Berinstain, director of the Florida Space Institute at UCF,聽 has more than 30 years of experience spanning government, industry and academia. Throughout his career, he has led major space initiatives, advanced international collaborations and worked to expand opportunities across the rapidly evolving space sector.

Founded in 1963 to fuel the space race, UCF is America’s Space University. Berinstain’s appointment to lead the Florida Space Research Consortium underscores UCF’s leadership and expertise in this evolving field.

The consortium is a statewide partnership uniting Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 major research universities 麻豆精品 S� Embry 麻豆精品 S慠iddle Aeronautical University, Florida A&M University, Florida Institute of Technology, Florida International University, Florida State University, UCF, the University of Florida and the University of South Florida 麻豆精品 S� with government, industry and investment partners.

“I am honored to lead the Florida Space Research Consortium at a time of tremendous opportunity for space research and innovation.” 麻豆精品 S� Alain Berinstain, Florida Space Institute director at UCF

“I am honored to lead the Florida Space Research Consortium at a time of tremendous opportunity for space research and innovation,” says Berinstain, who is a resident of Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 Space Coast. “Florida is the world 麻豆精品 S檚 busiest and best place to launch to space. I look forward to working with Florida universities, industry and government partners to accomplish together what no individual member of the consortium can achieve on their own and to advance Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 leadership in space. 麻豆精品 S�

From 1997 to 2013, Berinstain worked at the Canadian Space Agency, including serving as director of planetary exploration and space astronomy. He has advised companies such as Virgin Galactic and served as chief strategy officer at Space Tango and at CSS Inc.

“Dr. Berinstain brings a unique combination of leadership experience, strategic vision and deep knowledge of the space sector,” says David Norton, vice president for research at the University of Florida and chair of the Florida Space Research Consortium board. “He has a proven ability to build partnerships and advance the collaborative mission of the Florida Space Research Consortium.”

“Dr. Berinstain brings a unique combination of leadership experience, strategic vision and deep knowledge of the space sector.” 麻豆精品 S� David Norton, 聽chair of the Florida Space Research Consortium board

Faculty and students at the member universities are advancing a wide range of space research that supports everything from exploration and discovery to practical technologies needed for future missions. Ongoing work across the consortium includes developing smarter spacecraft and satellites; improving propulsion, navigation and communications systems; designing new materials that can withstand the harsh conditions of space; and creating technologies to manufacture, build and operate in space and on the lunar surface.

麻豆精品 S淩esearchers are also focused on using space for the benefit of Earth, addressing human health issues including aging, cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson 麻豆精品 S檚 disease, 麻豆精品 S� Berinstain says. 麻豆精品 S淎s Earthlings prepare to explore the moon, mars and beyond, understanding the human side of spaceflight is key. This includes studies of how people, plants and biological systems function in space; efforts to grow food in lunar and Martian conditions; and research in planetary science, astrophysics, space weather and Earth observation. As a team, we can take on bold, new challenges. 麻豆精品 S�

Together, these efforts reflect a shared commitment to advancing knowledge, supporting long 麻豆精品 S慸uration space missions, strengthening the space economy and translating scientific breakthroughs into real 麻豆精品 S憌orld benefits, Norton says.

A new educational partnership between UCF and the U.S. Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) is creating opportunities for research, student training and workforce development in one of the country 麻豆精品 S檚 most specialized scientific fields. The collaboration strengthens critical scientific capabilities, facilitates the sharing of resources and expertise, helps build the radiochemistry talent pipeline and positions UCF at the forefront of nuclear chemistry research that supports national security missions.

麻豆精品 S淭hrough collaborative research projects and summer internships, UCF students gain hands-on experience working alongside federal scientists and access to AFTAC 麻豆精品 S檚 facilities and instrumentation for research supporting national security missions, 麻豆精品 S� says Vasileios Anagnostopoulos, associate professor of chemistry in the UCF College of Sciences and principal investigator of the partnership.

Only a small number of universities nationwide have established this type of relationship with AFTAC, the Department of the Air Force responsible for monitoring nuclear treaty compliance and detecting nuclear events worldwide.

