Upcoming Event
April 26, 2012NIEHS/Healthy Gulf, Healthy Communities Regional Participatory Forum:
For residents and communities affected by the Gulf oil spill.
Who we are
Healthy Gulf, Healthy Communities is a five-year initiative comprised of more than a dozen biologists, psychologists, social scientists and community partners. This interdisciplinary project will address the environmental, economic, and emotional health concerns in Gulf communities arising from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The work of our scientific team, in association with our community partners, is designed to help all of those living in the Gulf Coast recover and strengthen resiliency in the face of this and future disasters. This initiative includes the University of Florida, the University of Maryland, the University of West Florida, and the University of South Alabama and is being supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), a sub-agency of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).Community Outreach
The goal of our research is to identify resources and then match those critical resources with needs of individuals, families, communities, and small businesses along the western Florida Panhandle and the Alabama coastline areas.
Read more »Resiliency
Individual Resiliency research is focused on examining the psychological recovery after the oil spill. It will assess this by determining the extent to which exposure type, resources, and select behavioral factors predict a favorable outcome. Our research on community resiliency is focused on assessing social vulnerability and community resilience, determining the role social networks plays in resiliency and lastly, determining the level of satisfaction with litigation.
Read more »Seafood Safety
The main goal of our research on seafood is to address public health concerns regarding seafood safety in Gulf of Mexico coastal communities. This research will involve community participation and feedback, and based on analytical results from seafood sampling, promote clean seafood as part of a balanced diet.
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