A perfect example of this is the Florida Everglades. The Everglades provides drinking water for more than 8 million people, helps protect communities from the impacts of hurricanes, reduces flooding risks, is home to endangered species, supports Florida’s fishing industry and is an important economic engine in the state’s tourism industry. By 1990, however, more than 40,000 acres of the Everglades were negatively impacted by excess phosphorous entering the system from farming operations. Working with the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians, FIU researchers embarked on a mission to identify the critical threshold of phosphorous. That research led to a water quality standard that was incorporated into the federal Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan and is still in place today.

Restoration of the Florida Everglades is one of the largest water restoration projects on the planet. FIU researchers believe the Everglades is a perfect example of collaboration and solutions-centered work. The NSF-supported Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research Program, led by FIU, features 180 scientists, students and staff from 19 universities, multiple government agencies and several organizations working together to create a sustainable future for this iconic ecosystem. FIU’s work on water doesn’t end within Florida’s boundaries. Faculty, staff and students are working across the globe to bring clean water to ecosystems and people. The university even houses the UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Water Security, addressing regional, national and global water security issues through interdisciplinary research and partnerships for sustainability.  

Partnerships and collaborations are at the core of FIU’s success in environmental resilience. With more than $400 million in related research awards in the past 10 years, FIU has more than 200 faculty engaged in resilience research and training. The university also maintains more than 200 local, state and international partnerships and collaborations focused on the environment.

Within the university, FIU relies on a mix of disciplines in close proximity to present diverse viewpoints and create meaningful solutions. University ecologists and biologists are working alongside sociologists and political scientists with a shared understanding that nature and people must coexist. Public health researchers are collaborating with environmental scientists to identify threats and solutions. Disaster experts and faculty in business and law are working closely together to identify loss and risk assessments. Psychologists are helping families navigate the loss and trauma of extreme weather events. FIU engineers are developing high-wind-resistant roofing, climate-resilient concrete and high-tech tools for environmental monitoring. Computer scientists are working across disciplines to harness big data and AI to optimize monitoring programs and identify solutions. The research is conducted all across the world and within the living laboratories of South Florida.

“The challenges facing our environment and environmental resilience are significant, and they require significant efforts to tackle them head-on,” Heithaus said. “Universities are uniquely poised to provide real solutions and, at the same time, lead in the implementation of sustainable practices on our own campuses that can serve as models for industry, governments and even individual households.”