Budget Cuts Threaten UF Geology Department

[jason]

Those cave divers out there with an interest in research on and protection of Florida's springs may be interested in knowing that the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Florida is threatening to eliminate the geology department in the next round of budget cuts. Many of the professors and graduate students conduct research that is directly relevant to understanding the flow structure and formation as well as the best practices for the protection of Florida's springs. Anyone diving at Madison Blue and Peacock Springs may have noticed several of the sensors my research group has installed in the caves to monitor the effects of river intrusion on these popular systems. We have additionally installed a sensor network at Ichetucknee Springs to monitor fluxes of nitrate. If the geology department is eliminated, we will obviously not be able to conduct these or any other types of studies any more. If you are interested, please read this blog http://www.flascience.org/wp/?p=964. Letters to the dean (address provided in blog) would be greatly appreciated.

Jason Gulley
UF geology graduate student