After collecting a water sample with a pipette, researchers place a drop onto the refractometer to measure its salinity. The salt content helps identify whether the water source is seawater pushed inland by rising sea levels or storm surges. According to Miami-Dade County, sea levels are projected to rise 10 to 17 inches by 2040.
This photo essay documents Florida International University’s 10th annual Sea Level Solutions Day event on Oct. 8, 2025, where South Florida residents partnered with researchers to track flooding during king tide, a lunar-driven event that causes “sunny day” flooding.
Participants collected data on water depth, salinity, nutrient levels and harmful bacteria from multiple sites across Miami-Dade County, including FIU’s Biscayne Bay campus, Legion Park, Miami-Dade College’s Wolfson Campus, Vizcaya and the Deering Estate.
The event also served as a powerful educational moment for many participants.
“When people are face to face with flooding in places that they recognize, and it hasn’t rained, it has a pretty big impact in terms of sort of building awareness around how sea level rise and climate change are affecting our community,” said Tiffany Troxler, the director of the Sea Level Solutions Center at the Institute of Environment at FIU. “It’s a really unique way to collect a lot of information in a very short period of time, and it’s an important data set. It helps us do a lot of things, not only in research, but in engagement.”
At FIU’s Modesto Maidique Campus laboratory, researchers conducted a follow-up analysis on the collected samples. The lab results will be incorporated into FIU’s long-term flooding database, which will be used to enhance the scientific understanding needed to improve resilience strategies.
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Florida International University’s Biscayne Bay campus hosted the 10th anniversary of Sea Level Day on Oct. 8, bringing together students, researchers and residents to collect flood data in Miami and report their findings online.Natalia Allen measures the height of roadside flooding. Sunny-day flooding is a common occurrence in Miami, driven by rising sea levels and King Tides. The phenomenon threatens billions in property value and infrastructure, with estimates placing $8.7 billion in Miami-Dade County and $5.7 billion in Miami Beach at risk of flooding by 2050.After collecting a water sample with a pipette, researchers place a drop onto the refractometer to measure its salinity. The salt content helps identify whether the water source is seawater pushed inland by rising sea levels or storm surges. According to Miami-Dade County, sea levels are projected to rise 10 to 17 inches by 2040.The student peers through the eyepiece of the refractometer to read the salinity level of the water sample. The measurement helps determine whether the water is seawater pushed inland by rising sea levels or storm surges. Miami‑Dade County has committed over $1 billion of stormwater in infrastructure over the past 32 years since the inception of the county’s stormwater utility. A student photographs the refractometer reading as evidence of the salinity levels in the floodwater sample. Launched in 2019, Resilient 305 is a joint initiative between Miami-Dade County, the City of Miami, and Miami Beach to address sea-level rise, infrastructure challenges, and social resilience through 59 coordinated actions. A student fills a bottle with floodwater for testing. In 2024, the National Flood Insurance Program identified more than 45,000 U.S. properties as “severe repetitive loss properties,” a 20% increase from four years earlier. Roughly 6.6% of American homes face a high risk of severe to extreme flood damage within the next 30 years.This same bottle will be taken to FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus lab for testing. In November 2025, the Miami Herald released an article revealing flooding blind spots. After analyzing a decade of flooding complaints of about 16,000 reports from over 12,000 locations, reporters found that flooding zones are more widespread that most maps and insurance zones suggest. With over 8,000 complaints reported from outside the FEMA-designated flood zone. Current FIU students, graduate researchers and professors work in this lab at FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus to analyze water samples collected during the Sea Level Solutions Day event. The samples are tested for depth, salinity and the presence of harmful bacteria such as E. coli. These tests help document urban flooding and provide data on its extent and impact during King Tides—information used to guide future planning and resilience strategies for coastal communities. Water samples stored in the lab refrigerator await testing. Samples are kept chilled to slow microbial activity and prevent chemical or biological changes that could alter their composition. According to the National Library of Medicine, floodwater can become contaminated by sewage and waste pipes, runoff from farm animal waste, and decaying organic matter. It is so severe that Miami-Dade County regularly tells residents to wash off immediately after exposure to the water. A graduate student used a four-channel spectrophotometer to simultaneously measure ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and soluble reactive phosphorus in filtered water samples. Each analyte reacts with a specific color reagent, and the instrument quantifies concentrations by measuring light absorption at defined wavelengths. Coastal communities like Miami Beach are investing over a billion dollars in flood protection to combat rising tides and sea-level rise. Broward County’s recent study highlights a third, often overlooked threat—rising groundwater—which, when combined with rain and tides, creates “compound flooding” that intensifies urban flood risks.The reagent bottles store the color reagents and other chemical reagents that react with the four analytes described above in order to develop the colors. Rapid sea-level rise threatens Florida’s low-lying mangrove forests and the critical environmental functions they provide, such as filtering pollution, stabilizing sediments and protecting shorelines from erosion. These ecosystems also serve as vital habitats, supporting more than 220 fish species, 24 reptiles and amphibians, 18 mammals and 181 bird species.The work that is done in the lab will be sent back to Sea Level Day Solution organizers so they can interpret the data and come up with specific flood resilience solutions for each location. Scientists warn that over 1 million Floridians will experience chronic flooding by the end of the century.
Sofia Baltodano is an aspiring journalist at Florida International University pursuing a bachelor’s in digital communication and media. With a passion for storytelling, she is dedicated to sharing the stories of the city she loves, Miami. In addition to her academic pursuits, she is gaining hands-on broadcasting and media production experience at FIU's student radio station.
Julien Lescano is a junior majoring in digital communications and multimedia broadcasting. Born and raised in Miami, Julien has had a fond love for the world of broadcasting since he started high school, and hopes to pursue a career in political/sports journalism. He is also a lifelong soccer fan.
Ana Valentina Rodriguez is a junior at Florida International University majoring in digital communication and media. She is interested in radio, women’s fashion and reporting, and she hopes to work on a television show for NBC after graduating.
Jayden Sherfield is a senior majoring in digital media and communication. Originally from
Orlando Florida and after graduation plans on becoming a full-time freelance photographer and videographer.
