REU Site: Understanding Coastal Ecosystems – From the Everglades to the Coral Reefs

Bogosian, Biayna

Architectural technologist. Research bridges urban environmental data and design with spatial computing, immersive learning, data visualization and robotics.

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Fernandez-Lima,

Francisco

Research is focused on the development of new generation instrumentation and methodologies. In particular, the characterization of the chemical environment at the single cell and sub-cellular level of model cell systems and tissue sections using a "molecular microscope".

Fourqurean, James

Investigates biogeochemical cycling, ecological competition, and food web structure in shallow water coastal marine ecosystems, with an emphasis on seagrass meadows and mangrove forests around the world and the cycling and sequestration of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. (Diving certification may be required).

Gaiser, Evelyn

Research focuses on the role of algae in the Everglades and other coastal wetlands subject to sea level rise, land use change, and large-scale restoration. Coastal wetlands are rapidly changing in response to accelerating sea-level rise, increasing severity of storms and hurricanes, and changing patterns of land and water use related to human activities. Benthic algae are abundant in coastal wetlands and play a keystone role by regulating gas and nutrient concentrations, providing food and habitat for aquatic consumers, and accreting soils.

Gann, Daniel

Our spatial ecology lab links traditional disciplines of plant community, vegetation, landscape, and ecosystems ecology as we address the effects of scale and scaling on our understanding of ecological processes. We focus on ecotones to better understand ecosystem shifts in the Everglades landscape mosaic that are driven by changing environmental conditions including interactions of sea-level rise, management practices of freshwater restoration, fire regimes, and passing tropical storm events.

Kominoski, John

Our research explores various scales of organic matter processing along gradients of environmental drivers within and among ecosystems, testing two main questions: o How do disturbances drive changes in autotrophic, heterotrophic, and net ecosystem productivity and carbon storage? O How do disturbances interact with long-term environmental changes to affect ecosystem functions, specifically the loss, storage, and movement of carbon (energy) and nutrients within and among ecosystems?

Ogurcak, Danielle

Research focuses on change to coastal wetlands and forests resulting from the interaction of climate change, resource management, and hydrologic alteration. Current projects that could involve an REU include investigating the capacity for mangrove ecosystems to serve as filters for nutrients delivered from canals prior to reaching Biscayne Bay.

Rehage, Jenn

Our research takes a holistic approach to studying fish, integrating from the behavior of individuals to populations and entire fish communities and their effects and responses to ecosystem processes, their interactions, and responses to both natural and human disturbances, and extending to the human dimensions of fish- involving anglers in science and understanding their knowledge and perceptions.

Reis, Greg

Research focuses on marine robotics, environmental monitoring, Artificial Intelligence, data science, and STEM education. In particular, the localization and navigation of aquatic robots in GPS-denied environments, analysis of the spatiotemporal dynamics of the ocean, and the development of new technologies for environmental monitoring.

Ross, Mike

We take a field-oriented, multi-disciplinary approach to the study of the terrestrial ecosystems of southern Florida, from the Lower Keys to Biscayne Bay, and from flooded herbaceous wetlands to forested uplands in Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve.

Sukop, Mike

Focused on computational fluid dynamics in cavernous, fractured and porous media. Solute transport in these complex media and its simulation, including inverse modeling, are key interests. This research is done at pore to aquifer scales using both traditional groundwater models and lattice Boltzmann models.

Troxler, Tiffany

Research focus is on wetland ecosystems ecology and informs management and restoration of coastal / freshwater wetland ecosystems. Current efforts examine the effects of salinity inundation associated with sea level rise on soil carbon balance in the Everglades coastal wetlands, and it contribution to a collaborative project led by the USGS to scale coastal carbon stocks and fluxes using remote sensing products.

Vassigh, Shahin

Research is focused on data visualization techniques for educational purposes. Utilizing advanced media and computer applications, she has produced several software applications to help students to better understand the complex challenges of developing sustainable built environments.