Biology researchers in the College of Sciences and UCF Coastal have received two awards from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) totaling more than $2.3 million.
A new $1.1 million award to UCF from NOAA Sea Grant as part of the Marine Debris Challenge Competition will fund joint research between UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 CEELAB and Aquatic Biogeochemistry Laboratory 麻豆精品 S檚 research on plastic-free restored habitats in coastal shorelines and oyster reefs. UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 work, in partnership with Texas A&M, and University of Texas Marine Science Institute was selected as one of 11 projects across Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas and Wisconsin. Combined, the team received $2.27 million dollars for the collaborative project.
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Walters says that marine debris 麻豆精品 S� which includes microplastics and nanoplastics 麻豆精品 S� is affecting every habitat around the globe.
麻豆精品 S淓ven though we cannot see them, marine invertebrates and vertebrates consume them, which can negatively impact the animal, 麻豆精品 S� Walters says. 麻豆精品 S淚f these animals are then consumed by humans, the plastic enters our digestive tracts. Other microscopic plastic particles are light enough to enter the atmosphere and move with the wind. Recent research is documenting that these particles can end up trapped in our lungs. 麻豆精品 S�
UCF is uniquely poised to conduct this research because of our substantial history of oyster reef restoration within Mosquito Lagoon and our local knowledge of the ecosystem, says Lisa Chambers, associate professor and principal investigator (PI) of the Aquatic Biogeochemistry Laboratory, a co-PI on the NOAA Marine Debris award.
麻豆精品 S淭his research is timely and important because the desire to stop using plastics in coastal restoration has opened a floodgate of new and novel restoration materials, 麻豆精品 S� Chambers says. 麻豆精品 S淭his funding supports the continued study of alternative, non-plastic materials for use in coastal restoration. We need to know how materials affect the microbes and natural chemical cycles in the coastal ecosystem and long-terms impacts of restoration efforts. 麻豆精品 S�
CEELAB focuses on a wide variety of problems impacting Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 coastal waters, in particular, the Indian River Lagoon system. The group, led by Walters and Melinda Donnelly, a research assistant professor in biology, has a long history of ecosystem restoration efforts that focus on restoration 麻豆精品 S� including oysters, marsh grass, mangroves and seagrass.
As one of the longest running academically based coastal restoration programs in the U.S., CEELAB works with UCF faculty, graduate students, undergraduate researchers, postdoctoral fellows, field technicians, numerous community partners and volunteers to restore Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 Indian River Lagoon. Current partners include the Marine Discovery Center in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, Coastal Conservation Association, Canaveral National Seashore, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The combined efforts of UCF and its partners highlight ever-changing best practices in ecosystem restoration and provide a ripe opportunity for research and innovation.
麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 unique to have a long-term restoration project led by a university laboratory. We started community-based oyster reef restoration in 2007, living shoreline stabilization in 2012, and seagrass restoration in 2024, 麻豆精品 S� Walters says. 麻豆精品 S淲e have created a 麻豆精品 S榟abitat mosaic 麻豆精品 S� where all these species work together to make the environment better. We are finding lots of areas have degraded, whether through storms or human impact. It 麻豆精品 S檚 important to find solutions that bring the natural environment back. 麻豆精品 S�
NOAA also provides large, transformative awards to create communities of practice in coastal restoration and UCF (co-PIs Walters and Donnelly) is receiving $1.2 million for restoration efforts as part of the NOAA funding of $9.4 million to the Indian River Lagoon 麻豆精品 S檚 National Estuary Program. NOAA is funding 32 projects nationwide.
麻豆精品 S淩estoration efforts require funding and are vital for our communities 麻豆精品 S� we are grateful for the continued support of NOAA and the National Estuary Program for our coastal restoration work in Mosquito Lagoon, 麻豆精品 S� Walters says.
CEELAB 麻豆精品 S檚 work connects UCF biology students with firsthand experience, putting classroom learning into practice.
麻豆精品 S淭hrough this grant, we 麻豆精品 S檙e providing opportunities for many students to gain field experience 麻豆精品 S� from planting mangroves to conducting innovative ecosystem research 麻豆精品 S� that has the mutual benefit of restoring vital habitats in Florida, 麻豆精品 S� Walters says. 麻豆精品 S淎 lot of the graduate students whose work is funded through awards like this go on to become our coastal restoration leaders at the state or federal level. 麻豆精品 S�
More than 70,000 volunteers 麻豆精品 S� including UCF students, faculty, staff and community members 麻豆精品 S� have contributed to the CEELAB 麻豆精品 S檚 coastal restoration work since 2007.
麻豆精品 S淲e are all working together to restore a truly magical place 麻豆精品 S� a place that 麻豆精品 S檚 home to birds, fish, mangrove islands, manatees, dolphins and everything that makes Florida special, 麻豆精品 S� Walters says.
