Florida Panhandle Research Articles

Bio-Physical Changes in the Gulf of Mexico During the 2018 Hurricane Michael

We investigate the impacts of one of the strongest recorded hurricanes to have hit the Florida Panhandle, Hurricane Michael (2018), on the upper ocean using a suite of satellite data, <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">in situ</i> profiles, and outputs from the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM). Strong, low-level cyclonic winds associated with the hurricane generated strong Ekman suction that propagated ahead of the hurricane and caused changes in the surface and subsurface ocean. Following the passage of Hurricane Michael, a 3 °C drop in sea surface temperature (SST) was accompanied with a 4–5 mg <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{m}^{-3}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> increase in chlorophyll-a concentration. In the subsurface, a <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sim 15$ </tex-math></inline-formula> m mixed layer deepening preceded upward displacements of the isotherms and cooling of the mixed layer. The impact of hurricane conditions on sea surface salinity (SSS) was localized and influenced by competing processes, with upwelling of salty subsurface water increasing SSS and enhanced precipitation decreasing SSS. During the peak of the hurricane, the impact of upwelling was greater than that of enhanced precipitation and, thus, SSS increased. Further away from the upwelling centers, hurricane-influenced precipitation, and river runoff freshened SSS.

Last interglacial sea levels within the Gulf of Mexico and northwestern Caribbean Sea

Abstract. During the last interglacial (LIG) the volume of additional water in the world's oceans was large enough to raise global sea levels about 6–9 m higher than present levels. However, LIG sea levels vary regionally and those regional differences hold clues about the past distribution of ice sheets and local rates of subsidence and tectonic uplift. In this study, I used a standardized database template to review and summarize the existing constraints on LIG sea levels across the northern Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean shoreline of the Yucatán Peninsula. In total, I extracted 32 sea-level indicators including the insertion of 16 U-series ages on corals, 1 electron spin resonance age, 2 amino acid racemization ages, and 26 luminescence ages. Most dated sea-level indicators for the northern Gulf of Mexico are based on optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages of beach deposits of a mappable LIG shoreline. This shoreline extends from the Florida Panhandle through south Texas but is buried or removed by the Mississippi River across most of Louisiana. A similar feature is observed in satellite images south of the Rio Grande within the Mexican portions of the Gulf of Mexico but has yet to be dated. Elevations measured on portions of this feature close to the modern coast point to sea levels less than 1 m to ∼5 m higher than present for much of the northern Gulf of Mexico. However, a few, albeit undated, portions of the same shoreline located at more inland locations point to sea levels up to +7.2 m, attesting to up to 7 m of differential subsidence between the inland and coastal sites. Across the Yucatán Peninsula, U-series dating of corals has provided the main index points for LIG sea levels. Other carbonate coastal features such as beach ridges and eolianites have also been described but rely on corals for their dating. The maximum elevation of the LIG coral-based relative sea-level (RSL) estimates decrease from around +6 m across the Caribbean shoreline of the Yucatán Peninsula near Cancún, Mexico, to as low as −6 m to the south beneath the southern atolls of Belize, although discussion continues as to the validity of the ages for these southern corals. If these lower-elevation corals are LIG in age, their below-present elevations may be a result of vertical motion along faults dipping into the Cayman Trough. South of Belize only one purported LIG coral has been dated on the Isla de Roatán off the coast of Honduras at a likely tectonically uplifted elevation of 37.2 m. Thus the elevation of LIG sea levels within the inland siliciclastic shorelines of Guatemala and Honduras as well as the southwestern Gulf of Mexico remains poorly constrained and a potential venue for future research. The database described in this paper is available open access in spreadsheet format as Simms (2020), at this link: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4556163.

The Cost of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in Compliant Versus Non-Compliant Patients

A literature review conducted, on the cost of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) between patients who are compliant versus non-compliant, reflects on the data for the United States with an emphasis on the areas within the Florida Panhandle. An overview of costs associated with noncompliant COPD patients and strategies for encouraging patients to adhere to treatment and improve healthcare outcomes is provided. A review of recent peer-reviewed articles was performed to determine the additional costs associated with non-compliance. The direct cost of COPD was estimated at $6,246 per patient annually. Nationally projected expenditures for COPD were $49.9 billion in 2010, while costs in Florida were $2.5 billion. Florida’s costs for COPD management ranks much higher than the national average. Potential causes for the differentiation are associated with newer medications and devices that contribute to a higher out-of-pocket expense for patients, patient denial about the seriousness of their illness, and/or inability to understand compliance with treatment. The relationship between the primary care provider and COPD patient is critical for adherence to therapy.

