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UCF Hospitality Researchers’ Expertise Is Tapped for Global Sustainable Tourism Report
University of Central Florida hospitality researchers have co-authored an international report that identifies ways to ensure sustainable coastal and marine tourism around the globe. These include a renewed focus on stimulating new high-quality economic opportunities for local communities, restoring the natural environment and revitalizing cultural heritage and communities, the report states. The work is being […]
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From Bloom to Bust
Clean water is the thread that ties waterfront communities together, drives their economies, and provides a high quality of life for residents and an unforgettable experience for visitors. However, as human activities threaten the world’s waterways in multiple ways, HAB events pose increasing biological and socio-economic risks. Nutrient runoff from streets, lawns, septic tanks, and […]
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Valuing the Negative Impacts of Harmful Algae Blooms
Clean water is important for coastal communities. Not only does it have a direct impact on health and the environment, but it is also critical for tourism and driving local economies. In recent years, warmer temperatures and nutrient pollution have led to an increase in the frequency and severity of eutrophication—a process where a water […]
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UCF Genetics Expertise Extends to the Land Down Under
The genetic expertise of University of Central Florida researchers is extending all the way to the land down under in a new study of a unique animal of Australia’s waters – the weedy seadragon. In the study, which appeared recently in the journal PLOS One, UCF researchers helped discover that the weedy seadragon found off […]
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Pandemic Inspires Creative New Partnerships to Complete Research
When the COVID-19 pandemic restricted travel at UCF, Assistant Professor Michelle Gaither, Ph.D., got creative. Gaither planned to conduct field research in various parts of the country this past summer to complete some of her research, but COVID derailed those plans. So, she and her team of students came up with another idea that will […]
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Reducing Property Risks by understanding Natural Hazard Risks
By D’Ann Rawlinson Our goal is to show people common natural hazards in their area, the average annual occurrence of those hazards and ways to mitigate risks, including estimated costs. An interdisciplinary team of researchers led by Chris Emrich, associate professor of public administration at UCF and a member of UCF Coastal, is developing web […]
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UCF Researcher Helps Improve Accuracy of Storm Surge Analysis
Accurately predicting how many people are at risk due to sea level rise and storm surges has always challenged scientists, but a new method is improving models that account for the impact of these natural occurrences. A new international study published this week in the journal Nature Communications, applied a novel statistical method that — […]
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Agreement Opens New Research Opportunity at State Park
A first-of-its-kind agreement between a Florida state park and a public university opens new research opportunities for students and faculty of disciplines ranging from biology to engineering. The agreement between UCF and Florida Park Service centers on a building in Econfina River State Park in rural Taylor County, about an hour southeast of Tallahassee. A […]
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27 UCF Graduate Programs Ranked Among the Top 100 in the Nation
Twenty-seven UCF programs were nationally ranked today in the top 100 of their fields by U.S. News & World Report, and 35 graduate programs total were included in the publication’s 2020 Best Graduate Schools edition. This is a record number of programs ranked for the university. The list shows the university’s upward trajectory in the number of programs […]
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Helping the United Nations to Better Understand Climate Change
Thomas Wahl, core faculty member for the National Center for Integrated Coastal Research and assistant professor in the UCF College of Engineering and Computer Science, is helping the United Nations better understand and communicate climate change to the world. Wahl, who also is a member of UCF’s Sustainable Coastal Systems Cluster, will serve as a contributing […]
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UCF Research Leads to Ban on Harmful Sunscreens
By Robert Wells The island Republic of Palau in the western Pacific Ocean is the first nation to ban environmentally harmful sunscreens, effective 2020, to protect one of the world’s most diverse marine ecosystems. Anyone selling banned sunscreens after the date will be hit with a $1,000 fine. The goal is to protect the islands’ […]
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UCF Coastal Working to Find Solutions for our Coastal Communities
By Rachel Stamford Recently, Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency due to red tide, a toxic algae bloom, that is devastating the southwestern coast of Florida. The UCF National Center for Integrated Coastal Research, also known as UCF Coastal, will serve as a mechanism to find solutions to this problem and many […]
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UCF Joins International Consortium Aimed at Helping Coastal Communities
The University of Central Florida recently became a member of the Blue Community Consortium, which aims to help develop sustainable and economically successful coastal communities worldwide. UCF’s National Center for Integrated Coastal Research – known as UCF Coastal – joined the consortium this month as part of its ongoing efforts to help develop sustainable, resilient and economically successful […]