By Lourdes Mederos, UF/IFAS Communications
A team of University of Florida scientists has been awarded a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to tackle one of South Florida’s most urgent environmental threats: groundwater flooding and saltwater intrusion caused by sea level rise.
During the three-year project, scientists on a multidisciplinary team at UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), will develop a decision-support system to help local leaders make science-based, cost-effective choices about land use, infrastructure, climate adaptation and flooding mitigation.
While focused on Southeast Florida, the team expects the framework to be useful in other vulnerable coastal areas across the U.S. and beyond.
“This is about getting ahead of the problem,” said Young Gu Her, an associate professor of hydrology and water resources engineering at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center and leader of the project. “We aim to empower local governments with clear options that reflect both environmental and community realities before today’s risks become tomorrow’s emergencies.”
The highly specialized team brings expertise in urban stormwater management (Eban Bean), biochemistry (Ashley Smith), agroecology (Zachary Brym) and food and resource economics (Edward Evans). Together, they’ll explore how nature-based strategies like mangrove restoration and green infrastructure such as natural systems that use vegetation, soils and landscape features to manage water and provide environmental benefits, can reduce flood risk and protect groundwater, alongside traditional infrastructure such as canals and seawalls.
“Mangroves act like coastal shields,” said Her. “They reduce storm surge and help prevent saltwater from pushing into freshwater. Meanwhile, wetlands and green spaces absorb excess water and recharge the aquifer. These solutions can be more affordable than hard infrastructure, and they build long-term resilience.”
Southeast Florida is especially vulnerable due to its flat topography, porous limestone bedrock and a century of development that left the region with a naturally high groundwater table. Saltwater intrusion is already threatening freshwater supplies and farmland.
“Saltwater intrusion isn’t just a future concern — it’s already happening,” said Her. “Because of our geology, elevation and development patterns, our region is on the frontlines. It’s not just a science problem — it’s a people, food and land problem.”
What sets this project apart is its emphasis on real-world application. The decision-support system will be co-developed with local governments and will include groundwater simulations, sea level and climate projections, as well as detailed economic trade-off analysis.
“Unlike many academic models that remain theoretical, our approach brings together groundwater and soil sciences, ecology, economics, policy and community voices into a single, practical decision-support tool,” said Her.
The tool will allow users to test “what-if” scenarios to see how different investments, such as restoring wetlands versus expanding stormwater systems, perform under future conditions.
The team will also address a key tension in coastal water management: the mitigation of groundwater flooding that may come at the cost of increased saltwater intrusion, and vice versa. The tool will help identify optimal strategies that strike a balance or trade-off between the two, ensuring that solutions in one area do not inadvertently create new risks elsewhere.
Economic modeling will guide local governments in choosing strategies that offer the best return on investment.
“Economics helps communities make smart, cost-effective choices,” said Her. “We calculate how much each option reduces risk, what it costs and how it performs over time.”
The project runs from September 2025 through August 2028 and includes opportunities for community engagement, public input and local planning integration. While focused on Southeast Florida, the team expects the framework to be useful in other vulnerable coastal areas across the U.S. and beyond.
This piece was originally published at https://news.ufl.edu/2025/07/addressing-sea-level-rise-in-south-florida/. Banner photo: Sunny-day flooding in downtown Miami (B137, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons).
Sign up for The Invading Sea newsletter by visiting here. To support The Invading Sea, click here to make a donation. If you are interested in submitting an opinion piece to The Invading Sea, email Editor Nathan Crabbe at nc*****@*au.edu. To learn more about how sea level rise threatens drinking water supplies, watch the video below.