Pollination of Dionaea muscipula, the Venus Flytrap

Dionaea flowers are pollinated by insects, primarily bees, in both their native habitat in the Carolinas and in the population growing from seed scattered many years ago in the Florida panhandle, the location of this study. The green sweat bee (Augochlorella sp. is a major pollinator in both habitats, while various flower visiting beetles play a prominent role in the Carolinas and bumblebees (Bombus sp.) play a major role in the Florida population. Flowers open in late morning and pollen is on anthers arrayed directly above the center of the flower by 11:30 EST. Twenty-four hours later the stamens have bent so that the anthers are at the periphery of the flower and the stigma has expanded, presenting a papillate surface receptive to pollen. Insects visit the flower between 11:30 EST and 18:00 EST. Rewards for pollinators are pollen and nectar from glands at the base of the petals. Possible attractants include the bright white radially symmetrical corolla with radiating grey veins, and on the second day, the radially displayed stamens that may act as a 'nectar guide'. No markings on the petals are visible in the ultraviolet light but the pollen-laden anthers are UV-fluorescent and would stand out as a ring of dots to any UV-perceptive insect.

Male-biased dispersal in a fungus-gardening ant symbiosis.

For nearly all organisms, dispersal is a fundamental life‐history trait that can shape their ecology and evolution. Variation in dispersal capabilities within a species exists and can influence population genetic structure and ecological interactions. In fungus‐gardening (attine) ants, co‐dispersal of ants and mutualistic fungi is crucial to the success of this obligate symbiosis. Female‐biased dispersal (and gene flow) may be favored in attines because virgin queens carry the responsibility of dispersing the fungi, but a paucity of research has made this conclusion difficult. Here, we investigate dispersal of the fungus‐gardening ant Trachymyrmex septentrionalis using a combination of maternally (mitochondrial DNA) and biparentally inherited (microsatellites) markers. We found three distinct, spatially isolated mitochondrial DNA haplotypes; two were found in the Florida panhandle and the other in the Florida peninsula. In contrast, biparental markers illustrated significant gene flow across this region and minimal spatial structure. The differential patterns uncovered from mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite markers suggest that most long‐distance ant dispersal is male‐biased and that females (and concomitantly the fungus) have more limited dispersal capabilities. Consequently, the limited female dispersal is likely an important bottleneck for the fungal symbiont. This bottleneck could slow fungal genetic diversification, which has significant implications for both ant hosts and fungal symbionts regarding population genetics, species distributions, adaptive responses to environmental change, and coevolutionary patterns.

Evaluation of parametric wind models for more accurate modeling of storm surge: a case study of Hurricane Michael

Storm surge induced by hurricane is a major threat to the Gulf Coasts of the United States. A numerical modeling study was conducted to simulate the storm surge during Hurricane Michael, a category 5 hurricane that landed on the Florida Panhandle in 2018. A high-resolution model mesh was used in the ADCIRC hydrodynamic model to simulate storm surge and tides during the hurricane. Two parametric wind models, Holland 1980 model and Holland 2010 model, have been evaluated for their effects on the accuracy of storm surge modeling by comparing simulated and observed maximum water levels along the coast. The wind model parameters are determined by observed hurricane wind and pressure data. Results indicate that both Holland 1980 and Holland 2010 wind models produce reasonable accuracy in predicting maximum water level in Mexico Beach, with errors between 1 and 3.7%. Comparing to the observed peak water level of 4.74 m in Mexico Beach, Holland 1980 wind model with radius of 64-knot wind speed for parameter estimation results in the lowest error of 1%. For a given wind model, the wind profiles are also affected by the wind data used for parameter estimation. Away from hurricane eye wall, using radius of 64-knot wind speed for parameter estimation generally produces weaker wind than those using radius of 34-knot wind speed for parameter estimation. Comparing model simulated storm tides with 17 water marks observed along the coast, Holland 2010 wind model using radius of 34-knot wind speed for parameter estimation leads to the minimum mean absolute error. The results will provide a good reference for researchers to improve storm surge modeling. The validated model can be used to support coastal hazard mitigation planning.

