of Cedar Key is working with the University of Florida to plan for climate change-related risks. A new web app developed by the Florida Institute for Built Environmental Resilience (FIBER) is helping the city visualize the future and map […]

Mark Osler is an advocate of telling conservation success stories that inspire hope and encourage others to take action. In a keynote talk at the CCS’ Optimizing Solutions for Resilient Coasts summit on December 1, Osler, senior advisor for coastal inundation and resilience at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), shared examples of environmental […]

In support of conditional optimism The holidays are just around the corner, and most of us are busy with preparations for the festive season. It’s a time to gather with family and friends, a time to reflect on the ups and downs of the past year, and a time to look toward the new year […]

Tampa Bay’s vanishing seagrass beds have raised concerns across the state, as experts grapple with how to restore the grasses that are critical to the health of Florida’s largest open-water estuary. Among the factors affecting the health of seagrass beds are high levels of nitrogen in the water, which contribute to harmful algal blooms or […]

Sand may appear simple but small differences in composition, particle shape, wetness and packing play a critical role when predicting how beaches evolve and change, just as such properties control whether a sandcastle will stand strong or collapse.   Nina Stark, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering at the University […]

At a rainy opening of the Malachowsky Hall for Data Science and Information Technology on November 3, staff from the UF Center for Coastal Solutions (CCS) shared some of the ways they are capitalizing on artificial intelligence (AI) to help keep Florida’s coasts healthy and livable for future generations.   The ultra-modern, $150-million, 263,440 square […]

One Health Day is celebrated every year on November 3 to highlight the need for a transdisciplinary approach towards addressing health challenges for people, animals and the environment globally. The UF One Health Center of Excellence brought together research labs and student organizations across the University via fun trivia and networking opportunities, emphasizing the diversity […]

As temperatures climb due to climate change, the boundaries of plants and animals are shifting, with many species on the move in search of suitable habitat on a global scale. Mangroves are one such species, and their northward expansion in Florida is fundamentally transforming coastal ecosystems by replacing existing saltmarsh plants and producing new zones […]

As a research technician at the Center for Coastal Solutions, Charli Pezoldt gets to live out their childhood dream job of working on the water. Pezoldt is part of a field operations team that helps scientists at the University of Florida collect data and coordinate logistics for numerous experiments and projects.    “The innate desire […]

After graduating with a degree in political science and working for two and a half years in nonprofits, Emory Wellman was unsure whether a career shift to the natural sciences would pay off, but she knew she would regret it if she didn’t try. These days, Emory is a full-time graduate student studying ecology, and enjoys […]

During UF AI Days from October 16-20, CCS researchers shared success stories in using artificial intelligence to enhance the speed and accuracy of water quality monitoring and coastal modeling. Associate Research Scientist Ron Fick, Ph.D. who co-led a panel on AI-driven advances in diverse fields, described the development of a new algorithm that fuses satellite […]

Nearly 90 percent of live coral has been lost in the Keys in the last 40 years, a stark reality that requires making informed decisions about how to invest restoration effort, according to Andrew Altieri, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Environmental Engineering Sciences Department, whose team investigates the impact of water quality and predation on coral […]

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) […]

The UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to leverage their collective scientific expertise and technology platforms to map and monitor the world’s oceans, lakes and waterways. In addition to world-class coastal research and engineering expertise, each institution offers distinct […]

Giving thanks with a grateful heart At CCS, our goal is simple: We want to empower decision-makers, through big ideas and workable solutions, so that coastal systems and communities can thrive into the future.   The challenges facing our coasts are too big for any one group to address alone, so we are grateful for the […]

Junior faculty research heats up as temps cool down Fall is finally in the air in Florida! In the expansive salt marshes that define the northern coastal margins of our state, this is the season when smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterninflora) shoots up an additional 10 to 15 inches as it flowers and produces billions of […]