Where Inspiration Meets Impact
Florida International University's ridge-to-reef approach in environmental research is conducted across the globe, collaborating with partners locally and internationally to advance science, technology and best practices that will keep our oceans, seas and marine resources healthy. Our researchers are working across all targets set by the United Nations for Sustainable Development Goal 14, helping to ensure sustainable LIFE BELOW WATER.
Life Below Water
FIU is working across all targets set by the United Nations General Assembly in Sustainable Development Goal 14 to achieve a sustainable future for the world's oceans, seas and marine resources.
14.1 Reduce and prevent pollution
FIU scientists, through research and action, are preventing and reducing marine pollution of all kinds including nutrient, plastics and microplastics, PFAS forever chemicals, oil and industrial contaminants, pharmaceuticals, and other marine debris. Our scientists are doing the detective work to prevent ecological disasters. Find out more on FIU’s efforts to reduce and prevent pollution.
14.2 Manage and protect ecosystems
From the deepest depths to our coastlines, FIU is helping to sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to strengthen their resilience, restore biodiversity and protect critical resources. Find out more on FIU's efforts to manage and protect ecosystems.
14.3 Address ocean acidification
FIU is providing scientific solutions to the devastating and complex challenges of ocean acidification through innovations on seagrass work, coral restoration, climate change research and studies on overall ocean health. Find out more on FIU's efforts to address ocean acidification.
14.4 End destructive fishing
From the illegal shark fin trade to the unintended bycatch of marine mammals, FIU is working with international governments, local fishermen, NGOs and others to end overfishing, illegal, unreported, unregulated and other destructive fishing practices. Find out more on FIU's efforts to end destructive fishing.
14.5 Conserve marine areas
By providing open-access actionable data on critical marine issues, serving as major research partners for marine sanctuaries, and advising international governments on establishment of protected areas, FIU is providing the science to ensure oceans remain healthy. Find out more on FIU's efforts to conserve marine areas.
14.6 Inform policy
FIU scientists provide supporting evidence to issues of overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing to inform regulatory agencies through research and advocacy. Find out more on FIU's efforts to inform policy.
14.7 Collaborate with island states
All across the world, FIU scientists work with communities and governments in Small Island Developing States to establish sustainable use of marine resources including ecotourism, aquaculture and sustainable management of fisheries. Find out more on FIU's efforts to collaborate with island states.
14. a-c Improve resources
Innovative technologies and collaborative research are at the core of FIU’s efforts to improve ocean health and protect marine biodiversity. Find out more on FIU's efforts to improve resources.
Dr. Heithaus is a marine ecologist specializing in predator-prey interaction and the ecological importance of sharks and other large marine species. He serves as the executive dean of FIU’s College of Arts, Sciences & Education. Dr. Heithaus is one of the World’s Top 2 Percent of Scientists in the Alper-Doger Scientific Index Rankings for Biological Science.
Dr. Bracken-Grissom has dedicated her career to uncovering the mysteries of the ocean, working on NSF’s Decapod Tree of Life project and on the team that captured the first video of a giant squid in U.S. waters.
Dr. Papastamatiou is one of the world’s leading shark behavioral ecologists. His use of new tag technologies on species ranging from pelagic oceanic whitetips to home-ranging reef sharks has advanced the field of predator ecology and led to evidence-based marine protected area zoning.
Dr. Rehage investigates the health of Florida’s recreational fish and fisheries studying how disturbances from natural causes, people and water management affect fish. She recently shocked the world when her research revealed South Florida’s bonefish are testing positive for prescription pharmaceuticals.
One of the world’s foremost experts on seagrass ecosystems, Dr. Fourqurean is a lead scientist in the International Blue Carbon Working Group, focused on carbon captured by oceans and coastal ecosystems. He is one of the World’s Top 2 Percent of Scientists in the Alper-Doger Scientific Index Rankings for Biological Science.
Dr. Eirin-Lopez studies the links between global change stressors and epigenetic mechanisms that allow marine species to adapt and survive. His research integrates disciplines from molecular biology to physiology and genetics.
Dr. Cardeñosa uses DNA detective work to uncover the mysteries of the global shark fin trade. He has led groundbreaking research to trace fins back to their source. He helped create a portable, easy-to-use DNA testing toolkit that gives customs officials and inspection personnel the power to identify illegal species on-site and have the proof to prosecute crimes.
Dr. Boswell is a marine ecologist, whose research focuses on the interacting factors that mediate the distributional patterns, behavior, habitat-use, energetics and natural ecology of coastal and ocean animals. His lab integrates advanced sampling techniques including underwater acoustics with observations from autonomous aerial and aquatic platforms to collect high-resolution data to describe spatial and temporal patterns.
Dr. Whitman is interested in the foraging ecology and habitat-use of sea turtles. She studies the top-down and bottom-up factors that affect green turtle distributions in coastal Caribbean habitats including food availability, food quality and risk of predation by sharks.
Dr. Gardinali is the associate director of the Institute of Environment and an expert in the fields of environmental chemistry, chemical oceanography, water quality monitoring and water sustainability, including identifying microplastics. He specializes in the detection of pollutants and contaminants in waterways.
Dr. Butler’s research focuses on habitat restoration to better understand the ecology of spiny lobster, coral reefs and sponge communities. For more than 30 years, the Florida Keys and Caribbean have served as the home base for his research. He is continuing to explore how this latest work can become a large scale, viable solution for keeping corals healthy.
Dr. Kiszka’s research lies broadly in the ecology, behavior and conservation of large marine vertebrates including whales and dolphins, sea turtles and sharks. He is interested in understanding how changes in their abundance and behavior, as well as fisheries and human activities may affect the structure and function of their ecosystems.
Dr. Harborne is an ecologist dedicated to improving understanding and protecting coral reef fish. His research focuses on how climate change impacts fish in the Caribbean and Pacific, in order to inform better conservation initiatives including the creation of marine reserves.
News
FIU Aquarius and Tekmara partner to apply AI under the sea
Oct 13, 2025
FIU calls upon citizen scientists to help collect data during King Tide
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Dolphin and whale lovers can track an ocean animal and support FIU research
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He drove 1,000 miles for seagrass, now he advocates for 10,000 miles of coastline
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Fishy labels caught by DNA
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FIU gets $6.375 million renewal from NSF for Everglades research
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Super-habitats could hold key to shark conservation
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FIU headlines SharkCon 11 lineup, Biologist named Shark Hero
Aug 18, 2025
Faculty recognized for their contributions to science
Aug 18, 2025