Category: News

By Megan Sam New research delivers the clearest evidence so far that exposure to Florida’s red tide drives measurable increases in acute respiratory and gastrointestinal illness. By pairing bloom data with healthcare records, scientists documented a direct rise in short-term symptoms — offering a rare, detailed look at red tide’s immediate health impacts. This study was carried out by […]

By Megan Sam For years, scientists have warned that the Gulf Stream — a major ocean current that drives heat, weather and water circulation across the Atlantic — may be weakening or even nearing collapse. Such a shift could trigger global ripple effects: altered rainfall patterns affecting billions, more intense storms and colder winters in Europe, faster […]

By Megan Sam Just as probiotics can support human gut health, these beneficial bacteria may also play a role in protecting coral reefs. Often called the rainforests of the sea, coral reefs are teeming with life. But a mysterious disease, stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD), is devastating them faster than scientists can respond. A team […]

By Megan Sam Coastal residents in Juno Beach know firsthand how much their shoreline is changing. Stronger storms, recurring flooding and harmful algal blooms have become familiar challenges, and many community members are eager for solutions that don’t just describe the problems — but help them prepare for what’s ahead. That desire for practical answers filled the room at Loggerhead Marinelife Center […]

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 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 […]

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 […]