Category: News

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 […]

The United States has experienced 23 extreme weather events so far this year, including hurricanes, that each carry losses exceeding $1 billion, according to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. In response, experts from industry, government and academia are collaborating to produce forecasts of hurricane damage before they make landfall.   “In Florida, hurricanes are one […]

Estuaries are a defining feature of Florida’s coasts. These bodies of water are found where freshwater from rivers and streams meets and mixes with salt water from the ocean. Often called the “nurseries of the sea,” they provide habitat and clean water for humans and wildlife. To understand how these coastal zones are responding to sea […]

In June, a team of scientists and researchers from the University of Florida Center for Coastal Solutions (CCS), the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Villanova University and the University of North Carolina Wilmington traveled to St. Augustine, Florida, to survey eroding shorelines and develop new models to aid in their protection.  “We […]

Joe Marchionno vividly recalls the sense of wonder he felt as he got an up-close look at a bird for the first time while a colleague at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) attached a small band to the bird’s leg to track its movements. “One of the rewards of doing conservation work […]

By Abby Weingarten Today, The Wall Street Journal named the University of Florida the No. 1 public university in the country in its “2024 Best Colleges in the U.S.” report.  The Wall Street Journal, which has published U.S. college rankings since 2016, has improved its methodology this year by working with research partners College Pulse […]

Dear friends and colleagues,  Nearly 900 million people live in low-lying coastal zones around the world, in communities that are disproportionately affected by rising sea levels, ocean warming, increasingly extreme weather and other coastal hazards, according to UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres. This global population is a staggering 15-times more likely to die from flooding and […]

Earlier this summer, researchers from governmental, academic and nonprofit organizations gathered in the Florida Panhandle to compare notes on their latest research findings for the region. Their purpose? Building a collaborative network and identifying priority projects and funding opportunities to rehabilitate the region’s shorelines and reverse water quality declines.   Researchers at the University of Florida’s […]

Five years ago, Hurricane Michael caused massive damage to Tyndall Air Force Base when it carved through the Florida Panhandle. Today, the base is wielding nature’s power to increase the military installation’s resilience against future climate and extreme weather events.   As part of the base’s $5-billion rebuild program, researchers from the UF Center for […]

Failing septic systems are among the key culprits in harming water quality. To help reduce that risk, scientists at the UF Center for Coastal Solutions have developed a tool to identify systems that might release untreated wastewater to the ground and nearby waterways.   The Regional Septic Vulnerability Assessment identifies locations where septic systems are […]

Researcher and educator Nina Stark has crisscrossed the world to help coastal communities build more resilient infrastructure in the face of rising coastal hazards and climate change-related threats. Her expertise in marine geotechnics, the mechanics of seabed sediments, has taken her from the frigid and windy conditions of the Arctic to the sunny Florida coasts. […]

Florida has over 2.7 million septic systems and it’s estimated that cleaning them up will cost billions.  A new tool developed by CCS scientists is saving counties in Florida time and money to convert septic systems to sewer networks, while reducing environmental impacts that result when septic systems fail. The Septic to Sewer Optimization Tool […]

“I will always cherish the moments of playing saxophone together, researching coral reefs in Hawaii, talking in our thick northern accents, chatting for hours on end in the lab and enjoying meals together. Paul truly radiates light and brings immense value to everyone he encounters.” -Nicholas Kroeger, Ph.D. candidate, Dr. Gader’s former student “Paul was […]

Their lifelong love of the ocean inspired Lindy and Scott Hearne to take action in partnership with CCS to help conserve it for future generations of Floridians. For Lindy and Scott Hearne, the perfect day in Florida starts with a walk on the beach in the morning and ends with a sunset cruise around Siesta […]

Farewell to our friend Paul Dear friends and colleagues, It is with great emotion that I begin this month’s newsletter with a remembrance of our dear friend and talented colleague, Dr. Paul Gader, who passed away in early June. Paul was a world-leading computer scientist who loved nature and, perhaps influenced by his upbringing in […]

University of Florida PhD student Nick Chin is using artificial intelligence to identify and quantify the dynamics of one of southwest Florida’s most pressing environmental issues: red tide.   Chin, from the Kaplan lab, presented this research at the American Ecological Engineering Society (AEES) in Tampa in early June, which will support the groundwork to identify […]

As hurricane season kicks off, scientists continue to keep an eye on how coastal dunes change in response to landfalling hurricanes and storms that pass offshore. A team led by Peter Adams, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Geological Sciences and lead for the CCS Geospatial Group, is measuring how these processes change the […]

Todd Van Natta loves going to work, wherever that happens to be on any given day. As director of field research for the Center for Coastal Solutions (CCS), Todd oversees field work for multiple complex projects in different locations throughout Florida and the Southeast region.   “I’m the luckiest person in the world, I really […]

A yearlong study tracking the movement of wastewater discharged in an emergency from the retired Piney Point phosphate processing plant in 2021 shows that the pollution spread much farther than expected.  “This research highlights the importance of protecting coastal water quality and ensuring that infrastructure failures do not negatively impact Tampa Bay water quality,” said […]

‘Tis the Field Season!  Field season is here! For many scientists here at the Center for Coastal Solutions (CCS), summer is prime time to do field research outdoors across Florida, North America and internationally. Some of my best memories as a scientist are of being out on Sapelo Island, up to my waist in mud, working […]