A Nationally Recognized Program

麻豆精品 S淭he fact that we were invited by AFTAC to be one of their official academic partners says a lot about the recognition of our program and the important role chemistry and radiochemistry play in the national security landscape.”

According to Anagnostopoulos 麻豆精品 S� director of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Nuclear Regulatory Commission Fellowship and UCF principal investigator for the multi-institutional NNSA-funded Consortium for Nuclear Forensics 麻豆精品 S� UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 growing reputation in radiochemistry and analytical chemistry helped distinguish the university as a strong academic partner.

The collaboration also reflects UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 broader role in supporting Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 rapidly growing aerospace, defense and national security ecosystem through research, workforce development and federal partnerships.

麻豆精品 S淥ur radiochemistry program is gaining national recognition through multiple research grants and collaborative proposals, 麻豆精品 S� Anagnostopoulos says. 麻豆精品 S淭he fact that we were invited by AFTAC to be one of their official academic partners says a lot about the recognition of our program and the important role chemistry and radiochemistry play in the national security landscape. 麻豆精品 S�

The partnership builds on UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 advanced research infrastructure, including radiochemistry laboratories, mass spectrometry capabilities and materials characterization resources. Together, these facilities enable researchers to analyze complex nuclear materials and conduct detailed characterization studies for national and international security applications.

麻豆精品 S淲e have cutting-edge facilities and instrumentation for sensitive and precise analysis, 麻豆精品 S� Anagnostopoulos says. 麻豆精品 S淭he combination of radiochemistry, advanced analytical capabilities and access to radioactive materials allows us to address complicated real-world problems and provide technical information that can support our federal partners 麻豆精品 S� missions. 麻豆精品 S�

Unique Opportunities for Students

For students, the partnership opens the door to hands-on experiences rarely available in a traditional academic setting.

Through internships and collaborative research projects, students will work alongside multidisciplinary teams of chemists, engineers and scientists while gaining exposure to federal laboratory environments and national security protocols.

Few universities nationwide offer students direct pathways into operational nuclear security environments, making the partnership a unique training opportunity for UCF students interested in chemistry, national security and federal science careers.

麻豆精品 S淏eyond the technical training, they gain exposure to mission-focused work, interdisciplinary collaboration and communication skills that are essential in federal and defense environments, 麻豆精品 S� Anagnostopoulos says.

Building the Future Workforce

The agreement also addresses a national need for trained experts in radiochemistry and nuclear chemistry, highly specialized disciplines offered at only a limited number of institutions nationwide, Anagnostopoulos says.

As federal agencies and national laboratories work to strengthen expertise in nuclear security, treaty monitoring and advanced nuclear technologies, partnerships like this help ensure a pipeline of future highly skilled scientists is ready to contribute.

麻豆精品 S淭his partnership helps prepare the next generation of scientists while keeping the country at the forefront of nuclear security and global safety, 麻豆精品 S� Anagnostopoulos says.

As the collaboration grows, it 麻豆精品 S檚 expected to expand opportunities for faculty, researchers, and students in other fields, such as big data analytics and cybersecurity, while further establishing UCF as a hub for radiochemistry, defense-related chemistry, and national security research.

In aquatic ecosystems, some species use active sensing systems, emitting echolocation sounds or electric fields to navigate dark or murky waters.

This sensory ability can come with trade-offs. For electric eels and their weakly electric knifefish prey, generating electric fields helps them navigate and hunt, but those same signals can also reveal their location.

In a recent study published in , UCF researchers found that both electric eels and knifefish strategically suppress and resume their electric signals to avoid detection.

The findings provide new insight into how animals balance sensing their surroundings while remaining hidden from predators or prey, a challenge that also appears in technologies such as sonar and radar. This work also expands scientific understanding of how active sensory systems evolve in competitive environments where being detected can mean losing a meal or becoming one.

