Sitting near sea level, Miami is often seen as the city at ‘ground-zero’ of the climate crisis. South Florida faces a forecast of accumulating threats, among them, an increase in the strength of hurricanes, the growth of algal blooms, the frequency of nuisance flooding and spells of deadly heat days and the speed of erosion on prime real estate beaches— begging the question of Miami’s survival. In this panel, experts from the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School are joined by members of the Climate Resilience Academy to discuss their research on coral reefs and their role in strengthening the coast. Can marine research be the key to environmental sustainability? How can engineering innovation out of Miami address global resilience challenges? What knowledge bases, fields and sectors will have to work together to meet the complex needs of a modern society in the climate crisis?