Director's Note

Farewell to Our Friend Paul

(Photo credit: Megan Sam)

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 the frigid North Dakota plains, really loved spending time along Florida’s sunny, wave-bathed coasts. We had the great privilege of benefitting from Paul’s profound expertise and infectious passion for the coast and environmental sustainability in the establishment and growth of the Center for Coastal Solutions. From the people who comprise the center to the work we do and how we do it, Paul’s brilliance is imprinted everywhere.

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Piney Point Pollution Spread Farther than Previously Thought, Study Shows

(Photo credit: Patrick Norby)

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. 

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In the Field

Todd Van Natta: Fun and Fulfillment in the Field

(Photo credit: Carola Forlini)

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, Todd oversees field work for multiple complex projects in different locations throughout Florida and the Southeast region.  

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Tech Dive

Scientists Capture Highly Accurate Dune Changes in Response to Storms

(Photo credit: Orlando Cordero)

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 coast on the surface and underwater.  

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SeaSquad

Connection to the Coast Inspires Gift

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.

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Events

Where Science Meets Nature

University of Florida Ph.D. 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.

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Honoring the Life of Dr. Paul Gader

“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

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More Research News

Seagrass Meadow Stability and Composition Influence Carbon Storage

Macrophyte Species Richness Improves Resilience to Grazing

Upcoming

(Photo credit: Kian Lem)

10/10/23 ASBPA National Coastal Conference

(Photo credit: Dan Meyers)

11/12/23 CERF Conference