麻豆精品 S淥ur findings show that active sensing creates a paradox: the same electric signals these animals need to navigate and hunt can also reveal them to eavesdropping predators or prey, 麻豆精品 S� says Professor of Biology William Crampton, who co-led the study with biology doctoral graduate Lok Poon 麻豆精品 S�26PhD. 麻豆精品 S淏oth eels and knifefish appear to resolve this paradox through electric stealth, briefly suppressing their signals when concealment matters, then resuming them when sensing becomes more important. 麻豆精品 S�

Tracking Electric Signals in the Amazon

To test these predator-prey interactions, the researchers deployed six custom-designed electric signal loggers along a 150-meter section of an Amazonian stream. Each logger recorded 60-second segments of electric signals over 27 nights. In total, nearly 107,000 minutes of data were collected.

麻豆精品 S淓lectric fish are ideal for this kind of study because their signals let us monitor their presence and movements electronically, simply by recording how often they pass near submerged electrodes, 麻豆精品 S� Crampton says. 麻豆精品 S淥ur loggers allowed us, for the first time, to monitor predator-prey electric signaling interactions continuously in the wild. 麻豆精品 S�

Researchers then analyzed the recordings to distinguish species by their unique electric signal signatures.

How Eels and Knifefish Use 麻豆精品 S淓lectric Stealth 麻豆精品 S�

“With knifefish, we found that when they detect electric eel signals, some flee while some pulse-type species switch off their own electric discharges for several seconds. “ 麻豆精品 S擶illiam Crampton, professor of biology

麻豆精品 S淲ith knifefish, we found that when they detect electric eel signals, some flee while some pulse-type species switch off their own electric discharges for several seconds, 麻豆精品 S� Crampton says. 麻豆精品 S淚n our logger recordings, a knifefish could be producing its normal train of pulses to sense its environment, then suddenly become electrically silent as soon as eel signals appeared. 麻豆精品 S�

Laboratory tests showed that low-frequency components of electric eel signals play a key role in triggering this response, with knifefish reacting far less when those components were reduced.

Electric eels were also found to pause their low-voltage electrolocation pulses before high-voltage bursts used to probe for or stun prey. This silence would make an approaching eel less detectable to electroreceptive prey such as knifefish. Once the eel produces a high-voltage burst, however, it has revealed its presence, temporarily reducing the benefit of stealth. 聽The eel promptly resumes its regular low-voltage pulses, likely to rapidly relocate, track or capture prey.

麻豆精品 S淭he field recordings revealed these phenomena in the ecological context, 麻豆精品 S� Crampton says. 麻豆精品 S淭he laboratory experiments then allowed us to isolate the eel signal features that trigger knifefish responses. 麻豆精品 S�

Parallels in Nature and Technology

In nature, the only well-studied comparison to this behavior is the predator-prey dynamic between killer whales and their toothed-whale prey.

麻豆精品 S淜iller whales and smaller toothed whales such as beaked whales use echolocation, relying on sound rather than electric signals to sense their surroundings, 麻豆精品 S� Crampton says. 麻豆精品 S淢ammal-eating killer whales can suppress echolocation and calls while hunting, while beaked whales and other prey species may reduce vocal activity or take evasive action when they detect killer whale sounds. The eel-knifefish system shows a remarkably similar trade-off in the electric sense. 麻豆精品 S�

The findings suggest convergent evolutionary pressures favoring the ability of both predators and prey to modulate active-sensing signals to improve survival.

Similar trade-offs also occur in human active-sensing technologies such as sonar and radar. A submarine, for instance, can use active signals to detect its surroundings, but each outgoing ping can also reveal the vessel 麻豆精品 S檚 location.

麻豆精品 S淛ust as we found in electric eels and knifefish, operators of these systems balance the need to gather information with the need to remain hidden, 麻豆精品 S� Crampton says. 麻豆精品 S淚n submarines, that can mean alternating between active sonar and passive listening depending on the situation. 麻豆精品 S�

Electric eels, knifefish, echolocating whales and human operators all face the same challenge: balancing the benefits of active sensing with the risk of detection.

Future Research Applications

Electric fish have long contributed to scientists 麻豆精品 S� understanding of concepts beyond biology, including electricity, nerves and sensing.