Resource Selection by Wild and Ranched White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) during the Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (EHDV) Transmission Season in Florida.

Simple SummaryEpizootic hemorrhagic disease virus is transmitted by Culicoides midges and causes serious disease in wild and privately ranched white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the United States. The U.S. deer ranching industry is fast growing and generates an estimated ~USD 8 billion annually. In Florida, there are over 400 registered deer farms, and virus rates are high among these populations. While vaccines for the virus are becoming available, many farms have large hunting preserves, where safely capturing deer is difficult. At the same time, these farms are situated in proximity to wild deer populations, and both populations are at risk. We studied habitat selection in ranched deer within a ~180 ha high-fenced preserve. We GPS-collared deer in the hunting preserve and nearby state-managed lands to compare habitat selection. During 2016, we collected GPS data from 15 ranched and eight wild deer and built resource selection function models. These models suggest ranched deer select habitats more likely to support several midge species that transmit the virus compared to wild deer. These differences in habitat use may partially explain previously confirmed higher rates of disease exposure in the ranched deer. Our results may inform ranch land management strategies that reduce midge–deer contact.Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) causes serious disease in wild and privately ranched white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the United States. In Florida, there is high EHDV prevalence, yet no treatments. There are few management strategies for the disease due to limited knowledge of virus–vector–host interactions. We conducted a telemetry study on white-tailed deer to examine resource use by wild and ranched animals in the Florida panhandle during the 2016 transmission risk period. We built generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) to estimate resource selection and map habitat preferences for wild and ranched deer in the study area to reveal how second-order selection may relate to higher disease prevalence in ranched deer. Wild deer preferred areas closer to tertiary roads and supplementary food sources but farther from permanent water. Ranched deer selected bottomland mixed forest and areas closer to tertiary roads, supplementary food sources, and permanent water. Ranched deer behaviors may increase the likelihood of EHDV vector encounters, as these deer selected preferred habitats of several putative vector species, which may increase vector blood meal success and viral transmission risk. Disparate resource selection behaviors may be a factor in observed differential EHDV exposure risk between ranched and wild white-tailed deer in Florida.

Long-term effects of catastrophic wind on southern US coastal forests: Lessons from a major hurricane.

Threats posed by windstorms are an increasing concern to forest managers in the southern United States (US). Studies suggest that the southern US will experience an increase in the occurrence as well as the intensity of windstorms, such as hurricanes, in the future. However, forest managers may have difficulty preparing for this future because there is limited understanding of how windstorms affect the structure and composition of forests over the long term. In this study, we evaluated the impacts of Hurricane Ivan, which made landfall in September 2004 near Gulf Shore, Alabama, impacting forests in the western Florida Panhandle and southwestern Alabama. We acquired the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plot data available for the period from 2002 to 2018 for the Ivan-affected area and classified the plots into 4 categories: (1). ND (No Disturbance), (2). NDBH (No Disturbance but Harvested), (3). ID (Disturbance caused by Hurricane Ivan), and (4). IDAH (Disturbance caused by Hurricane Ivan and Harvested). The plots that were damaged by Hurricane Ivan (ID and IDAH plots) had significantly (α = 0.05) (1) higher basal area, (2) higher quadratic mean diameter and height, (3) more diverse tree species composition (species richness and Shannon diversity index), (4) denser stocking of seedling and saplings, (5) lower proportion of dead trees or saplings, and (6) higher live aboveground biomass than the plots that were not damaged by the hurricane (ND and NDBH plots). Diverse stands were not necessarily more windstorm resistant. Species diversity in the overstory may not improve forest resistance to hurricane damage but may improve its resilience following the hurricane. The study suggests that managing stand structure through density management and stand improvement could be critical to windstorm resilience and resistance in the southern US forests.

