Protecting and Restoring South Florida’s Natural Habitats
Spearheaded by the work of its Institute of Environment, FIU is a leader in comprehensive research and restoration efforts in the Everglades and Biscayne Bay.
In recognition of its leading-edge environmental work in collaboration with local and international partners, the State University System of Florida's Board of Governors designated FIU a University of Distinction in Environmental Resilience.
NSF renews long-term Everglades research program based at FIU
For two decades, FIU researchers and their partners have collected data on water quality, plant and animal communities, and ecosystem function from a network of research sites in Everglades National Park.
Researchers work to bring Biscayne Bay back from the brink
When hundreds of fish turned up dead in Biscayne Bay in a single night last August, followed by an algal bloom, the FIU Institute of Environment quickly took action, deploying researchers to monitor the bay for clues about what had happened.
A wetter Everglades on the path to restoration
Researchers from FIU’s Institute of Environment and the South Florida Natural Resources Center of Everglades National Park have been tracking the flow of water here as part of the federally and state funded Everglades restoration efforts.
Students Researching Solutions
Graduate students Kassidy Troxell and Ikechukwu Samuel Onwuka are researching restoration efforts in Biscayne Bay and the Everglades, respectively.
They discuss their work and how they've incorporated teachings from FIU into their research.
Did you know?
- FIU ranked No. 3 among U.S. public universities and No. 11 in the world in the 2021 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings for Life Below Water, which measures universities’ research, education and support for aquatic ecosystems.
- The State University System of Florida’s Board of Governors designated FIU a University of Distinction in Environmental Resilience.
- FIU leads the longest-running National Science Foundation-funded research and data-collection program focused on the Florida Everglades. The Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research program began in 2000 to study sensitive areas within the Everglades.
- Today, a network of universities, government agencies and other partners are working together in the Everglades. Since launching, the program has led to groundbreaking research and key discoveries about the fragile Everglades ecosystem.
- Following the summer 2020 algal blooms and fish kill in Biscayne Bay, the FIU Institute of Environment quickly took action, deploying surface vessels, buoys and researchers to collect water samples.
- The institute’s CREST Center for Aquatic Chemistry and Environment also deployed buoys to monitor the available oxygen in the water and to provide a clearer picture of how many nutrients are swirling about the bay.
Support Our Work
Protecting our planet's water is vital to the health of our world. With your support, we can continue our commitment to use advanced technology and find sustainable solutions to major environmental challenges.