FORT LAUDERDALE/DAVIE, FLA. – Researchers from Nova Southeastern University and Nexuma – an innovative climate technology company – are working on a project to protect coastal communities from devastating flooding caused by a combination of heavy rains and high tides.
Under a collaborative agreement, NSU will work with Nexuma to test its patented solution called Sealor, which can be applied to limestone, creating a potential subterranean barrier that could inevitably reduce compound flooding. Limestone forms much of the bedrock of the Florida.
Compound flooding often occurs during torrential downpours and king tides. The long-term goal of the tests will be to use Sealor in South Florida.
With rising sea levels and intensifying weather events threatening millions of residents and costing potentially billions of dollars in personal property and infrastructure, this technology could provide a proactive, sustainable, and cost-effective alternative to large-scale flood mitigation projects, said Alexander Suma, the inventor of Sealor and co-founder of Nexuma.
Suma moved to Miami in late 2023 and saw devastating flooding happening in his Sunny Isles Beach neighborhood. In response to these natural occurrences, Suma developed a biobased solution as a complement to structures such as seawalls and dikes.
Suma’s team working on the Sealor project consists of highly qualified and academically respected biochemists, microbiologists and marine geologists. NSU research scientist Robert Smith, the assistant dean of the Discovery Sciences & Research Administration, is one of the team members.
The objective of this flooding technology strategy is to inject microbes in the ground to reinforce limestone and thereby locally and vertically solidify the underground to control the water table.
“This is a really promising approach to try and mitigate flooding in South Florida,” Smith said. “I think that most people in the Miami-Dade and Broward County areas have already experienced flooding in various forms. I hope this develops into a tool that can be used to reduce flooding and improve the lives of everyone in our South Florida community.”
Nexuma was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 1 grant in March 2025.
“The NSF grant validates the urgency and potential of Sealor as a key solution for South Florida’s flooding challenge, today, but even more in the future,” Suma said. “Our solution not only helps protect coastal cities but also contributes to long-term climate risk and resilience by reducing the environmental impact of traditional flood control methods.”
The preliminary lab tests will begin this month with the goal to expand tests to actual flood sites likely next year.
Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is the largest private research university in Florida and a top employer in the state, with more than $5 billion in projected economic impact. NSU is classified as an R1 institution by the Carnegie Foundation among universities with the highest level of research activity. Visit www.nova.edu
ABOUT SEALOR: Sealor is a climate technology under the Nexuma company dedicated to developing sustainable solutions for flood prevention and coastal resilience. Led by serial entrepreneur and inventor of several successful cleantech and climatetech solutions Dr. Alexander Suma, Sealor’s innovations harness nature-based approaches to mitigate the impacts of rising sea levels and extreme weather. For more information about Sealor and its mission, visit www.nexuma.com/sealor
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