Ecosystem Services

From homes to products and nutrients to clean air and water, ecosystems provide the essentials of life for humans and other species. From Biscayne Bay and the Everglades to rainforests and other sites around the world, our researchers are studying how ecosystems maintain themselves and how components such as species or pollutants affect the entire system.

Our faculty represent decades of experience in the unique ecosystems of South Florida. The CREST Center for Aquatic Chemistry and Environment tests the quality of water as it flows through the Everglades and urban areas and ultimately into the Florida Bay. The Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research Program monitors the health of Florida’s river of grass, a home to many endangered species and a key carbon sink in the path of rising sea levels. And the International Center for Tropical Botany, based at the Miami estate of famed botanist David Fairchild, focuses on identifying plant and fungus species and studying their response to urban development, climate change and other pressures.

Farther afield, our researchers trek through the rainforests of French Guiana, Peru and other tropical locales to probe the mysteries of these incredibly complex natural communities. As in South Florida, these studies help us to understand how species live together and interact with earth and water to maintain balance.

Students, Volunteers and Community Members: Get Involved 

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  CREST Center for Aquatic Chemistry and Environment

  Our NSF-funded CREST Center for Aquatic Chemistry and Environment identifies and detects pollutants as they change and travel throughout South Florida, as well as develops tools to analyze and communicate data that will inform decision makers.

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  Florida Coastal Everglades LTER

  Our NSF-funded Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research Program examines how climate change and disturbances interact with shifting management of freshwater resources to determine the dynamics and fate of coastal ecosystem properties, functions and services to people. 

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  International Center for Tropical Botany at The Kampong

  Our International Center for Tropical Botany at The Kampong develops research, education and outreach programs related to tropical botany, integrating the research programs of faculty with a global presence in tropical regions.

Research Groups

Faculty-led research groups sustain our discoveries and impacts.

• Baraloto Lab for Tropical Plant Diversity
• Briceno Lab for Water Quality Monitoring
• Heithaus Lab for Marine Community & Behavioral Ecology
• Kiszka Lab for Marine Conservation Ecology
• Malone Lab for Disturbance Ecology
• Rockwell Plants & People Lab
• Ross Lab for South Florida Terrestrial Ecosystems
• Troxler Lab for Wetland Ecosystems Research

All Research Groups