The Faculty of Science and Technology is proud to highlight the work of Dr Debbie-Ann Gordon-Smith, Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry, who is leading a new international research collaboration to assess the environmental impacts of Hurricane Melissa on Jamaica’s coastal ecosystems.

Dr Gordon-Smith has partnered with researchers from the University of Texas (UT) at Austin, Jackson School of Geosciences, and the Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory, led by Dr Camilo Trench, Lecturer in the Department of Life Sciences, on a timely and impactful project focused on marine water quality following extreme weather events.

The project, titled “Investigation and Monitoring of Nutrient Pollution in Submarine Groundwater Discharging on Jamaican Reefs following Hurricane Melissa,” examines how hurricane-driven flooding and land-based runoff influence nutrient pollution entering coral reef systems through submarine groundwater discharge.

To support this critical work, the team was awarded USD 25,000 from UT Austin’s Rapid Response Fund, which provides targeted funding for time-sensitive research addressing the immediate consequences of natural disasters. The grant supports project activities conducted between November 2025 and January 2026.

The Faculty congratulates Dr Gordon-Smith and her collaborators on this important achievement and looks forward to the insights this study will bring to marine science, environmental chemistry, and sustainable coastal management in Jamaica and beyond.