UF Center for Coastal Solutions

??When fine sediment particles (flocs) move through turbulent water, they aggregate and break apart in complex ways. New research led by Xiao Yu, Ph.D., an associate professor in the UF Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering, explores how interactions between nearby particles impact this process and why traditional models might miss key details. Understanding how flocs form and settle is essential for improving models related to coastal restoration, sediment transport, and water quality management. The study compared two models: the Kim and Lee (KL) model, which accounts for how particles shield each other from water flow, resulting in larger flocs that settle faster, and the free-draining approximation (FDA) model, an older, widely used approach that overlooks these interactions. Here’s what they found: ?? When particles are close together, they shield each other from water flow, affecting how they aggregate and settle. ?? The FDA model is inaccurate because it underestimates floc size and doesn’t correctly capture how fast flocs settle based on their size. Models that account for particle interactions, like the KL model, provide more accurate predictions. ?? Floc orientation plays a crucial role — when shielding effects are considered, particles align in specific directions, influencing their behavior in water. Read the full paper here: https://lnkd.in/eUGFmjnH Xiao Yu Minglan Yu Balachander Sivaramakrishnan Andrew Manning Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment AIP Publishing

Can biodegradable exclosures help jumpstart seagrass restoration? Join us for the next UF Howard T. Odum Center for Wetlands Water, Wetlands and Watersheds Seminar with Postdoctoral Associate Beatriz Marin Diaz, Ph.D., as she explores how stingray foraging and burrowing shrimp activity may disrupt seagrass recovery and whether bamboo exclosures could help seagrass naturally return. ??March 26, 2025 ??11:45 AM - 12:35 PM ??https://lnkd.in/e8KwS7Rh

It's #WorldWaterDay! Today and every day, we’re working to improve water management and drive smart investments for a more resilient future. By identifying the root causes of water quality challenges and predicting hazards before they spread, we develop solutions that help protect and strengthen our coasts. Learn more about our work to optimize water quality decisions at https://lnkd.in/eN9QkmpG.

At Geotechnical Frontiers 2025, CCS Associate Director Nina Stark, Ph.D., presented on the extensive data collection efforts before, during and after Hurricanes Helene and Milton—resulting in what is likely the most comprehensive and diverse hurricane reconnaissance dataset to date. This ambitious initiative brought together 32 researchers, technical staff, and students from over 10 institutions, leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as physical testing and sampling, as well as optical, radar, seismic, and sonar methods. By capturing critical data before, during and after the events, the team developed in-depth case studies of event-driven coastal changes and impacts across seven priority areas, including Cedar Key, Horseshoe Beach, Shired Island and the Midnight and Milton Pass breaches. Watch the full Hurricane Helene/Milton Reconnaissance Panel here: https://lnkd.in/eKY2da9Z, and access the data on NHERI DesignSafe: https://lnkd.in/eHGy7m3c. American Society of Civil Engineers

After implementing life-saving cholera prediction systems across Africa and Asia, Antarpreet Jutla, Ph.D., associate professor in UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and CCS affiliate faculty member, is now focusing on Florida's Gulf Coast, where warm waters and hurricanes create prime conditions for harmful bacteria to spread. His team is developing the Vibrio Warning System, a dashboard designed to identify and predict outbreaks of Vibrio bacteria, including Vibrio vulnificus. This tool will provide early warnings to rescue workers, public health officials and coastal communities, enhancing public health and safety along the Gulf Coast. ?? Read more at https://lnkd.in/eBMj-9zi.

Predicting algal blooms in waterways with multiple inflow sources is challenging, as blooms and their drivers can arise from various sources, and traditional models are often too complex for day-to-day decision-making. María Elena Menchú Maldonado, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research scholar at North Carolina State University, and her team have developed a framework to predict the risk of an algal bloom a day ahead in the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary. Their approach includes two models, one for lake-dominated conditions and another for watershed-driven inputs. The result? The lake-based model was highly accurate, providing managers with a practical, easy-to-use tool for daily decision-making. Since blooms linked to Lake Okeechobee releases can potentially be controlled through water control structures, this model offers a strategic way to reduce downstream bloom risks and improve water quality. ??Full paper: https://lnkd.in/eYJpvduC ??Q&A with lead author Menchú-Maldonado: https://lnkd.in/eqaN-TpU.? María Elena Menchú Maldonado David Kaplan Mauricio E. Arias, PhD, PE Eric Milbrandt? Elise Morrison Edward Phlips Natalie Nelson North Carolina State University UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment?University of South Florida Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF)

