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Climate Change in South Florida

Impacts of climate change has been designated an FAU-wide Research Priority and The Florida Center for Environmental Studies is the home of The Integrative Collaborative on Climate and Energy (ICCE).

The ICCE focuses on issues of adaptation in Florida’s very vulnerable urban and natural systems. University partnerships with the Florida Climate Initiative and the University of South Florida provide a Florida-wide and Caribbean perspective. Cooperative work with USGS, SFWMD, USACE, Florida SeaGrant, the Four County Compact Group, and others provide a practical outreach for research findings. Education at K-12, University, and Community levels is an important component.

Projects and activities are listed below:


Integrative Collaboration on Climate and Energy

Launched in the summer of 2009, The Integrative Collaborative on Climate and Energy (ICCE) is a cross-university program creating relevant linkages across disciplines in order to advance basic and applied research in the area of climate change and adaptation. More than 100 faculty members in a number of climate change-related disciplines have been involved The initiative has so far included members of seven colleges (Science, Engineering and Computer Honors, Business, Architecture, Urban and Public Affairs) as well as HBOI, and there is potential for work with other colleges.

http://www.ces.fau.edu/climate_change/icce

Research Priority Area, FAU, “Research, Engineering, and Adaptation to a Changing Climate”

The Climate Change proposal was selected as one of three research priority areas by the University. This award will foster academic research critical to meeting the needs of South Florida and other regions and environments susceptible to rapid rates of increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Research universities, such as FAU with strengths in hydrology, engineering, and ocean sciences, will play a major role in human adaptation to a rapidly changing climate. The FAU climate change program is organized into three themes: (1) Human System Problem Assessment and Sustainability through Re-engineering and Adaptation, (2) Natural System Assessment, and (3) Education and Outreach.

application/pdf iconFAU_Research_ClimateChangeProposal.pdf

Florida Department of Transportation Project: Methodology for the assessment and mitigation of sea level rise impacts on Florida’s transportation modes and infrastructure

A team of Climate Initiative faculty is just completing work on a Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) project. This is a comprehensive study of sea level rise regarding impacts assessment, mitigation and adaptation for Florida’s transportation infrastructures. The study includes analyses of the location of critical transportation infrastructure, the impact of storm water systems on that infrastructure and the potential for sea level rise to impact the structural integrity of the infrastructure.

http://www.ces.fau.edu/climate_change/fdot

SUS Climate Change Taskforce

In the Fall of 2010, Florida Atlantic University, Florida State University and the University of Florida were awarded a one year Clustering Grant from Florida State’s University Systems Board of Governors for a project titled “A State University System Climate Change Task Force: Science Addressing the Needs of Florida Agencies, Industry and Citizenry".

The white papers can be found at
http://floridaclimate.org/whitepapers/

http://floridaclimate.org/

NCSE / NASA Climate Change curriculum

CES Education and Training Coordinator, Alana Edwards, is working with Dr. Julie Lambert, College of Education, to support her recently received NASA award to improve climate science literacy of young adults. Having recently coordinated the new Ocean Energy Technology curriculum for FAU/SNMREC, CES is strategically placed to assist Dr. Lambert with the development of the NASA Climate Change curriculum. During this first year of the three-year project, CES is developing outreach materials, assisting in writing five curriculum modules, researching climate education websites, creating a literature review on scientific argumentation and creating an annotated bibliography of climate change educational books.

The Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact

Led by Dr. Nancy Gassman, Natural Resources Administrator, Broward County Natural Resources Planning and Management Division, Work Group Meetings for Unifying the SEFL SLR Projections. CES / FAU Members include; Dr. L. Berry and B. Heimlich.

application/pdf iconSE_Florida_RegionalCompact_FirstAnnualReport.pdf
application/pdf iconSE_Florida_RegionalCompact_SeaLevelRise_April2011.pdf
application/pdf iconSE_Florida_SLR_Vulnerability_May2011.pdf

Southeast Florida's Resilient Water Resources

Water Utilities and Climate Change Workshop

CES hosted the workshop to focus on the current status of climate change adaptations by water utilities in Southeast Florida. Funded by the Water Research Foundation through a grant with Columbia University, the one-day workshop will cover current work in the region; climate science and scenarios for Florida; adaptation assessment, planning and economics. CES assisted in planning the agenda, coordinating speakers, managing invitations and registration, on site-logistics, support and contributed to the writing the final project report.

