Building Resilience to Challenges and Disruptions

Assessing estuarine responses to anthropogenic disturbances and understanding the mechanisms driving shifts in ecosystem state are crucial for effective management of estuarine resources. This study evaluates the stability and resilience of an estuary in the Northern Gulf of Mexico to anthropogenic spillway openings using a coupled hydrodynamic-water quality model. The model was developed from an existing hydrodynamic model and tested. Spillway scenarios were simulated, and the Trophic State Index (TSI) was used to assess the trophic state of the estuary under different conditions. The model's performance was evaluated using root mean square error (RMSE) and R² values, with temperature showing the highest R² (average 0.91), followed by dissolved oxygen (average 0.55), and nutrients and algae (average 0.31). Scenario analysis indicated that dissolved oxygen levels remained stable during spillway openings, while phosphate exhibited the least resilience. In contrast, total nitrogen, green algae, and TSI were less resilient to spillway openings. Additionally, spillway openings caused a shift in the estuarine trophic state from mesotrophic to slightly eutrophic. This study presents a novel, transferable framework for quantifying the resilience and stability of water quality in response to disturbances across aquatic systems. The findings provide valuable insights into the stability and resilience of estuaries to anthropogenic disturbances, aiding in the development of proactive and adaptive management strategies for conserving estuarine resources in the Northern Gulf of Mexico.

The aim of this presentation is to place natural disaster-related health risks and resilience in the context of challenges to health care access, quality, and cost, while providing examples of integrated health policy to address them.
Climate related natural disasters are characterized by significant upheavals; these infrastructure and environmental hazards lead to direct and indirect, short-term and long term physical and mental health sequelae.
While the healthcare and public health systems play major roles in front-line adaptation, particularly in the immediate aftermath of these events, moving activity and subsequent policy upstream and addressing formal and informal health policies is crucial.
Lessons learned from major disasters, from Katrina to Beryl, provide an opportunity to categorize the challenges to health, healthcare access, economic costs, and quality of care. They also provide an opportunity to assess the vulnerabilities within the health care system, which may become deterrents to safe, efficient, and effective care during natural disasters.


Vulnerable communities, dependent on these systems of care can ill afford exacerbations of "pe-existing" social determinants/social drivers of health. Therefore, policy approaches, fostering strategic preventive planning should intentionally include equitable solutions, informed by lived experiences.
We will categorize the climate change impacts on infrastructure, discuss the health care implications __mortality and morbidity; the migratory stress, sostalgia, and other mental health concerns__ and give examples of related health policy interventions. We will also discuss potential dual public planning and health policy opportunities designed to build community resilience. Healthcare policy options will range from practice-based strategies and workforce development to the consideration of innovations and creation of sustainability plans to reduce the 8.5% Green house gas emissions attributed to the health care system.

Decreasing capacity for dredged material placement along with increasing dredging volumes led to higher dredging operation and maintenance (O&M) costs for the Alabama Port Authority (APA). This necessitated a thorough review of current dredged material practices, coupled with the development of a long-term sediment management strategy for the port, to reduce annual dredging O&M costs. The project was to develop a Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP) that would provide a more cost-effective and sustainable strategy to reduce these costs for the next 30 years. Included in the plan were both near term actions to address time critical capacity limitations and long-term solutions to broaden the Port's range of available sediment management options. The DMMP serves to maximize the APA's operational flexibility and approach to the management of dredged materials to bolster business operations and maintain the Port of Mobile's deep water competitive market advantage. Environmentally sustainable alternatives to current sediment management practices were included. The dredged material management strategies were aligned along the operational sub-division of Upper and Lower Harbors. The sediment management alternatives considered as part of the DMMP were classified into several categories and timeframes for implementation. The alternatives recommended in the DMMP were selected because they were found to be actions or approaches that were feasible for implementation by the APA, meaning they are cost effective, permittable, and effectively address capacity needs. Preferred alternatives were refined through consideration for location (proximity), capacity (expressed as sediment volumes and anticipated operational timelines), permitting, costs, and other variables as appropriate. Additional factors, such as the need for engineering and design (E&D) and O&M associated with certain alternatives, were also considered. These alternatives were grouped into Short-term Measures (1-5 Years), Mid-range Measures (4-10 years), Long-term Measures (10-30 years), and Reserve Measures.