麻豆精品 S淓lectric fishes have played an outsized role in the history of biology and physics, 麻豆精品 S� Crampton says. 麻豆精品 S淔or example, their discharges helped shape early research on electricity, including Alessandro Volta 麻豆精品 S檚 invention of the first battery, and their electric organs later became important model tissues for studying acetylcholine receptors 麻豆精品 S� protein channels that help nerves send signals to other cells. 麻豆精品 S�

The new findings build on this legacy, showing how electric fish can reveal principles related to sensing, stealth and decision making. Similar trade-offs shape sonar, radar and autonomous sensing technologies, suggesting that nature’s solutions to stealth and detection may offer insights for future adaptive sensing systems.

麻豆精品 S淭his study shows that active sensing is not just about gathering information, but also about managing the risk of being detected, 麻豆精品 S� Crampton says. 麻豆精品 S淭his opens opportunities for future research, from understanding how other aquatic species respond to electric signals to uncovering whether similar stealth strategies occur in other sensory systems. 麻豆精品 S�

This work was funded by National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program grant 2035702 (L.P.), an American Philosophical Society Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research grant (L.P.), and National Science Foundation grant DEB-1146374 (W.G.R.C.).

While immune systems are well studied in mammals and birds, reptiles 麻豆精品 S� particularly sea turtles 麻豆精品 S� remain less explored, leaving critical gaps in scientific understanding.

New research published in helps address this gap by examining the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), a critical group of immune system genes that enables organisms to recognize and fight diseases.

The study, which examined four species 麻豆精品 S� loggerheads, green turtles, Kemp 麻豆精品 S檚 ridleys and leatherbacks 麻豆精品 S� found that most sea turtles maintain high levels of immune gene variation, likely inherited from a common ancestor. However, variation differs across species and different copies of these genes can function in distinct ways.

麻豆精品 S淪ea turtles are an interesting case for studying immune system evolution, 麻豆精品 S� says Katherine Martin 麻豆精品 S�24PhD, an integrative conservation biology alum and postdoctoral researcher at Oregon State University who led the study. 麻豆精品 S淭hey live for a long time and encounter many different types of pathogens across multiple habitats. 麻豆精品 S�

How MHC and Genetic Variation Work Together

MHC plays a key role in identifying and flagging pathogens for destruction by the immune system.

麻豆精品 S淢HC is essentially holding a small molecular flag that says to T cells, 麻豆精品 S楾his is the invader that you need to seek and destroy 麻豆精品 S�, 麻豆精品 S� says Martin, who specializes in immune system genetics in sea turtles.

Because pathogens vary widely, immune defenses must also adapt, creating strong evolutionary pressure for variation in MHC genes.

麻豆精品 S淔or each different pathogen, you need a different MHC protein, 麻豆精品 S� Martin says. 麻豆精品 S淵ou can think of it kind of like a lock and key. 麻豆精品 S�

Martin adds that immune gene variation is critical for population health and studying this builds insight on how well a population might respond to disease.

Key Findings and Evolutionary Insights

The study revealed differences in genetic variation across species, with leatherbacks showing lower MHC diversity than others.

麻豆精品 S淥ne of the things that can contribute to low genetic variation is low population size, 麻豆精品 S� Martin says. 麻豆精品 S淲e think this might be the case with leatherbacks. 麻豆精品 S�

Another key finding was the presence of shared genetic variants across species, suggesting deep evolutionary roots.

麻豆精品 S淭he results indicate that shared ancestry is the most likely explanation, 麻豆精品 S� Martin says. 麻豆精品 S淭hat likely underscores their importance and their function. 麻豆精品 S�

Martin also identified balancing selection as a key evolutionary force maintaining immune gene variation.

麻豆精品 S淚nstead of selecting for a single trait, it 麻豆精品 S檚 the variation within that trait that 麻豆精品 S檚 advantageous, 麻豆精品 S� Martin says.

A Comparative Approach Across Species

麻豆精品 S淭he turtle species have different diets, habitats and disease prevalence, and [these samples] provided a useful comparison of the different ways of living that sea turtles have and how that might bear out in patterns of MHC variation.”

To establish a baseline for variations, Martin analyzed MHC genes from more than 300 turtles samples collected through and collaborators, highlighting the shared effort behind large-scale conservation research.

