(Photo credit: Samantha Jones)

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 engineering, to ecology, geology, hydrology and oceanography through to land use planning, natural resources economics, law and policy.

Read more

(Photo credit: Samantha Jones)

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 successes such as the ongoing recovery of the Earth’s ozone layer due to an international agreement reached in 1987 to restrict the use of ozone-depleting gases in the atmosphere.  

Full story

(Photo credit: Samantha Jones)

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 imagery to study sediment movement along Anastasia Island just south of Ponte Vedra Beach, which may prove valuable in guiding future beach nourishment to maximize the return on investment. Cromwell was one of four researchers who took part in a lightning talk series at the Optimizing Solutions for Resilient Coasts summit held at Sweetwater Inn in Gainesville on December 1.   

Full story

(Photo credit: Samantha Jones)

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 out flood risks and vulnerability to sea level rise, storms and tide events, as well as develop strategies for mitigation and resilience.  

Full story