As environmental challenges become more complex and interconnected, there is growing recognition that future solutions must emerge across disciplinary boundaries. Florida Atlantic University (FAU) established its School of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability (ECOS) in 2023 as a hub that brings together research, education and community to translate knowledge into action.

“When I was interviewing here as an environmental scientist myself, I was looking to see what FAU and its College of Science had going on in the environmental space,” explains Valery E. Forbes, dean of the university’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. “There was a little bit here, a little bit there, a center here, a graduate program there — but it was all disconnected. Because of that, our environmental work lacked the level of visibility and impact that it deserved.”

As Forbes notes, environmental problems rarely fit neatly within organizational boundaries. The structure provided by ECOS allows stakeholders to work across colleges, institutes and academic disciplines. “We’re not going to be able to solve today’s complex environmental challenges with a narrow scientific perspective alone,” she says.

This collaborative, interdisciplinary ethos runs from top to bottom at ECOS, with students encouraged to contribute ideas, regardless of their background or research area.

“Even with our undergraduate students, you don’t have to be a biology student to participate in the lab,” notes Emily Turla, a Ph.D. candidate and coordinator of FAU’s Marine Science Laboratory. “We’ve had students from journalism, drama and the arts working alongside science students. As scientists, sometimes we can get hyperfocused on technical details. People with diverse viewpoints provide a different perspective.”

Initially launched as a partnership between FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, ECOS builds on the university’s strengths by connecting geographically isolated teams across the university.

“We recognize that environmental innovation exists across the entire university,” says Steven Vollmer, director of ECOS and professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. “ECOS was formed to build bridges.” It now brings together more than 350 members, including more than 140 faculty from six colleges and 190 graduate students.

ECOS combines place-based research with experiential learning driven by South Florida’s ecological diversity. Its proximity to the Everglades and the Atlantic Ocean provides unique research opportunities, encouraging students and researchers to make the most of the rich ecosystems surrounding them.

“Place matters,” notes Forbes. “On the one hand, you have unique and valuable ecosystems and wildlife. On the other, you have a large and rapidly growing urban population with an economy based on agriculture and tourism. All of these are competing for the same resources. This informs our research questions and approach, and hopefully our proposed solutions too.”

Having access to cutting-edge resources and diverse natural habitats is beneficial to ECOS researchers.

“We can travel from campus to the beach in 15 minutes,” says Turla. “We can collect samples, bring them back to campus and process them the same day. It allows us quick access to field sites and lab spaces and enables us to respond rapidly to new or changing questions and situations.”

ECOS is designed to connect scientists with government, community and private-sector partners to promote actionable science that can inform environmental conservation, restoration and resilience planning.

“ECOS researchers are developing tangible applications for advancing aquaculture, reducing shark bycatch by commercial fisheries, and combating harmful algal blooms, among many other topics,” says Forbes.

Engaging with external partners is essential to making sure the school’s research output aligns with its collaborative ethos. “Delivering the greatest impact relies on a multitude of stakeholders,” says Vollmer. “With funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, we are partnering with coral farmers to outplant thousands of corals and evaluate their real-world performance. A lot of our faculty are focused on pure science. But because of our region, they can easily transition into applied science. Finding the opportunities granted to us because of our location is key to making that transition.”

The local community also is a key stakeholder in ECOS’s research efforts. FAU’s Marine Science Laboratory, which is located at the nearby Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, is open to visitors and offers them opportunities to engage directly with its work. Through its visitors’ gallery, guests can view sea turtle hatchlings during nesting season and explore educational signage, videos and slideshows.

“We do a lot of outreach,” says Turla. “Public understanding is key. We provide the baseline data that is essential for understanding the environment, addressing challenges and making informed decisions.”

Given the complex environmental issues facing Earth’s oceans and bodies of water, ECOS is pursuing results that not only address today’s problems but also create lasting solutions to build a better future for everyone. The collaborative model at the center of the school is designed to develop future leaders through field experience, internships, research fellowships and postdoctoral opportunities.

One of the school’s objectives is to create pathways for students and early-career researchers to become the next generation of interdisciplinary problem solvers. It also recognizes that some students need financial support to take part in research experiences.

“Around 40 percent of our undergraduate students are eligible for the Pell Grant, so we have a lot of middle and low-income students,” says Forbes. “I feel very strongly that our students shouldn’t have to choose between getting a career-relevant opportunity and having to get a job just to pay their bills.”

The training pipeline at ECOS offers fully funded, donor-supported programs, such as the WLW-ECOS Summer Externships for marine and environmental science students, to ensure that financial means do not hinder students’ ability to participate in pioneering conservation initiatives. With approximately 80 percent of FAU’s graduates remaining in South Florida for employment, such schemes also address regional workforce needs.

“Often, universities invest in large research initiatives by buying fancy equipment or building shiny new labs,” says Vollmer. “What’s interesting about ECOS is that we took a bottom-up approach. We are investing directly in people — in our students — and seeing those dividends pay off up the chain.”

This strategy is proving effective. With FAU’s new strategic plan identifying environmental, ocean and coastal innovation as a research priority, ECOS will play a fundamental role in positioning the university as a leader in the field. This could benefit students, the wider community and marine life in Florida.

Forbes believes that ECOS has been pivotal in influencing the university’s new strategic direction: “What we’ve been able to do over the last three years has made it so obvious that environmental work — especially place-based work tied to our unique coastal and ocean geography — is clearly a strength of the university.”

Find out more about the School of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability at Florida Atlantic University.

This content is paid for and provided by Florida Atlantic University and developed by Inside Higher Ed's sponsored content team. The editorial staff of Inside Higher Ed had no role in its creation.