August 30, 2017 - Joseph Smoak (USF), Brad Rosenheim (USF College of Marine Science), Ryan Moyer and Kara Radabaugh (Florida Fish & Wildlife Research Institute), Lisa Chambers (University of Central Florida), and David Lagomasino (University of Maryland) have been award a $1.33 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture to study “Blue Carbon” ecosystems along the South Florida coast. Blue Carbon is a term used to describe carbon captured in the ocean and coastal ecosystems. The goal of the project is to measure and map carbon stored in the coastal wetlands of South Florida and predict how these stores of carbon will change under the influence of climate change and anthropogenic pressures. The collection of the data involves field sampling in the wetlands, the use of NASA fixed wing aircraft and satellite imagery.  

Grant title: Organic carbon biomass, burial, and biogeochemistry in blue carbon ecosystems along the South Florida coast: climate change and anthropogenic influences