麻豆精品 S淸The turtle species] have different diets, habitats and disease prevalence, 麻豆精品 S� Martin says. 麻豆精品 S淸These samples] provided a useful comparison of the different ways of living that sea turtles have and how that might bear out in patterns of MHC variation. 麻豆精品 S�

Martin extracted DNA from samples across coastal nesting sites, lagoons and offshore waters. She then amplified target genes and sequenced them using next-generation DNA sequencing technology.

麻豆精品 S淚n a single sequencing run, you can analyze multiple individuals all at once, 麻豆精品 S� Martin says. 麻豆精品 S淲e also get high sequencing depth, meaning each bit of DNA is sequenced multiple times. 麻豆精品 S�

This approach improves accuracy, especially for highly variable genes like MHC.

Expanding Studies and Conservation Efforts

Martin plans to expand her research to additional sea turtle populations worldwide rather than just the northwest Atlantic, as well as to reptiles more broadly.

麻豆精品 S淚 really love being able to ask questions about how that variation arises in the first place and what forces maintain it over time, 麻豆精品 S� Martin says.聽聽Understanding immune gene variation has direct applications for conservation strategies, particularly as sea turtles face increasing environmental pressures.

麻豆精品 S淚f we protect the habitats these sea turtles rely on, we can bolster population sizes and, in turn, maintain genetic variation across all genes, 麻豆精品 S� Martin says.

While advanced interventions such as gene editing may be possible in the future, Martin emphasizes that habitat protection remains the most practical and effective approach.

麻豆精品 S淭he most effective solution is public advocacy for [protection of] the natural world, 麻豆精品 S� Martin says.

Funding and support for this research was provided in part by the Sea Turtle Grants Program funded from the proceeds of the Florida Sea Turtle License Plate, the Sigma Xi Grants in Aid of Research Program, the NOAA Oil Spill Supplemental Spend Plan, the Florida RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence Program administered through the Florida Institute of Oceanography and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Turtle handling conducted as part of permitted research (FL-MTP-225, FL-MTP-231, NMFS 19508, and predecessors).

This project was paid for in part with federal funding from the Department of the Treasury under the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act). The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Treasury.

A new study published in Nature Climate Change co-authored by Associate Professor of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering Thomas Wahl shows that historically rare coastal water level extremes that were expected to occur on average only once in 100 years are now 12 times more likely to occur. This is the average across all coastal locations, in some regions what used to be a 1-in-100-year event is now expected annually.

麻豆精品 S淚f you live within FEMA 麻豆精品 S檚 100-year flood zone, you have a 100-sided die that you roll every year, 麻豆精品 S� says Wahl, a College of Engineering and Computer Science researcher and UCF Coastal faculty cluster initiative member. 麻豆精品 S淪o you have 99 chances of being fine and one chance of being impacted by storm surge. Now, because of sea level rise, that die is losing sides and at some point there are so few sides left that it becomes a risk that not everybody may be willing to take going forward. 麻豆精品 S�

The catalyst for increased coastal water level extremes and associated flooding is sea level rise, which has increased globally by nearly eight inches over the past 126 years. Using various observational data sets and leveraging model simulations, Wahl and his research collaborators were able to distinguish the various factors that cause sea level rise. Although natural variability is still a large factor, anthropogenic forcing is now the primary cause.

麻豆精品 S淲e leveraged tide gauge and satellite observations along with existing model outputs to distinguish between the part of sea level rise that could easily be natural variability 麻豆精品 S� the ups and downs we 麻豆精品 S檝e experienced for hundreds of thousands of years 麻豆精品 S� and the part that cannot be explained by natural variability, 麻豆精品 S� Wahl says. 麻豆精品 S淎nd we found that anthropogenic forcing alone leads to a four-fold increase in this likelihood of a one-in-a-100-year event to occur, and it 麻豆精品 S檚 now the main driver of the increased likelihood of these extreme water levels to occur. 麻豆精品 S�

Recently, Wahl also contributed to a study published in Nature Geosciences that reveals that sinking ground levels and rising sea levels are occurring more rapidly than previously understood, often worsening flooding in coastal communities. These combined findings a need to reassess coastal infrastructure and flood-planning efforts as past flood frequency estimates may no longer represent modern-day conditions.

Wahl collaborated on this study with researchers from Tulane University, Harvard University and various academic and research institutions in both Germany and the Netherlands. Prior to joining UCF in 2017, Wahl was a Marie Sklodowska Curie Fellow of the European Union at the University of Southampton and a postdoctoral scholar at the University of South Florida. His research spans the areas of coastal flood risk, sea level rise and storm surges.

A bird bursting from the ocean or a mobula ray launching skyward makes the transition from water to air look effortless. For unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, it 麻豆精品 S檚 one of the hardest maneuvers to replicate.

Now, UCF researchers are studying how wing shape and motion affect that split-second transition 麻豆精品 S� work that could help improve future amphibious UAVs.

Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering Samik Bhattacharya and aerospace engineering master 麻豆精品 S檚 student Dominic Polidoro 麻豆精品 S�25 are investigating the physical forces that interact as a wing exits the water and enters the air, a process known as egress. Supported by a grant from the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, known as DEVCOM Army Research Office, the nine-month project aims to develop mathematical models to improve the technology used in military amphibious vehicles.

“This technology can 麻豆精品 S� enable seamless air-water operations without the need for separate vehicles.”

The research could also expand the use of amphibious UAVs in civilian scenarios such as search-and-rescue missions in coastal areas, ocean monitoring and disaster response.

麻豆精品 S淭his technology can 麻豆精品 S� enable seamless air-water operations without the need for separate vehicles, 麻豆精品 S� Bhattacharya says. 麻豆精品 S淚n 10 years, amphibious UAVs could perform reliable and stable dives and exits with better payload capacity and autonomous control in complex environments, far beyond today 麻豆精品 S檚 unreliable transitions. 麻豆精品 S�

While researchers have extensively studied how drones enter water, far less is understood about how they exit it. Previous studies show that as a wing rises from the water, the lift generated by it will increase until it suddenly reverses direction before stabilizing. Why this occurs is not yet known, but the answer is crucial to understanding UAV performance.

麻豆精品 S淚n general, when a UAV egresses, it causes lift overshoot followed by a sharp drop, 麻豆精品 S� Bhattacharya says. 麻豆精品 S淪uch rapid changes in lift forces can create instability, leading to loss of control. Understanding this transition will not only improve our knowledge of creatures in nature but also allow for drone designs that can use or mitigate the lift increase and decrease that occurs. 麻豆精品 S�

Inside the in , Bhattacharya and Polidoro use a water tank and 3D-printed wings to study how surface deformation, waves and vortex shedding interact during egress. They aim to better understand the physical forces that drive this transition.

麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 difficult to disentangle the effects of surface deformation, waves and vortex shedding because they occur simultaneously on very short timescales and strongly influence each other, 麻豆精品 S� Bhattacharya says.

The duo presented earlier findings from their research at the 2026 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics SciTech Forum in January.

Faculty Background

Bhattacharya joined UCF in 2016. He earned his doctoral degree in aerospace engineering from The Ohio State University, his master 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in aerospace engineering from Auburn University and his bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in mechanical engineering from the National Institute of Technology Warangal, located in India.

For almost a century, researchers have known that vertical land motion 麻豆精品 S� the lifting and sinking of the ground 麻豆精品 S� affects sea level locally. As the ground sinks, the sea level rises relative to the land. Scientists also assumed this process generally occurred at a steady rate over time. But a research team that includes Thomas Wahl, a UCF researcher and associate professor in the , has found that ground subsidence has undergone phases of variable change, creating significant implications for coastal communities.

“In many places, … sea level is going up one to three millimeters a year, but the land is going down 10, 15 times as fast.”

In an article recently published in Nature Geosciences, Wahl and his research collaborators demonstrate that the rate of vertical land motion is nonlinear in many coastal communities, particularly in Louisiana and along the Mississippi Delta. As the land sinks, relative sea level rises, increasing the risk of coastal flooding from high tides and storm surge that can damage homes, businesses and critical infrastructure.

