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Summer 2018 is shaping up to be another very busy season for FAU's Center for Environmental Studies.  Not only will a new group of student and non-student researchers be joining our research team to focus on  sea-level rise in Broward and Dade counties , we will also be  hosting the 13th Annual IHE Delft Water Professionals Program with 20 graduate students from developing nations worldwide from May 23rd through June 7th. The IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, located in Delft, The Netherlands, is an 18-month graduate program that focuses on developing creative solutions to global water and environmental challenges. These graduate students will learn about issues and solutions from local scientists utilizing real case studies. The 2018 graduate students are from Spain, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, China, Singapore, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Guyana and Uganda.

In June and July, Dr. Polsky and graduate student researcher Hallee Meltzer will be traveling to Baltimore, Maryland for the next phase of their research on the  multi-institutional, interdisciplinary, NSF-funded research project, "Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems (CNH)," to implement focus groups and key informant interviews with locals regarding the dynamics of nitrogen in residential landscapes.
From left: Sashique Campbell Facey, Dr. Karen McGlathery, Hallee Meltzer, Dr. Patricia Wiberg, Dr. Colin Polsky, Dr. Robert Johnston, Dr. Cora Johnston, and Dr. Matt Kirwan Photo by Donna Fauber
SPOTLIGHT ON RESEARCH

CES' Dr. Colin Polsky, along with CES graduate student researcher Hallee Meltzer and undergraduate student researcher Sashique Campbell Facey, traveled to the Anheuser-Busch Coastal Research Center in Virginia in April to join Dr. Karen McGlathery  and Dr. Patricia Wiberg from the  University of Virginia, Dr. Matt Kirwan Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and Dr. Robert Johnston from Clark University to hold a research charrette with local stakeholders about potential impacts of sea-level rise, flooding, coastal erosion and the loss of natural habitats in and around Accomack and Northampton Counties.   

This charrette is part of an ongoing NSF Coastal SEES Collaborative Research grant focusing on coastal sustainability with a cross-site comparison of salt marsh persistence in response to sea-level rise and feedbacks from social adaptations.

Congressman  Darren Soto's bill, the  Kissimmee Wild and  Scenic River Study  Act,  was recently approved in the Florida House of Representatives

Watch a video of Representative Darren Soto's visit to the Kissimmee River that was hosted by FAU's Center for Environmental Studies (CES) and the South Florida Water Management District at the Riverwoods Field Lab:

Rep. Soto Kayaks Kissimmee River Restoration


The Act will designate the Kissimmee River for study under the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System and grant it critical ecological protection.
 
"This is a major victory for our community and our state," stated Rep. Darren Soto (Florida's 9th District and Natural Resources and Agriculture Committees).  "The historic Kissimmee River is the heart of Central Florida's watershed, it serves as the headwaters for our iconic Everglades, and it is home to many of Florida's endangered species. It is imperative that this natural treasure is preserved for future generations. Protecting the Kissimmee River is preserving Floridians way of life!" 

The Kissimmee River was a naturally winding river that flows into Lake Okeechobee and is vital to the greater Everglades restoration in southern Florida.  In the 1960s, the river was channelized into the C-38 canal by the US Army Corps of Engineers for flood protection for the Orlando communities.  Although successful for flood control, the channelization drained wetland habitats and funneled nutrient-rich waters into Lake Okeechobee.  After 20 years of research, restoration, and a cost of nearly $1 billion, the Kissimmee River Restoration Project is restoring flow to 44 miles of the original, meandering river, and rehydrating over 20,000 acres and 40 square miles of floodplain wetlands to recreate habitat for wildlife, wading birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles and aquatic invertebrates.  The restored wetlands provide critical water storage, recharge the aquifer, prevent future flooding, and filter the nutrient rich waters that flow into Lake Okeechobee.  The Kissimmee River is now in the final phase of restoration with plans for completion in 2020. 

H.R. 3961 protects this investment by including the Kissimmee River in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act designation--a fitting tribute to the hard restoration work of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District. H.R. 3961 passed the House on April 16, 2018 by unanimous consent.

For more information about CES Programs on the Kissimmee River: