Challenge 2: Community Resilience in Dania Beach

Representatives from Broward County Government and the U.S. Geological Survey provided a multidisciplinary audience with four challenge questions. Following a Sea Level Rise Expedition on October 26, 2015, natural and social scientists and managers from the local area participated in the scenario-based workshop at the Broward County Governmental Center. Attendees tackled issues related to the recurring flooding caused by sea level rise and issues surrounding a scenario that included an increasing frequency of severe storms associated with climate change. Challenge questions helped the researchers to discuss natural and nature-based approaches capable of improving the quality and resilience of economic, ecologic, and social systems

Challenge 3: Allocating Resources/Redistributing Functions Across Community

Representatives from Broward County Government and the U.S. Geological Survey provided a multidisciplinary audience with four challenge questions. Following a Sea Level Rise Expedition on October 26, 2015, natural and social scientists and managers from the local area participated in the scenario-based workshop at the Broward County Governmental Center. Attendees tackled issues related to the recurring flooding caused by sea level rise and issues surrounding a scenario that included an increasing frequency of severe storms associated with climate change. Challenge questions helped the researchers to discuss natural and nature-based approaches capable of improving the quality and resilience of economic, ecologic, and social systems

The fate and transport of light petroleum hydrocarbons in the Lower Mississippi River Delta

Important processes governing the fate and transport of light petroleum hydrocarbons in the Lower Mississippi River and other river delta systems are not adequately represented in existing oil spill models. In response, three methods were introduced to include the effects of dynamic annual discharges and variation of shoreline type on shoreline retention and re-floatation and the potential of oil- mineral aggregate formation based contributing environmental factors. Parcel tracking was used, in conjunction with detailed shoreline types correlated to flow rate, to evaluate the benefits of using multiple shoreline re-floatation half lives correlated to shoreline type instead of a single half life for total shoreline. At low flow rates, simulations with detailed delineation of shoreline type and multiple re-floatation half lives predicted that ~35% more oil re-floated than when a single shoreline type was used. In addition to shoreline type, river geometry and the hydrodynamics significantly influenced the distribution of oil along the shoreline. To evaluate the accuracy of mass balance estimates, potential oil- mineral aggregate (OMA) formation was quantified during four distinctly different states of the river during a year with different combinations of salinity, suspended sediments, discharge and temperature. The peak season for OMA formation in the river for the two lighter oils was found to be winter and spring when high sediment availability supports the process. The peak season for the dense, high viscosity oil was summer when the low flow rates and approaching salt wedge increased the river’s salinity. Typical dispersion modeling does not account for OMA providing inaccurate mass balances since as much as 36% of an oil spill has the potential to reach the Gulf of Mexico as OMA, depending on environmental conditions and spill characteristics. The methodology and resulting conclusions were verified by implementing the methods introduced in previous chapters to hindcast the trajectory and assess the mass balance of the DM932 spill that occurred in New Orleans on July 23, 2008. The incorporation of the multiple half live method resulted in an improved model capable of replicating actual spill data

Trans-disciplinary Collaboration to Enhance Coastal Resilience: Envisioning a National Community Modeling Initiative

This section presents a synthesis of the major outcomes from the coastal resilience workshops. This paper is based on the presentations and discussions that have been guided by the Chair and numerous stakeholders such as university researchers, Non Governmental Organizations, and federal, state, and local governments. SURA’s workshop series promotes collaboration and fully-integrated processes, and it should be noted that the actual workshop is only a first step; the follow-up work is likely to continue for years. The major results from this workshop relate to the development of trans-disciplinary approaches that help a community to bounce back after hazardous events such as hurricanes, coastal storms, and flooding – rather than simply rebuilding in the aftermath. The workshops have included participants from academia, industry, and government. They provide opportunity to share coastal resilience research and projects focused on helping the community to rebound quickly from climate and extreme weather related events, including sea level rise. The purpose of the paper is to showcase how social and natural scientists can collaborate to reduce the negative human health, environmental, and economic effects of coastal hazards

Trans-disciplinary Collaboration to Enhance Coastal Resilience: Envisioning a National Community Modeling Initiative

This section presents a synthesis of the major outcomes from the coastal resilience workshops. This paper is based on the presentations and discussions that have been guided by the Chair and numerous stakeholders such as university researchers, Non Governmental Organizations, and federal, state, and local governments. SURA’s workshop series promotes collaboration and fully-integrated processes, and it should be noted that the actual workshop is only a first step; the follow-up work is likely to continue for years. The major results from this workshop relate to the development of trans-disciplinary approaches that help a community to bounce back after hazardous events such as hurricanes, coastal storms, and flooding – rather than simply rebuilding in the aftermath. The workshops have included participants from academia, industry, and government. They provide opportunity to share coastal resilience research and projects focused on helping the community to rebound quickly from climate and extreme weather related events, including sea level rise. The purpose of the paper is to showcase how social and natural scientists can collaborate to reduce the negative human health, environmental, and economic effects of coastal hazards

Challenge 2: Community Resilience in Dania Beach

Representatives from Broward County Government and the U.S. Geological Survey provided a multidisciplinary audience with four challenge questions. Following a Sea Level Rise Expedition on October 26, 2015, natural and social scientists and managers from the local area participated in the scenario-based workshop at the Broward County Governmental Center. Attendees tackled issues related to the recurring flooding caused by sea level rise and issues surrounding a scenario that included an increasing frequency of severe storms associated with climate change. Challenge questions helped the researchers to discuss natural and nature-based approaches capable of improving the quality and resilience of economic, ecologic, and social systems