UF Center for Coastal Solutions

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UF Center for Coastal Solutions

Delivering advanced coastal intelligence and decision aids for resilience.

05/28/2026

You’re invited to attend the virtual seminar “Sedimentation Dynamics and Ecosystem Responses to Cultural Eutrophication in the Tampa Bay Estuary,” presented by Amanda Chappel from 2 to 3 p.m., Wednesday, June 3.

Amanda, a Ph.D. candidate with UF ESSIE and CCS, will discuss research on the impacts of the Piney Point wastewater discharge event on the Tampa Bay estuary, including changes in sedimentation dynamics and ecosystem responses to eutrophication.

Her research is helping scientists and resource managers better understand the long-term effects of eutrophication and the impacts on critical seagrass habitat.

Nature Coast Currents is hosted by Florida Sea Grant.

Register here: https://bit.ly/3RCafy0

05/21/2026

What role do shells play in beach erosion and restoration?

Join us May 28 for a CCS monthly talk with Noah Evans, a coastal geosystems engineering Ph.D. student at the University of Florida.

Using samples from Flagler Beach, Evans explores how shell content may influence the strength and erodibility of nourished beaches in Florida. 🌊🐚

📅 May 28 🕞 3:30–4:30 p.m.
📍 Youtube Live: http://bit.ly/4dTh6M6

05/19/2026

As an undergraduate, Megan Sanford spent plenty of time in the lab, but it was fieldwork that changed her trajectory. After collecting samples and seeing how her experiments connected to ecosystems, she knew she wanted a more hands-on role in research. Encouraged by her advisor, Elise Morrison, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the UF Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment- ESSIE, she pursued a Ph.D. at the University of Florida.

Now a third-year doctoral student, Sanford studies the microscopic organisms living in marsh sediments and the role they play in climate. These microbes help determine whether carbon stays stored in soil or is released into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas. Her work focuses on marshes facing changes from rising sea levels and ongoing restoration efforts, and how to better protect them.

Read the full story: https://ccs.eng.ufl.edu/a-day-in-the-field-changed-everything-for-megan-sanford/

05/18/2026

As nature-based solutions continue to advance, Ph.D. candidate Adrian Sakr is exploring how the field can become even more scalable and sustainable.

Through systematic literature reviews, field experimentation, and mixed-methods social research, Adrian’s dissertation examines two critical areas for improving restoration outcomes: material selection and interdisciplinary collaboration. His work develops practical frameworks for selecting reduced-impact materials in living shorelines, deploying biodegradable materials in oyster restoration projects, and strengthening collaboration across interdisciplinary teams.

By helping practitioners design projects that are more sustainable, effective and broadly beneficial, his research contributes to building a more resilient future for coastal ecosystems and communities.

Catch his dissertation defense on May 26 at 10 a.m. in Weil Hall 365, or email [email protected] for the Zoom link!

05/14/2026

Researchers at the University of Florida have completed a countywide septic vulnerability assessment that adds new environmental data to Jacksonville’s existing prioritization framework for sewer expansion. Led by Ron Fick, Ph.D., a research assistant scientist at the UF Artificial Intelligence and Informatics Institute, and Tricia Kyzar, Ph.D., a project manager at UF Center for Landscape Conservation Planning, the findings can help guide future planning and development decisions across Duval County.

Read the full story: https://ccs.eng.ufl.edu/uf-study-identifies-septic-risks-and-sewer-investment-priorities-in-jacksonville/

05/11/2026

When Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck Florida’s Gulf Coast in 2024, they dramatically reshaped the shoreline, creating two new openings in barrier islands just 29 miles apart. But despite forming under similar storm conditions only weeks apart, the two inlets are evolving very differently.

One storm reopened Midnight Pass, restoring a long-lost tidal connection between the Gulf of America and Little Sarasota Bay. The other carved Milton Pass through Stump Pass Beach State Park, linking the Gulf to Lemon Bay. Today, Milton Pass is gradually closing, while Midnight Pass remains open.

Understanding why could help coastal communities better predict how barrier islands respond to major storms and prepare for future change.