麻豆精品 S淚n many places like Louisiana, sea level is going up one to three millimeters a year, but the land is going down 10, 15 times as fast, 麻豆精品 S� Wahl says. 麻豆精品 S淎nd that compounds the effect of sea level rise. As the sea level goes up and land goes down, you have a bigger problem. 麻豆精品 S�

A New Challenge for Coastal Communities

“Our results reveal that … groundwater extraction and … earthquakes have led to periods of rapid sinking or rising of coastal land.”

Current projections of future sea-level change typically assume that ground motion behaves linearly over time. However, the study challenges that assumption. Using observational data from tide gauges, the team, led by Associate Professor S缨nke Dangendorf of Tulane University, reconstructed vertical land motion dating back to the early 20th century.

麻豆精品 S淥ur results reveal that human activities such as groundwater extraction and natural phenomena such as earthquakes have led to periods of rapid sinking or rising of coastal land, 麻豆精品 S� Dagendorf says. 麻豆精品 S淭his has largely increased the rates of sea level rise relative to the land, particularly in cities where increasing water demand led to increased groundwater withdrawals and subsequent compaction of the ground. 麻豆精品 S�

The Silver Lining

Wahl says these findings have important implications for coastal infrastructure, including in Florida.

麻豆精品 S淚t makes it even more critical to plan early and to create adaptation strategies to keep the water away from places where you don 麻豆精品 S檛 want it to be for as long as you can, 麻豆精品 S� Wahl says.

The silver lining, he says, is that some causes of land motion can be managed. Cities such as Tokyo and Shanghai once experienced extreme subsidence 麻豆精品 S� up to several centimeters per year during the mid 麻豆精品 S�20th century 麻豆精品 S� but have dramatically slowed the sinking after implementing strict groundwater extraction controls and related land 麻豆精品 S憁anagement policies.

When it comes to addressing the combined challenges of sea level rise and land subsidence, Wahl acknowledges that some areas will be harder to protect than others, and that protection may not be possible everywhere. Still, he remains hopeful.

麻豆精品 S淗istory has shown that humans are very creative, especially when they have to be, 麻豆精品 S� Wahl says. 麻豆精品 S淚f you look back to where we were 100 or even 50 years ago and where we are now, there are probably technologies and strategies that we haven 麻豆精品 S檛 even thought of yet that might come up in the future that will be beneficial in that context. 麻豆精品 S�

About the Researcher
Wahl collaborated on the study with researchers from Tulane University, Harvard University and various academic and research institutions in Germany and the Netherlands. Prior to joining UCF in 2017, Wahl was a Marie Sklodowska Curie fellow of the European Union at the University of Southampton and a postdoctoral scholar at the University of South Florida. His research focuses on coastal flood risk, sea level rise and storm surges.

On most days, DeAscanis is focused on something many people never think about: the invisible systems that keep modern life running.

Hospitals must power critical equipment. Cities endure record-breaking heat. Data centers aim to hum without interruption. Behind those moments are gas turbines the size of buildings, and a team of engineers determined to make them 聽smarter, faster and more reliable.

At Siemens Energy, DeAscanis helps lead that charge.

Rising to Energy Design Challenges

His bold goal is ambitious: transform how turbines are tested, inspected and manufactured so they can be delivered at the speed and scale global demand now requires. As electricity needs surge worldwide, efficiency is no longer optional.

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After earning his aerospace engineering degree from UCF, DeAscanis joined Siemens Energy located just steps from campus. He began on a small team of three engineers developing custom tools to test next-generation engines. The work was intensely hands-on and involved long days refining inspection systems, improving automation and solving problems in real time.

Colleagues describe DeAscanis as calm under pressure and relentlessly curious. He sees constraints not as roadblocks but as design challenges.

That perspective proved essential during lean years in the energy sector, when fluctuating demand forced teams to justify every investment. Rather than scale back, DeAscanis and his colleagues innovated their way forward 麻豆精品 S� streamlining inspection processes, reducing testing time and building automation systems that improved both speed and precision.

