Current Executive Board Initiatives

An Examination of Historical Data Related to the Health of the St. Johns River Lower Basin

This project will provide baseline data for Mayor Peyton’s River Accord and will help interpret the outcome of river restoration efforts. The following disciplines at two universities are involved:

  • Chemistry (UNF) - Drs. Stuart Chalk & Radha Pyati
  • Fish Ecology (UNF) – Dr. Kelly Smith
  • Aquatic Microbiology (UNF) – Dr. Dale Casamatta
  • Environmental Toxicology (Valdosta State) – Dr. Gretchen Bielmyer
  • Computing (UNF) – Dr. Patrick Welsh
  • Meteorology (UNF) – Dr. Patrick Welsh
  • Engineering (UNF) – Stephan Nix
  • Marine Science (JU) – Drs. Dan McCarthy & Quinton White
  • Environmental Chemistry (JU) - Dr. Lucinda Sonnenberg
  • Aquatic Species (JU) – Dr. Gerard Pinto
  • Web Design (JU) – Heather McCarthy

Partnership with the Jacksonville Preservation Project

This project will determine experimentally the best techniques for restoration of some damaged ecosystems on Jacksonville Preservation Project lands and will assess the ecological health of others. The Preservation Projects owns over 83,000 acres, large portions of which need to be restored to their native state. Biology faculty members involved are:

  • Community Ecology – Dr. Daniel Moon
  • Fish Ecology and Water Quality – Dr. Kelly Smith
  • Herpetology – Dr. Joe Butler
  • Botany – Dr. Tony Rossi

Real-Time Environmental Monitoring (Partially funded)

In cooperation with the City of Jacksonville, UNF will establish a wireless real-time monitoring system in the St. Johns River with primary focus on turbidity (also mentioned in the River Accord). This type of data is essential to infer cause and affect relationships of factors that influence the health of the river. College of Computing, Engineering and Construction faculty involved are:

  • Computing – Drs. David Lambert & Neal Coulter
  • Monitoring Technology – Dr. David Lambert
  • Meteorology – Dr. Patrick Welsh

Campus Natural Assets Inventory (CNAI)

This project is the first step in making UNF natural assets more accessible for environmental education and research on our 1,145 acre campus. For more information on CNAI, click here.

  • GIS mapping technology – Dr. David Lambert (College of Computing, Engineering and Construction)
  • Assessment of ecological assets – Dr.  Stokes (College of Arts and Sciences – Biology Department)
  • Asset management –  Chuck Hubbuch (Physical Facilities)
  • Graphics – Robert Richardson (College of Computing, Engineering and Construction)