Flooding is the most widespread, commonly experienced, and most expensive nature disaster in the United States. On any scale, flooding is dangerous to short- and long-term health, especially to vulnerable citizens such as the elderly, critically ill, or injured; economically, only a few inches of flooding can cost thousands of dollars for an uninsured homeowner, making recovery extremely challenging. As global climate change shifts local weather patterns towards heavier rainfall, more intense tropical storms, and failing of aging grey infrastructure, stormwater management needs to be adapted, including the adoption of innovative techniques like green infrastructure (GI) solutions. The city of Moss Point, Mississippi is an underrepresented and marginalized community well known for its frequent and severe stormwater flooding problems and largely uninsured population. It is the goal of this research to use knowledge from data, competency meetings with stakeholders, and the EPA's Stormwater Management Model (SWMM) to test for GI efficacy in chosen areas within the city.

We built field equipment to house ONSET HOBO Water Level Loggers at Shiloh Baptist Church in Moss Point near a natural outfall to measure precipitation and flooding depths. The data was used to calibrate SWMM5 within the PCSWMM interface. We then applied the model under a variety of GI scenarios to evaluate how GI could mitigate flooding. The GI considered included vegetative swales, infiltration ditches, rain gardens, and permeable pavement. Permeable pavement showed the most efficient in reducing flooding depth in our preliminary results, however, the costs of its installation and maintenance make this an unrealistic strategy for the under-sourced area. We also found that inclusion of accurate soil parameters will be highly important to the model calibration, due to the high water table and poorly drained soil. This study provides scientific information to help improve stormwater management in moss Point.

The Aloe Bay shoreline of Dauphin Island, AL has long been subject to storm surge, erosion, and habitat loss and degradation. Engineering and design of two living shoreline sites within the bay is complete with construction scheduled to be underway beginning in the Fall of 2024 to help address the challenges Aloe Bay currently faces. The shorelines are situated on the northeast side of the bay at the end of El Dorado Avenue and on the south side of the bay adjacent to the end of De Soto Avenue where these shorelines have eroded approximately 140 feet, and 100 feet, respectively, over the last 30 years. To combat this shoreline erosion and habitat loss, the design includes features for shoreline protection and infrastructure resilience (~2,500 linear feet), habitat restoration (~6 acres), public access, and oyster reef breakwaters/habitat complex (0.5 acres).
Implementation of these projects is made possible through federal grant awards that will restore marsh and oyster habitat along the island's north side in a culturally and ecologically significant region. They will not only improve the island's overall estuarine productivity while providing the necessary shoreline habitat restoration but will also advance community resilience by protecting critical infrastructure assets (such as the water treatment plant near El Dorado Ave and the newly constructed Ladnier Landing public boat ramp), enhancing the vitality of Aloe Bay, the island's town center and economic hub.
Challenges during design included proximity to an airport runway (Jeremiah Denton Airport), being situated adjacent to a federally maintained channel (Village Channel) and being situated in a highly energetic wave environment from exposure directly connected to Mississippi Sound. The wave impacts and active sediment transport also present challenges for future construction pursuits, however, once constructed, the project features will ensure that the project sites will thrive for decades to come. 

Large marine debris such as abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs) form a unique challenge for states along the Gulf Coast. Although they may pose significant environmental and navigational hazards for waterways and sensitive coastal habitats such as wetlands, they are typically costly and complex to remove. With funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law through the NOAA Marine Debris program, the Gulf of Mexico Alliance is working with Mississippi State University and state partners to assess and remove ADVs from multiple Gulf states. Phase I of the project will involve the removal of 96 derelict vessels previously identified in coastal waterways in Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama, with Phase II allowing all Gulf states to submit additional vessels for removal through a competitive grant process. This presentation will provide an overview of the project and its goals, updates on the work completed and challenges encountered, as well as discuss priorities for improved long-term management and prevention of ADVs along the Gulf.

This proposal will discuss the ins and outs of navigating federal disaster aid following major disasters such as hurricanes and floods. The focus will be federal policy and will highlight a pilot project taking place in Louisiana to develop ready-to-go resources for emergency events such as factsheets, videos and infographics. While resources are being developed with Louisiana in mind, the content focuses on federal policy issues and is transferrable to other states. In addition, the presentation will briefly discuss recent rule changes for individual assistance program under the Stafford Act.