Florida, South

Flood events are becoming more frequent and intense as time progresses, ushering in a “new normal” for life in South Florida, a life that presumably requires flood literacy for resilience. Utilizing a 45-question digital survey, flood literacy of 600 participants from Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach counties was assessed. Using seven indices developed for this study including residency, flood terminology literacy, flood insurance literacy, floodplain literacy, flood experience, risk communication awareness, and mitigation strategies, it was found that less than 80% of participants were flood literate, with most indicating low experience with flooding and mitigation. Interaction with risk communications and consideration of flood impacts in residency decisions were indicated as moderate. Due to inconsistencies in parts of analysis, further stratification of index topics and unification of questions types would be beneficial for future iterations of this study.

El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) occurrences have a well-established impact on regional hydroclimatic variability and alterations in crucial climatic factors such as temperature and precipitation. The impact of ENSO on temperature extremes can cause fluctuations in energy consumption, leading to the need for energy utilities to implement more effective management measures. This study aims to evaluate the potential impacts of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events on local temperature patterns & extremes and residential energy usage in South Florida. The region of focus consists of three Counties: Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach. The impact of ENSO occurrences on temperature is assessed by analyzing long-term monthly average, minimum, and maximum temperature data from numerous weather stations in these counties, spanning from 1961 to 2018. The study analyzes variations of monthly electricity usage data acquired from a local power utility company (e.g., Florida Power & Light) and temperature data from 2001 to 2018. Temporal frames that align with the three phases of ENSO (namely warm, cool, and neutral) are employed to assess variations in temperature and energy consumption. Nonparametric hypothesis tests are employed to validate statistically significant variations in temperature and residential energy consumption across the stages of ENSO. This study aims to analyze the potential regional and temporal impacts of ENSO episodes on temperature and residential energy consumption in South Florida. Initial findings indicate that the non-uniform distribution of temperature, affected by El Niño and La Niña occurrences, impacts the amount of energy consumed by households in South Florida.

South Florida is at the frontlines of climate change impacts. Facing increases in heat waves, flooding, and intensity of storms, climate change has direct detriments on the residents of this region. This research examines the evidence of Climate Change Anxiety (CCA) within Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach counties. Using the CCA instrument developed by Susan Clayton and Bryan Karazsia in 2020, this study replicates analyses of variables conducted in prior research on the national level. This research found South Floridians are experiencing moderate levels of anxiety caused by climate change. Additionally, significant relationships exist between CCA and newly examined variables such as family situations, politics, and sociological perceptions. Sociological perceptions such as identities described in Dan Kahan’s Cultural Cognition Theory help us understand how having different views of society and life may alter how an individual is affected by CCA.

Gopher Tortoises are an imperiled terrestrial tortoise considered ecosystem engineers, as their burrows support over 350 species of “commensals”. Due to extensive anthropogenic habitat destruction and fragmentation, tortoise populations have significantly declined over the past 100 years. This isolation is leading to a premature loss of genetic variation, further precipitating the decline of this species. Understanding the genetic structure of this species can aid management decisions through intentionally relocating animals based on genetic units and historic gene flow, to preserve adaptive diversity and evolutionary potential on a large scale. I investigated whether Southeast Florida has a genetically distinct subpopulation of Gopher Tortoises in the unexamined southeasternmost extent of their range, from Palm Beach to Miami-Dade counties, using 9 microsatellite loci previously characterized for this species (Schwartz et al 2003) and found that our populations are only modestly differentiated from each other, and have greater genetic diversity than other populations.

The legacy of monosodium methanearsenate (MSMA) application to golf courses is often arsenic concentrations above the EPA’s maximum contaminant level of 10 μg/L for drinking water and the FDEP soil cleanup target level of 2.1 mg/kg for residential areas. These concentrations pose a health risk and must be remediated for residential development. The objective of this study was to determine how arsenic concentrations vary spatially at a closed golf course poised for residential development. Groundwater and sediment arsenic concentrations were quantified and the controls on arsenic (As) mobility were characterized. The presence of nitrates and iron-(hydr)oxides at the studied golf course largely influenced putting greens having the least As in groundwater whereas roughs contained the most.