The South Florida and Caribbean Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (SFC CESU) hosted by the University of Miami at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) is one of the second round the CESUs created by the federal government under the leadership of the Department of the Interior to provide assistance to managers in federal land management, environmental and research agencies. The South Florida and Caribbean Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit, formed in 2000 and renewed in 2005 and 2010, is a partnership between eight federal agencies and 18 academic instituions and NGOs:

• National Park Service
• Bureau of Land Management
• USGS
• US Fish and Wildlife Service
• National Resources Conservation Service
• Army Corps of Engineers
• NOAA
• DOD

In addition to the University of Miami, the following universities and organizations are involved:

• Nova Southeastern University
• Barry University
• University of Florida
• University of North Carolina at Wilmington
• University of Puerto Rico
• University of the Virgin Islands
• Audubon Society of Florida
• Florida Atlantic University
• Florida International University
• Florida Institute of Technology
• Institute for Regional Conservation
• Everglades Foundation
• University of South Florida
• Florida Gulf Coast University
• Fairchild Tropical Gardens
• Cetacean Logic
• Ocean Research and Conservation Association

The ecosystems covered by this proposal will include the terrestrial and coastal ecosystems of South Florida (Everglades, Florida Bay, Ten Thousand Islands Area, Biscayne Bay), the marine resources including the Florida Keys from the Dry Tortugas to West Palm Beach, and the marine and terrestrial resources of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) has an international reputation for excellence in the study of the marine environment. Within RSMAS there are several centers which specialize in the study of the ecosystems within the study area. These include: (1) National Institute of Health Marine and Freshwater Biomedical Center (NIEHS) which investigates issues of health relative to the coastal and marine environment, (2) National Center for Caribbean Coral Reef Research (NCORE) which has been established to study the scientific basis of the function of coral reefs, (3) Stable Isotope Laboratory (SIL) which is investigating the flow of water through the Everglades and the history of water delivery through the Everglades and the adjacent estuarine ecosystems. The Rosenstiel School also has close ties to the Biology, Mathematics, Geology, and Engineering departments of the University of Miami. These departments have expertise in terrestrial ecology, geology, and hydrogeology. Partner institutions include Nova Southeastern University (NSU), Barry University, University of Florida (UF), University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Florida Atlantic University (FAU), Florida Institute of Technology (FIT), Florida International University (FIU), University of the Virgin Islands, University of Puerto Rico (UPR), Institute for Regional Conservation (IRC), and the Audubon Society of Florida, Everglades Foundation, University of South Florida (USF), Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), Cetacean Logic, and Fairchild Tropical Gardens. These institutions ideally compliment the research, educational, and outreach activities of the University of Miami as host institution. Although, the Rosenstiel School of the University of Miami concentrates principally on marine and atmospheric sciences, they have strong groups which study hydrology and which engage in the study of the influence of scientific policy on anthropogenic activities. In addition RSMAS has strong interactions with the Biological Department at the Coral Gables campus. The terrestrial ecological interests of this department ideally compliment RSMAS's activities. Three of these institutions in the proposed CESU are classified as minority. In addition to a wide range of preeminent scientists who work in the study region, the host institution will contribute space and its infrastructure resources to CESU.