FIU Institute of Environment

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From the coral reefs in the deep ocean to the wetlands of the Everglades, the FIU Institute of Environment is advancing the science and technology needed to address complex water and environmental issues locally, nationally and globally.

Not all plants live on the ground, some live on the trees! 👀🌳 In close collaboration with the Jardín Botánico de Quito...
09/03/2026

Not all plants live on the ground, some live on the trees! 👀🌳 In close collaboration with the Jardín Botánico de Quito , FIU and NYBG PhD student Meredith Preve spent the summer in the hyper-diverse but threatened cloud forests of Ecuador surveying plants in the family Araceae (aroids) that climb and cling to trees. Odds are good you’ve met an aroid before, as many are popular houseplants.

Meredith’s research combines conservation and fundamental ecology. In the field she recorded abundance, richness, age class, and life form of all aroid individuals on host trees across five land use types (think undisturbed forests all the way to pastures) to determine which aroids are most resilient and which are in the greatest need of urgent conservation action at a landscape scale. This work may someday help in making conservation decisions for other plant families with similar growth habits.

This work was made possible with the collaboration of Mashpi Lodge (Mashpi Lodge | Quito Rainforest Hotel ), Chontaloma Reserve (ChontaLoma Reserva ), Mashpi Shungo Reserva (Mashpi Chocolate ), and Fundacion FCAT (FundaciĂłn FCAT ), and with support from The Garden Club of America, the Tropical Fern and Exotic Plant Society, and the Coral Gables Garden Club.

08/20/2026

Meet Kevin Montiel, PhD student at FIU, studying how microbes interact with soil and sawgrass roots.
Kevin study these plants literally from the seed. In his project, seeds are collected, processed, sterilized and grown in the greenhouse. Once mature, plants are measured and their roots scanned to study their complexity and structure.

Why sawgrass? It’s part of our dear “river of grass” that flows from the northern Everglades all the way to the Florida Bay. It’s an important component of this ecosystem and the Everglades depend on it. But remember, even though it’s called sawgrass, it’s not a grass but a sedge!

What lives beneath Biscayne Bay?Dr. Jessica Cardé from FIU’s Marine Ecology Lab is studying how human activity, prey ava...
08/13/2026

What lives beneath Biscayne Bay?
Dr. Jessica Cardé from FIU’s Marine Ecology Lab is studying how human activity, prey availability, and predation risk shape the way bottlenose dolphins use one of South Florida’s most urban waterways.
To understand dolphin behavior, researchers also need to understand the underwater world dolphins are moving through. That includes the fish and marine life present at different sites, as well as the predator landscape they share with large sharks.
The team is using BRUVs, or baited remote underwater video systems, across Biscayne Bay. For this project, a BRUV is a baited stainless steel frame with a GoPro attached that records marine life below the surface.
So far, the team has placed BRUVs at more than 200 sites across Biscayne Bay, from Haulover Inlet to Barnes Sound. The footage helps researchers document what marine life appears, where it appears, and how activity changes across the bay.
This work is also powered by undergraduate interns, who help review and annotate hours of underwater footage while gaining hands-on experience in marine ecology research.
In a bay shaped by both wildlife and people, research like this helps reveal the hidden connections beneath the surface.

08/11/2026

Meet Carludovica palmata, the tropical plant behind one of the world’s most iconic hats. Its fibers are traditionally used to make the famous Panama hat. which, despite its name, actually originated in Ecuador.

Arctic permafrost has stored carbon for thousands of years. As it thaws, that carbon is released into the atmosphere, an...
08/06/2026

Arctic permafrost has stored carbon for thousands of years. As it thaws, that carbon is released into the atmosphere, and current climate models don’t fully account for it yet.
That gap has real consequences for South Florida. As Dr. Jayantha Obeysekera, Director of FIU’s Sea Level Solutions Center said in this interview for the Miami Herald, “We’re very flat, so a few inches in sea levels rise matter a lot.”

Link in bio for the full article.

Here are some questions answered about fieldwork!Dr. Thomas Murphy (postdoctoral researcher), Alejandra Carvajal and Gui...
08/04/2026

Here are some questions answered about fieldwork!

Dr. Thomas Murphy (postdoctoral researcher), Alejandra Carvajal and Guillermo Sicilia (PhD students) are part of FIU’s International Center for Tropical Botany at The Kampong and recently conducted part of their fieldwork in Panama to collect plants for their projects.

Let us know if you have more questions!

How does water move through South Florida’s coastal wetlands, and what does it carry with it?FIU student Melaney Lara, p...
07/29/2026

How does water move through South Florida’s coastal wetlands, and what does it carry with it?

FIU student Melaney Lara, part of the Hydrogeology Lab, is helping researchers answer that question in a connected wetland system centered on the L31-East Flow Way near Biscayne Bay.

The research follows water across coastal mangroves, Biscayne Bay, the L31-E spreader canal and groundwater. By collecting surface water, groundwater, soil, leaf samples and mangrove biomass data, researchers can better understand how different water sources move through the wetland and influence the surrounding ecosystem.

This work helps scientists track nutrients, study mangrove health and better understand the connection between Everglades restoration, coastal wetlands and water quality in Biscayne Bay.

07/23/2026

If you’ve been to the beach lately, you’ve probably noticed the sargassum 🌊

While large amounts washing ashore can be smelly and inconvenient, sargassum is a natural part of the Atlantic ecosystem. Out at sea, it provides important habitat for fish, sea turtles, and countless other marine species.

At FIU, we’re interested in understanding how connected our tropical ecosystems are. We’re studying how seaweed helps mangroves build soil, slowing down decomposition. Mangroves do so much more than line our coastlines. They protect our communities from storms, filter our water, and provide critical habitat for wildlife.

Join us for Miami-Dade County’s Adopt-a-Tree event and take home up to two free trees to plant at your home. Every tree ...
07/21/2026

Join us for Miami-Dade County’s Adopt-a-Tree event and take home up to two free trees to plant at your home. Every tree helps grow our canopy, cool neighborhoods, support local wildlife, and create a healthier Miami-Dade.

📍FIU Biscayne Bay Campus
🗓️Saturday, July 25, 2026.
⏰8:30 AM to 11:30 AM

While supplies last. 🌴🌳

07/14/2026

You’ve probably walked by this plant a million times, but do you know its name?

Meet the cocoplum (Chrysobalanas icaco), also known as icaco, one of Florida’s native shrubs. You’ll find it growing near beaches, in the Everglades, and throughout South Florida’s landscapes where it’s pruned into hedges.

Not only does it have beautiful fruits, they’re edible and surprisingly tasty. They’re an important source for birds and wildlife.

Have you ever tried cocoplum fruit?

Address

11200 SW 8th Street
Miami, FL
33199

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+13053483095

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