Conservation and re-establishment of Florida panhandle goldenasters (Chrysopsis): I. Reproduction characteristics and germination requirements

Conservation and re-establishment of Florida panhandle goldenasters (<i>Chrysopsis</i>): I. Reproduction characteristics and germination requirements

Conservation and re-establishment of Florida panhandle goldenasters (Chrysopsis): II. Growth and reproduction in response to fertilization within a coastal dune restoration context

Conservation and re-establishment of Florida panhandle goldenasters (<i>Chrysopsis</i>): II. Growth and reproduction in response to fertilization within a coastal dune restoration context

Strategic Habitat Conservation for Beach Mice: Estimating Management Scenario Efficiencies

ABSTRACTThe Perdido Key beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus trissyllepsis), Choctawhatchee beach mouse (P. p. allophrys), and St. Andrew beach mouse (P. p. peninsularis) are 3 federally endangered subspecies that inhabit coastal dunes of Alabama and Florida, USA. Conservation opportunities for these subspecies are limited and costly. Consequently, well‐targeted efforts are required to achieve their downlisting criteria. To aid the development of targeted management scenarios that are designed to achieve downlisting criteria, we developed a Bayesian network model that uses habitat characteristics to predict the probability of beach mouse presence at a 30‐m resolution across a portion of the Florida Panhandle. We then designed alternative management scenarios for a variety of habitat conditions for coastal dunes. Finally, we estimated how much area is needed to achieve the established downlisting criterion (i.e., habitat objective) and the amount of effort needed to achieve the habitat objective (i.e., management efficiency). The results suggest that after 7 years of post‐storm recolonization, habitat objectives were met for Perdido Key (within its Florida critical habitat) and Choctawhatchee beach mice. The St. Andrew beach mouse required 5.14 km2 of additional critical habitat to be protected and occupied. The St. Andrew beach mouse habitat objective might be achieved by first restoring protected critical habitat to good dune conditions and then protecting or restoring the unprotected critical habitat with the highest predicted probability of beach mouse presence. This scenario provided a 28% increase in management efficiency compared to a scenario that randomly protected or restored undeveloped unprotected critical habitat. In total, when coupled with established downlisting criteria, these quantitative and spatial decision support tools could provide insight into how much habitat is available, how much more is needed, and targeted conservation or restoration efforts that might efficiently achieve habitat objectives. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.

Estimating Recreational Fishing Effort Using Autonomous Cameras at Boat Ramps versus Creel Surveys

AbstractMeasuring fishing effort is a common practice in fisheries management. Traditional access‐point or roving creel surveys rely on in‐person interaction between management agency personnel and anglers, the cost of which can restrict where and when the surveys can be performed. Increasing the efficiency of the techniques that are used to estimate recreational fishing effort would benefit management agencies by reducing costs or allowing for sampling at more waterbodies. We investigated using motion‐triggered game cameras installed at boat ramps to capture the number of fishing trips, number of anglers, and trip durations to be used in estimating fishing effort. We tested boat ramp cameras at five lakes in the Florida Panhandle and peninsular Florida having diversity in their fisheries and user‐group characteristics and ranging from small (&lt;300 ha) to large (&gt;12,000 ha). On three of the lakes, we concurrently conducted roving creel surveys, allowing us to compare the methods’ estimates of fishing effort, costs, and personnel time. The camera‐based estimates of fishing effort were similar to those from the roving creel survey but tended to exceed them, including up to a factor of 2.22 in one case. These differences in effort estimates may have been due to several things such as erroneously designating some nonfishing trips as fishing trips during photo analysis, overestimating time spent fishing by ascribing all of the time between launch and retrieval to fishing, or underestimating fishing effort via roving creel surveys, as creel clerks might have occasionally missed anglers during the angler counts. Roving creel surveys were 1.25–2.50 times as expensive as camera counts because the cameras required less personnel effort. The detection probabilities that were calculated from the camera results ranged from 0.57 to 1.00, but the value was ≥ 0.86 at four of the five lakes. Despite some challenges, boat ramp cameras provided an effective, cost‐beneficial tool for estimating fishing effort.

