Coastal Storms Initiative

A NOAA Pilot Project in the St. Johns River Watershed What is the Coastal Storms Initiative (CSI)? The Coastal Storms Initiative is a nationwide effort to lessen the impacts of storms on coastal communities. Federal, state and local organizations are cooperating in this first pilot project on the St. Johns River watershed in Northeastern Florida.…

A Wall of Wind!

Hurricanes are, by many measures, the most devastating of all catastrophic natural hazards affecting the U.S. In economic terms alone, the average annual loss of $1.3 billion recorded pre-1990 (in constant 2006 dollars) has spiraled to $35.8 billion post-2000. A first-of-its-kind wind machine at Florida International University, dubbed the Wall of Wind, is now enabling…

Regional Collaborations

Many of the issues affecting coastal residents and marine ecosystems are regional in scope, crossing the borders of many states. In the southeastern USA, examples of major regional issues include: protecting coastal communities from hurricanes; understanding the risk of sea-level rise and developing effective adaptation strategies; predicting the occurrence and impacts of harmful algal blooms;…