University of New Orleans Assistant Professor of Biology Traci Erin Cox has received a grant through the Seagrass Restoration Technology Development Initiative, a statewide program led by Mote Marine Laboratory and supported by the Florida Legislature and Governor through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Cox will lead a project titled "Gene Expression and Thermal Resilience of Halodule wrightii Across Florida." The research will compare how northern and southern populations of Halodule wrightii, a common Florida seagrass species, respond to heat stress. Working in partnership with Mote Marine Laboratory, Cox will analyze gene activity and plant growth in a controlled environment to better understand which traits are linked to heat tolerance. The results will help to guide future restoration efforts by identifying regional differences in adaptability.

Her project is one of several funded this year through the initiative, which supports the development of practical, sustainable technologies to restore Florida’s declining seagrass habitats. Modeled after a similar program focused on red tide, the Initiative brings together scientists from public and private institutions across the state.

Seagrasses provide many benefits to coastal ecosystems, including improving water quality, storing carbon, supporting marine life, and protecting shorelines. However, they are disappearing at an estimated rate of 7% each year due to environmental stress and human impact.