Congratulations to Ph.D. student Saurav Shrestha on receiving the Florida Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellowship! This fellowship will support Saurav’s research on how calm to moderate wave and wind conditions contribute to the weakening of Florida’s dune system, with a particular focus on dune toe collapse and erosion in Flagler County. Additionally, he will develop monitoring and mitigation strategies using modern soil mechanics to improve the preparedness and resilience of coastal dunes against future storms. “As a recipient of the Florida Sea Grant fellowship, I am immensely happy to implement my knowledge into real-world applications,” says Saurav. “The funding will provide me with the freedom to conduct high-quality fieldwork and advanced modeling, strengthening both the scientific and practical contributions of my work. While this is a great recognition, I also feel responsible for delivering meaningful results that provide coastal management strategies. “I sincerely want to thank the Florida Sea Grant 2024-25 Graduate Student Coastal and Ocean Research Fellowship Program for this invaluable opportunity. I am grateful to my Ph.D. advisor Dr. Nina Stark for her unwavering support and encouragement, as well as my research group for their assistance in both and off the field. I also want to thank Dr. Ansley Wren Key from the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners for her collaboration on this project.”

The Oh Lab received an NSF Research Grant! "RAPID: Impact of Back-to-Back Major Hurricanes on Antibiotic Resistance Gene Transfer to Autochthonous Bacteria in Estuarine and Coastal Water Systems". Hurricanes and storm surges significantly impact coastal areas, where nearly 30% of the U.S. population resides, transporting various contaminants—including microplastics and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs)—into coastal waters. It is often assumed that elevated contaminant levels decrease rapidly as inland discharges are diluted by tidal and ocean currents. However, we hypothesize that microplastics may serve as reservoirs for ARGs discharged from inland sources, facilitating their transfer to indigenous marine bacteria. We collected samples following two consecutive major hurricanes, Helene and Milton, and will investigate the mechanisms by which inland-origin ARGs transfer to marine bacteria—including V. vulnificus (flesh-eating bacteria), which coincidentally caused an outbreak in Florida. We extend our gratitude to co-PIs Dr. Elise Morrison and Dr. Sungyoon Jung. We also appreciate Dr. Christine Angelini, UF Center for Coastal Solutions, and local agencies, including the Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP), David Tomasko, Ph.D. from the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP), the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), and the Coastal & Heartland National Estuary Partnership (CHNEP), for assisting with sample collection. A special thanks to the NSF Environmental Engineering (1440 program) for supporting this research!

How can machine learning help explain the drivers of Florida's persistent red tide blooms? Find out at the UF Howard T. Odum Center for Wetlands' Water, Wetlands and Watersheds Seminar this Wednesday at 11:45 a.m.! Nick Chin, a Ph.D. candidate at the Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment, will share key findings on AI integration in physical modeling and explore how data-driven approaches can empower policymakers and scientists to better protect coastal ecosystems. Watch the livestream/recorded talk at https://lnkd.in/erWsGa8z.

The survival of eelgrass, once the dominant seagrass species in Chesapeake Bay—the nation’s largest estuary—is now severely threatened, primarily due to rising temperatures and heatwaves. Traditional seagrass restoration efforts in the bay have struggled to sustain healthy seagrass meadows. However, innovative research led by experts such as Enie Hensel, Ph.D., is yielding promising results, offering hope for restoring seagrass in the face of increasing temperatures. Enie, a senior postdoctoral research associate at the UF IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station and UF/IFAS Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences, led an experiment that expanded seagrass habitat restoration in the bay by 98 percent, using adaptive strategies to address changing environmental conditions. Learn more about this adaptive seagrass restoration effort at https://lnkd.in/e5NgecNd. UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering