Scyphers Lab at the University of South Alabama
PROJECTS
NOAA ADAPTATION SCIENCES (AdSci) MANGROVES & SEAWALLS
Collaborative Modeling the benefits, consequences, and trade-offs of mangroves and seawalls for coastal communities.
Through network analyses, interviews, and collaborative modeling, we are studying the impacts of mangroves, bulkheads, and other climate adaptation strategies in the Florida Keys.
CZM
The Coastal Zone Management project is a large-scale effort to assess the fishing satisfaction, coastal accessibility, and coastal hazards associated with coastal recreation sites across the Alabama Gulf Coast. Project activities include intercept surveys, mailing surveys, and habitat catch per unit assessments.
The overarching focus of this project is:
How does fish abundance and community structure link to satisfaction when controlling for other site related factors?​
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MOBILE NAVAL YARD USE CASE PROPOSAL
Scyphers Lab, in partnership with Dr. Joél Billingsley, is leading the Mobile Naval Yard Use Case Project to understand how South Alabama can prepare for the rapid expansion of the maritime industry. With 3,000 new shipbuilding jobs coming to the Mobile area, the project examines how housing, healthcare, transportation, schools, and the Mobile Bay environment may be affected. Through stakeholder interviews and a working group, we’re identifying strategies for local higher education and community engagement to support resilience and sustainability.
The overarching focus of this project is:
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How can higher education partnerships and community engagement ensure large-scale maritime industry investments deliver sustainable benefits while minimizing negative impacts on local communities?
SUSTAINABILITY @ SOUTH
Scypher's Lab created the Sustainability at South initiative to advance coastal and campus sustainability through interdisciplinary research, student training, and community engagement. Using the University of South Alabama’s 1,200-acre campus as a living laboratory with more than 800 documented species and multiple sustainability-focused programs, the initiative provides a platform for hands-on learning and applied science
The overarching focus of this project is:
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How can integrated research, teaching, and operations on a university campus be leveraged to improve environmental stewardship, conserve biodiversity, and prepare future leaders in sustainability on the Gulf Coast and beyond?
Gulf Scholars Program
Scyphers Lab helps run the Gulf Scholars Program at the University of South Alabama to build a community of students prepared for transdisciplinary careers in resilience and sustainability across the Gulf. Supported by the National Academies’ Gulf Research Program, this two-year experience combines mentorship, field trips, community engagement, and funded research to develop the next generation of Gulf Coast leaders and change agents.
The overarching focus of this project is:
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How can immersive, interdisciplinary education and mentorship empower undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds to become effective leaders and innovators addressing the environmental and social challenges facing the gulf?
PERDIDO
The Perdido Watershed Habitat and Community Resilience Initiative is a large-scale, multi-site project aimed at enhancing both ecosystem and community resilience in the Perdido watershed in Alabama and Florida through the integrated planning, implementation, and monitoring of multiple innovative restoration approaches and techniques. Restoration approaches include creating, restoring, and enhancing coastal wetlands, islands, and shorelines, and protecting and conserving coastal, estuarine, and riparian habitats. Restoration techniques include sediment placement, protection of natural shorelines, habitat management, restoration of hydrologic connectivity, and construction of living shorelines. Each of these techniques affords an opportunity for stakeholders and community outreach, engagement and involvement. The Scyphers lab's role in this project is managing stakeholder and community involvement through surveys.
The overarching focus of this project is:
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How do resource users utilize their shoreline in Perdido bay and what accommodations can be provided to improve their experience?
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CLEANR
At South Alabama, as part of the Sustainability @ South initiative, we want to find effective ways to implement these filtering machines and engage students in conservation efforts through daily habits. These may be installed in on campus housing and studied for effectiveness and engagement.
The overarching focus of this project is:
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How can we engage student in conservation efforts throughout their day to day habits?
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SEDAC
We are conducting interviews with key community stakeholders to gather valuable insights and perspectives regarding topics like housing, transportation, health care, educational, and environmental impacts in the context of direct air capture (DAC) technology deployment in Mobile County, Alabama.
The overarching focus of this project is:
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How can we support direct air capture (DAC) technology deployment in Mobile County?
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