Oceanographer provides rare scientific look at effects of storms on Biscayne Bay

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In the early hours of Sept. 10, 2017, the turquoise waters of Biscayne Bay were mostly calm: herons and egrets worked the shallows, Miami’s skyline stretching across the horizon. Yet within the quiet, unease lingered. Winds grew heavier, clouds darkened and within hours Hurricane Irma and all its fury descended on South Florida. While residents braced for flooding and prayed their homes would hold, scientists, including FIU physical oceanographer Wei Huang, worried about the bay itself.

Beneath the surface, unseen by the city above, the bay’s currents swirl and shift during powerful storms, creating intricate patterns few have ever mapped. Filling this scientific gap, Huang uncovers these hidden movements and their long-term effects on the bay