UF Center for Coastal Solutions

CCS’ alumna Julie Walker has always embraced a challenge, even if it means facing down an alligator to check on her field experiments. During her doctoral studies, she once spotted what appeared to be an alligator’s head floating near her work site in the marsh. After waiting for 30 minutes, she used a stick to scare it off, before carefully approaching — only to find it was just a pool thermometer shaped like an alligator’s head. That spirit of determination and resilience has been a hallmark of Walker’s work throughout her career. Learn more about Julie at https://lnkd.in/e26X39sz!

Graduate students from the School of Architecture and JaxLab at University of Florida College of Design, Construction and Planning, in collaboration with stakeholders from the city of Jacksonville and St. Johns Riverkeeper, are working together on an ambitious project to reshape the city’s future with a focus on resilience and sustainability. As part of the Florida Digital Twin initiative, the team visited key sites, including Ribault Scenic Drive Park and the Pope Place and Gold Merit ash disposal areas, which are contaminated with incinerator ash. Their goal: to explore innovative design solutions for transforming these sites into vibrant, functional public spaces that can serve the community for years to come. Full story of how students and stakeholders are designing for a resilient Ribault River at https://lnkd.in/eWNhNXnt!

The National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) Hurricane Coastal Impacts Program (NHCI) recently held its final project meeting, marking the culmination of four years of groundbreaking work to better understand and predict #hurricane impacts. 🌀 Funded by the Office of Naval Research, the team achieved significant milestones, including creating critical datasets to improve tropical cyclone impact forecasts, collecting unprecedented on-the-ground and remote observations, and advancing both atmospheric and oceanic impact prediction models. "While this project has been instrumental in advancing the forecasting of tropical cyclone impacts, further work is urgently needed in this specific field as we have seen in the last hurricane season," said Maitane Olabarrieta, Ph.D., CCS associate director and team lead for one of the 10 teams. "The multidisciplinary approach adopted in this project has proven essential and should continue to be a cornerstone for future efforts." Learn more about NOPP at https://lnkd.in/eWTkRUPY! Deltares Capella Space Seahorse Coastal Consulting Fathom Science Sofar Ocean The Water Institute Airbus National Weather Service U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration National Centers for Environmental Prediction U.S. Naval Research Laboratory National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Renaissance Computing Institute Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Louisiana State University IHE Delft Institute for Water Education University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science North Carolina State University The University of Georgia Applied Physics Laboratory-UW University of Massachusetts Amherst CSTARS Oregon State University University of Rhode Island University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of Colorado Boulder

A recent study led by Susan Badylak examines how water flow from Lake Okeechobee through the S-77 structure and the surrounding watershed impacts phytoplankton communities in the C-43 Canal over space and time. Researchers explored key questions, including: 1. Can phytoplankton blooms form naturally in the canal, beyond the harmful blooms coming from Lake Okeechobee? 2. Are cyanobacteria always the dominant species in the canal? 3. How do water inputs from Lake Okeechobee vs. the surrounding watershed affect phytoplankton composition and biomass? 4. How do seasonal changes, storms, and water management decisions influence factors like light, temperature, nutrients, and water flow that shape phytoplankton dynamics? The results reveal that both Lake Okeechobee and the watershed play significant roles in shaping phytoplankton communities in the canal. This research highlights opportunities for managing water discharges to help reduce #HarmfulAlgalBlooms (HABs) in the canal and downstream ecosystems. Read the full paper here: https://lnkd.in/eq724esv Edward Phlips Eric Milbrandt Elise Morrison Ben Stelling Shin-Ah Lee Thomas Frankovich David Kaplan

Last week, students had the unique opportunity to engage with the cutting-edge work happening at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory during a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers networking event. From premier facilities and transformational technologies to extensive research initiatives, students learned about innovative solutions addressing the Nation's most pressing coastal and hydraulic challenges. They also connected with ERDC's team to explore career opportunities. Thank you to Julie Rosati, Ph.D., technical director for civil works R&D and technical director for flood and risk management R&D, Amie Dowe, ERDC recruiter, and all the students who participated!

Inspiring. Connection. Optimistic. These are just a few words attendees used to describe their experience at our annual Optimizing Solutions for Resilient Coasts Summit last Friday. A heartfelt thank you to the 100+ attendees from industry, academia, and nonprofit and public sectors who came together for a day of sharing, learning, innovating, and laughing. While there's still much work ahead, this group of thought leaders, inspiring speakers, and students brings hope and inspiration for the future of our coasts. What was your favorite moment from #CCSsummit2024? Share it with us in the comments!

Congratulations to Elise Morrison, Ph.D., and Marc Hensel, Ph.D., who have been named The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Gulf Research Program Early-Career Research Fellows! This fellowship supports emerging scientific leaders in improving offshore energy safety and strengthening the health of coastal communities and ecosystems. As part of the Environmental Protection and Stewardship track, Morrison and Hensel will focus on understanding the impacts of climate change, sea-level rise, and shifting water quality on the Gulf of Mexico. Check out the full press release at https://lnkd.in/ePDPChDK.

Your 2024 wrapped: Coastal Edges edition 🌊 This year moved fast for CCS. Coastal Edges readers enjoyed 38 stories about our work to optimize water quality decisions, incorporate nature-based solutions, develop Florida's Digital Twin, and forecast coastal hazards. Which one was your favorite? Check out our stories at https://lnkd.in/eEaHMCBy!

Materials such as plastic, metal and concrete are common choices for #LivingShorelines and coastal restoration projects due to their accessibility, predictability and affordability. However, their life cycle impacts — from production, transportation, installation and degradation — raise questions about their sustainability. A new study published in Ecological Engineering by Adrian Sakr and Dr. Andrew Altieri explores an alternative: natural and reduced-impact materials, such as plant fibers, rocks, and bio-based and biodegradable plastics. Their findings show that when considering life cycle impacts, natural materials can provide greater ecological and engineering benefits at a lower total environmental cost compared to conventional materials. If you're interested in improving the sustainability and functionality of future projects using lower-impact, locally formed natural materials, you can check out the paper, "Living in a material world: Support for the use of natural and alternative materials in coastal restoration and living shorelines," here: https://lnkd.in/eW8erQSm.

As Gators, we know the power of working together to tackle big challenges — from the devastation caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton to the growing threats facing our coastal ecosystems. This #GivingTuesday, we invite you to join us in making a real impact on the issues facing our coastlines. Your support helps us continue the work we're doing to protect and restore coastal ecosystems, advance innovative research, and develop the next generation of coastal leaders. To make a gift, please visit https://lnkd.in/eJw_A-fE. Every gift, no matter the size, has the power to help drive meaningful change and create resilient solutions for our coastal communities.