UF Howard T. Odum Center for Wetlands

Alexis Jackson didn’t discover environmental engineering as a career option until right before graduate school, when she was on track to become a wetland ecologist. Now, a Ph.D. student in the Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment, she is passionate about connecting young students with science fields they might not have considered. Through the UF Center for Precollegiate Education and Training (CPET) program, AJ and fellow Ph.D. student Nick Chin taught high school students how to analyze data sets and explore how chemicals can impact human health and the environment. One of those students, who is applying to UF, later reached out. "She wanted to learn more about our research, and that affirmed why I’m doing this Ph.D.," says AJ. "It reminded me that somebody is watching me, and I’m grateful to be who I needed to see when I was younger. Sometimes we get so caught up in our own lives that we forget that everybody needs somebody.” Read the full story at https://lnkd.in/eAa3FFzY.

Join us this Wednesday, 11/20, at 11:45 AM for the final #W3seminar of the semester! Ming Ye, Ph.D., will present the ArcGIS-based Nitrogen Load Estimation Toolkit (ArcNLET), a software designed to manage nitrogen pollution from septic systems. This tool simulates nitrogen transport through soil and groundwater and estimates nitrogen loading from septic systems to surface waterbodies. Tune in live or watch the recorded talk here: https://lnkd.in/egKuKkwc

As intensive resource use continues to place immense pressure on aquatic ecosystems, there's a strong need for tools that are adaptable and user-friendly to support equitable solutions for both people and the environment. At tomorrow's #W3seminar, Aavudai Anandhi, Ph.D., will present a flexible modeling approach for ecosystems in a dynamic and evolving environment. Viewers will learn about tools such as ASSET (for estimating water consumption), as well as VISTA and CISTA (which translate concepts into frameworks for assessing vulnerabilities and planning adaptations). Catch the livestream tomorrow at 11:45 AM / watch the recorded talk at https://lnkd.in/eE5X7zEN.

As climate variability increases and global temperatures rise, communities face more frequent and severe events, such as hurricanes and heat waves. Reliable environmental forecasting has become increasingly vital for effective disaster planning and natural resource management. In a recent paper led by Enrique Orozco López, Ph.D., researchers used a transformer neural network (TNN), an innovative machine learning model, to predict environmental variables (salinity, stage, streamflow and water temperature) up to 14 days in advance in the Peace River Watershed and parts of the Gulf of Mexico. Results showed that the model is accurate and can adaptively use the most relevant weather data for different forecasting timeframes. Its accuracy, adaptability and transparency in showing the data that drives its predictions highlight the potential of TNNs to provide valuable insights for water managers and stakeholders in mitigating socioeconomic and ecological risks. Check out the full paper at https://lnkd.in/ea4zwtuc.? Enrique Orozco López David Kaplan Anna Linhoss

As winters warm and freeze events become less frequent, #mangroves are expanding northward, replacing salt marshes. How will climate change impact their spread? To predict this, understanding mangrove responses to freeze events is essential, yet field-based data remains limited. In a new study led by Yiyang Kang, researchers assessed the damage and recovery of three mangrove species after freeze events, analyzing resistance and resilience by species and strata. They identified cold tolerance thresholds, finding black mangroves to be the most resistant, followed by red, with white mangroves being the least resistant. Projected warming trends suggest that all three species will likely expand and grow faster in north Florida. Read the full paper: https://lnkd.in/eZtK8SkP Yiyang Kang David Kaplan Michael Osland UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment UF/IFAS - School of Natural Resources and Environment

Join us tomorrow at 11:45 AM for the next #W3seminar with Rachel Rotz, Ph.D.! She will present "Interdisciplinary approaches to water studies across deserts and coasts for environmental and planetary insights." Learn how her research is supporting sustainable water management on Earth and expanding our understanding of hydrological dynamics on other planets. Catch the livestream/watch the recorded talk at https://lnkd.in/exwjcDcr.

Warm congratulations to Alexis Jackson, Dogil Lee, and Katie Schoenberger on their respective UF Water Institute ambassador, travel, and photo contest awards!

Interested in mangrove habitat expansion and the associated management challenges in Florida? Join us next Wednesday, 11/6 at 2 PM EST for the Gulf of Mexico Alliance's tropicalization webinar! UF/IFAS - School of Natural Resources and Environment Ph.D. candidate Yiyang Kang will present "Mangrove expansion in Florida with an emphasis on NW Florida." You can register at https://lnkd.in/eWJaGrxe.

Join us for tomorrow's #W3seminar at 11:45 AM with Elliott White Jr., Ph.D., from Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability! He will share his team's work in using machine learning to develop a model that produces a wall-to-wall map of coastal forested wetlands (CFWs) and the first habitat suitability map for CFWs. These advances have applications in natural resource monitoring, estimating carbon stock at scale, and restoration and conservation opportunities. Catch the livestream/watch the recorded talk at https://lnkd.in/eP7jhQn3.