A multidisciplinary team led by Nina Stark, Ph.D., director of the CCS, is working to uncover the answers through an National Science Foundation (NSF) EAGER-funded project. The research team is building a comprehensive longitudinal dataset of both breach sites, capturing high-resolution post-storm data and tracking how conditions evolve over time.

Read the full story: https://ccs.eng.ufl.edu/same-storm-season-miles-apart-why-are-two-hurricane-breaches-evolving-differently/

University of Florida University of South Florida University of Central Florida UC Davis NC State University Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hochschule Koblenz

05/08/2026

Congratulations to Saurav Shrestha, Ph.D., a from the UF Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment- ESSIE! 🎓🌊

Saurav’s doctoral research explored how objects interact with the seafloor in coastal and offshore environments. His work focused on how deeply the object sinks into the sediment (embedment) upon deployment, how flowing water erodes the sediment around it (scour), and whether the object becomes buried when the sediment temporarily behaves like a liquid (liquefaction burial).

Using data from sites in Washington and North Carolina, he developed spatial risk maps that help engineers make more informed decisions for offshore infrastructure and field operations.

Saurav is now a Project Engineer I at Ardaman & Associates, Inc., where he works on geotechnical site characterization, remediation and monitoring of subsurface features in Florida.

Congratulations, Saurav! 👏

05/06/2026

New investment in Cedar Key coastal resilience 🌊

A University of Florida–The University of Texas at Austin team has received an $875,000 award to pilot a new kind of coastal protection. Their approach, called NACRE (Nature-Inspired Architected Coastal Resilient Ecostructure), uses modular shoreline structures that reduce wave impacts while creating habitat for marine life. Over time, as living systems establish, these structures are designed to grow stronger.

Co-led by CCS Associate Director Xiao Yu, Ph.D., alongside collaborators including Mark Clark, Ph.D. (UF IFAS Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences), and Savanna Barry, Ph.D. (Florida Sea Grant), this project brings together researchers and the Cedar Key community to test a more resilient, adaptive approach to coastal protection.

Read the full story: https://ccs.eng.ufl.edu/uf-ut-team-wins-875000-award-to-pilot-living-coastal-protection-in-cedar-key/

05/05/2026

Congratulations to one of our newest Ph.D. graduates, Stefano Biondi! 🎓🌊

Stefano’s doctoral research advances coastal engineering by exploring how coastal systems respond to the combined effects of waves, water level changes, human management and environmental conditions.

Bringing together field observations, laboratory experiments, analytical approaches and numerical models, he developed a comprehensive framework for understanding complex processes. His research also sheds light on how controlled water bodies respond to management decisions. Together, this work provides new methods and results to support coastal management, infrastructure design and predictions of how coastlines respond to both natural and human-driven change.

Next up: Stefano will be joining the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as a research associate.

We're excited to see what's ahead. Congratulations, Stefano! 🐊

05/01/2026

Congratulations to Dakota Lewis, Ph.D., a from the UF School of Natural Resources and Environment! 🎓🐠

Her research focused on how coral reef communities are responding to stressors like warming oceans and marine heatwaves. Through a series of interconnected studies, she examined how disturbances shape reef ecosystems across different locations and time scales and what this means for their ability to recover. Her work provides important insights that can help guide conservation and restoration strategies in the face of ongoing environmental change.

This month, Dakota is beginning a new chapter as a postdoctoral researcher at UCF's National Center for Integrated Coastal Research! We're wishing her all the best as she continues making an impact in coastal research.

04/30/2026

Congratulations to Renee Price, Ph.D., a from the UF Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment- ESSIE! 🎓

She studied how Florida's geographically isolated wetlands changed over time and how scientists can monitor them more effectively. Using long-term data on water levels and vegetation, her research advances how we select reference sites, design monitoring plans and understand ecological recovery.

Post graduation, she will continue her work as a Senior Scientist V at RES. We're excited to see all that lies ahead! 🐊🧡💙

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Gainesville, FL

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https://ccs.eng.ufl.edu/

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