July, 2011
West Palm Beach, Fl
http://www.ces.fau.edu/climate_change/wrf_2011

Influence of Sea Level Rise on Natural Systems of the Greater Everglades

Sponsored by The Center for Environmental Studies (CES) at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), the Florida Sea Grant College Program (FSG) and the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS). The purpose of the 2-day workshop was to provide a common understanding of the changes in precipitation, hydrology and sea‐level anticipated as a result of climate change in South Florida. Using this common understanding, workshop presentations and discussions described in greater detail the changes to the ecological attributes (both structural and processes) of three important communities of the Everglades: the mangrove estuaries of the Florida Everglades, Everglades ridge and slough, and the southern marl prairies. Discussion groups organized by these ecosystems examined these ecological communities in detail and provided recommendations that will serve as a basis for updating the Conceptual Ecological Models being used in the Everglades restoration program (Ogden et al. 2005) and may be used to guide the development of future monitoring activities.

April, 2011
FAU - Boca Raton, FL
application/pdf iconFAU_SLR_Workshop_Factsheet_April2011.pdf

SUS Climate Change Task Force Workshop

During this one-day workshop lead representatives from Florida Atlantic University (FAU), Florida State University (FSU), and University of Florida (UF) set the stage with a discussion about the project and its goals. This was followed by concurrent breakout sessions with members from 7 of the State’s Universities; covering five climate change topic areas: 1) assessment of climate change scenarios; 2) biodiversity and land use / land cover change; 3) coastal county adaptation; 4) education and training; and 5) water resources management. The workshop outcomes are intended to guide the development of white papers on each topic area as part of the final project deliverables.

March, 2011
FAU - Boca Raton, Fl
application/pdf iconSUSWorkshpSummary_18March2011_final.pdf

Renewable Ocean Energy & the Marine Environment

Hosted by Center for Ocean Energy Technology at Florida Atlantic University.

Conference Presentations available online

November, 2010
Conference Website

Presidential “Research Symposium on Climate Change”

180 FAU and outside partners attended the 1-day Climate Change Symposium honoring the President’s Inauguration week. The wide ranging topics displayed in the 36 posters presented reflected both the complexity of the climate change problems facing the unique setting of South Florida and the impressive variety of academic and practical skills that FAU and its partners bring to bear on this imposing issue. In addition to the poster displays, speakers presented a variety of issues ranging from natural resource conservation to policy and urban challenges.

October, 2010
FAU - Boca Raton, Fl
YouTube - FAU Research Priority Symposium

GEER 2010: Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration The Greater Everglades: A Living Laboratory of Change - Planning, Policy and Science Meeting

The GEER theme was the impact of climate change on Everglades restoration. Dr. Leonard Berry was a member of the Executive Steering Committee and Chair of the Program Committee on the Climate Change component. The 4-day conference included over 2 dozen break-out sessions and over 150 Poster presentations which covered the broad spectrum of current research and science of climate change and related policy and planning issues relevant to Everglades restoration efforts. FAU contributing authors included: R. Alvarez, J. Baldwin, T. Beck, J. Beerens, L. Berry, F. Bloetscher, B. Botson, R. Botta, R. Boyle, X. Comas, N. Dorn, D. Gawlik, M. Hanson, B. Heimlich, G. Herring, M. Koch, S. Lantz, D. Owen, G. Mount, T. Strazisar, G. Ward, and Z. Xie.

July, 2010
http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/GEER2010/share.htm

Sea Level Rise Workshop

Sponsored by The Center for Environmental Studies (CES) at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), the Florida Sea Grant College Program (FSG) and the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS). The 2-day workshop was facilitated by Perran Ross, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, and University of Florida Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences. The purpose of this workshop was to engage Florida University faculty and Florida resource management agencies on the issues of sea level rise and its effects on coastal-zone marine (upland ecosystems) and hydrological dynamics that might be impacted by future sea level rise and storm surge. The February workshop produced findings that helped to inform the organizing of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Conference (GEER) held in July 2010.

February, 2010
FAU - Boca Raton, Fl
application/pdf iconSLRWorkshopSummaryReport_Feb2010.pdf

Florida's Wildlife: On the Frontline of Climate Change

The Center for Environmental Studies at FAU organized the 3-day Summit which was hosted by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Presenters and workshop participants identified research needs for developing effective policies and habitat management due to growing impacts of climate change, identified potential impacts on biodiversity of wildlife, and developed ideas to optimize species conservation for integration into Florida Fish and Wildlife's comprehensive climate change strategy. Key conclusions from the summit included the adoption of adaptive management practices for conservation of wildlife in Florida, consensus to incorporate climate change into an overall strategy and plans to engage a broader group of stakeholders across the State into ongoing dialogue of climate change.

October, 2008
Orlando, Fl
http://www.ces.fau.edu/floc/index.php

Climate Change Conference

The Center for Environmental Studies (CES) at Florida Atlantic University, and the Patel Center at the University of South Florida organized a group of 300 participants in both general and concurrent sessions that explored ways climate change will impact Florida’s environmental, economic and social sectors and what steps should be taken to both mitigate climate risk and adapt to the changing environment. Additionally, the outcome of the 3-day conference served to provide recommendations to the Century Commission and decision makers in the State on how best to integrate the dynamic of climate change in the environment, economy and social fabric of the State. Participants were comprised of officials at state, regional, and local levels; planners; environmental managers; university scientists; non-government organizations (NGO's); private citizens and authorities with experience in other states and at the global level.

May, 2007
Tampa, Fl
http://www.ces.fau.edu/ClimateConference2007/

Practical Issues Related to Climate Change in Florida: A Workshop on Needs Assessment and Responses

The Center for Environmental Studies at FAU hosted the 2006 2-day workshop to foster discussion of climate change issues and to identify priority areas for planning for climatic change impacts over the near- (current-10 years), medium- (10-20 years) and long-term (20-50 years). These findings were incorporated into a larger conference on this topic in May, 2007. The workshop brought together water management districts, government departments of environment, agriculture, wildlife, health and transportation; regional planning councils; the USGS, USDA, and NGO’s; several state universities; and the private sector (including FPL) and a small number of invited authorities from outside the state. The participants were chosen to provide expertise on natural systems, agriculture, human systems (including economy, health, education, employment and social services) and the built environment (roads, housing, utilities, canals, water control structures and the like).

January, 2006
Palm Beach Gardens, Fl
http://www.ces.fau.edu/ClimateWorkshop2006/

http://floridaclimateinstitute.org/


Florida Atlantic University is a branch member of The Florida Climate Institute (FCI), along with the University of Florida (UF) and Florida State University (FSU), as well as three other Florida universities, forming strong coalition tasked with better understanding climate variability and change.

The organization promotes additional cooperation with the private sector with a Florida-centric focus to help develop a climate-ready workforce and to provide information about the climate-related risks that are unique to our state. This broadened institute will bring together outstanding scientists from multiple universities to conduct research needed by Floridians on climate change and sea level rise, and it will provide education on economic and environmental opportunities and risks.

“Interest in climate change and sea level rise has grown considerably in the past decade. Floridians need reliable scientific information about potential changes so that they can make decisions and policies that are economically beneficial and environmentally sound. This is particularly important given the wide range of opinions and, often conflicting, interpretations of available evidence that are presented to the public,” said Dr. Leonard Berry, Director of FAU’s Florida Center for Environmental Studies and expert in the field of climate change.

For more information about the FCI or FAU’s role in the organization, please visit

http://floridaclimateinstitute.org/

or contact
Nicole Hernandez Hammer
(561) 297-3451
nicole.hammer@fau.edu