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Enhancing Expertise to Deliver Impact

Over the past decade, he has also helped grow his organization from fewer than five engineers to nearly 100. His role expanded from technical contributor to strategic leader, overseeing budgets, setting research priorities and securing U.S. Department of Defense contracts to accelerate development. Recognizing the importance of business fluency, he returned to UCF to earn his MBA.

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Fueling the Energy Industry

Learn more about how are accelerating innovation, fueling workforce development and strengthening the future of energy infrastructure.

Today, more than half of the engineers in his facility are UCF graduates. Through the Pegasus Partnership, Siemens Energy and UCF are not simply recruiting talent 麻豆精品 S� they are co-developing it. Students gain exposure to real-world challenges long before graduation. Industry gains engineers who are ready to lead from day one.

For DeAscanis, that cycle feels deeply personal.

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As global energy demand accelerates and infrastructure grows more sophisticated, the stakes are rising. The partnership between Siemens Energy and UCF reflects a shared belief: that bold thinking, applied research and prepared graduates can shape not just an industry, but the future of how the world runs.

Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 coastlines are changing, and so are the fish that depend on them.

As rising temperatures push tropical species northward and mangrove habitats expand into areas historically dominated by salt marshes, scientists are racing to understand how these shifts could affect marine food webs and long-term ecosystem stability.

Meredith Pratt, a UCF integrative and conservation biology doctoral student, is helping answer those questions. Her research on sustainable fisheries management along Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 east coast earned her the prestigious Florida Sea Grant/Guy Harvey Fellowship. The highly competitive award supports graduate students conducting research that informs marine conservation and fisheries management while cultivating future leaders in marine science.

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Guiding Future Fisheries Management

The research is both environmentally and economically important to Florida. As one of the world 麻豆精品 S檚 premier fishing destinations, the state depends on healthy coastal ecosystems and fish populations to support its recreational and commercial fisheries.

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Connecting Science and Community

Pratt is also expanding the impact of her research beyond the lab. Through her National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship, she launched the Guana Tolomato Matanzas (GTM) Fisheries Monitoring Program at the GTM National Estuarine Research Reserve.

“Getting people involved and helping them understand the importance of this work makes a big difference.”

The volunteer-driven initiative trains community members to collect fisheries data at designated sites, including species identification, abundance and size measurements. With nearly 20 volunteers participating, the program provides valuable long-term data while increasing public involvement in scientific research.

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A Full Circle Moment

For Pratt, earning the Florida Sea Grant/Guy Harvey Fellowship was a full-circle moment. As an undergraduate, she completed many of her classes and research experiences at the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center at Nova Southeastern University. Now, funding from Florida Sea Grant and the Guy Harvey Foundation is helping advance her research while providing professional development opportunities in science communication.

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Looking ahead, Pratt hopes her work will support more informed decision-making around fisheries management and conservation.

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Globally, a total of 230 emerging inventors were named to the list this year, making it the largest cohort in NAI history. The inductees will be honored during the NAI 15^th annual conference in Los Angeles in June. Solihin says he feels honored to join this distinguished group of researchers.

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Solihin 麻豆精品 S檚 work has significantly impacted society and the way that our technology works. The Pegasus Professor and director of the UCF Cyber Security and Privacy faculty cluster initiative has made computing systems faster, more reliable and more secure.

Among his most influential inventios are a security mechanism known as the Bonsai Merkle Tree and a system called Cache Quality of Service. The former protects computer memory from unauthorized modifications at significantly lower cost than previous methods, while the latter addresses performance slowdowns that occur when multiple applications share processor resources.

Both innovations have influenced processors that are now widely used in data centers.

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Solihin, who is also an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Association for Computing Machinery and Japan Society for Promotion of Science fellow, says his process for taking an invention from an idea to a tangible product starts with identifying a problem that is worth solving. From there, he analyzes literature and technical documents for solutions, identifies the key technical challenges to overcome and then works to refine the solution. He encourages young inventors to just start by 麻豆精品 S渂rainspilling, 麻豆精品 S� or getting the idea out on paper.

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