Field Observations of Invasive Species Aedes japonicus and Larval Contemporaries in Escambia County, Florida

The Asian bush mosquito, Aedes japonicus, is an invasive species that is well established in North America and Europe. Though it is considered a temperate species, we have observed an established population of Ae. japonicus in the subtropical climate of northwestern Florida. To evaluate the temporal patterns of Ae. japonicus abundance, mosquito larvae were collected from 15 artificial containers in Escambia County, FL, from August 2019 to July 2020, with the prediction that Ae. japonicus abundance would peak in the winter months and decline with increasing ambient temperatures. Aedes japonicus larvae were collected in low abundances during each month except for February (n = 51), with no clear temporal patterns of abundance. Larval contemporaries belonging to other species were considered in sampling of containers and were also cataloged. We demonstrate monthly observance of this temperate species at a single site in the Florida panhandle, exemplifying the persistence of Ae. japonicus through all seasons in a subtropical climate.

Historically unprecedented Northern Gulf of Mexico hurricane activity from 650 to 1250 CE

Hurricane Michael (2018) was the first Category 5 storm on record to make landfall on the Florida panhandle since at least 1851 CE (Common Era), and it resulted in the loss of 59 lives and $25 billion in damages across the southeastern U.S. This event placed a spotlight on recent intense (exceeding Category 4 or 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale) hurricane landfalls, prompting questions about the natural range in variability of hurricane activity that the instrumental record is too short to address. Of particular interest is determining whether the frequency of recent intense hurricane landfalls in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) is within or outside the natural range of intense hurricane activity prior to 1851 CE. In this study, we identify intense hurricane landfalls in northwest Florida during the past 2000 years based on coarse anomaly event detection from two coastal lacustrine sediment archives. We identified a historically unprecedented period of heightened storm activity common to four Florida panhandle localities from 650 to 1250 CE and a shift to a relatively quiescent storm climate in the GOM spanning the past six centuries. Our study provides long-term context for events like Hurricane Michael and suggests that the observational period 1851 CE to present may underrepresent the natural range in landfalling hurricane activity.

A Review of the Living Cinctura Banded Tulip Shells (Gastropoda: Fasciolariidae), with the Descriptions of Four New Subspecies and a New Subgenus

The fasciolariid genus Cinctura Hollister, 1957, which is endemic to the Carolinian Molluscan Province, is now known to contain five distinct species: C. hunteria (Perry, 1811), C. keatonorum Petuch, 2014, C. lilium (Fischer von Waldheim, 1807), C. tortugana (Hollister, 1957), and C. branhamae (Rehder and Abbott, 1951). Four new geographical subspecies are described, C. hunteria apalachee Petuch and Berschauer, n. subsp. (Florida Panhandle to Mobile Bay), and three subspecies from deep water along the eastern edge of the Campeche Escarpment in the Yucatan Channel: C. lilium connori Petuch and Berschauer, n. subsp., C. tortugana traciae n. subsp., and C. branhamae morganae Petuch and Berschauer, n. subsp. The new subgenus Hollisteria Petuch and Berschauer, n. subgen. is proposed for the elongated, fragile deep water species of the Cinctura branhamae Complex.

Ability of Remote Sensing Systems to Detect Bark Beetle Spots in the Southeastern US

Research Highlights: Sentinel-2 Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) products show greater potential to detect indications of disturbance by bark beetles in the southeastern US than Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), as the high spatiotemporal heterogeneity of the southeastern forest land prevents its deployment at the current resolution. Background and Objectives: Remote sensing technologies have been an essential tool to detect forest disturbances caused by insect pests through spectral trait variation. In the US, coordinated efforts such as ForWarn, led by the US Forest Service and based on MODIS satellite data, are used to monitor biotic and abiotic disturbances. Because of the particular characteristics of the southeastern US landscape, including forest fragmentation and rapid forest turnover due to management, detection and visualization of small bark beetle spots using remote sensing technology developed for more homogeneous landscapes has been challenging. Here, we assess the ability of MODIS and Sentinel-2 time-series vegetation index data products to detect bark beetle spots in the Florida Panhandle. Materials and Methods: We compared ForWarn’s detection ability (lower resolution images) with that of Sentinel-2 (higher resolution images) using bark beetle spots confirmed by aerial surveys and ground checks by the Florida Forest Service. Results: MODIS and Sentinel-2 can detect damage produced by bark beetles in the southeastern US, but MODIS detection via NDVI change exhibits a high degree of false negatives (30%). Sentinel-2 NDVI products show greater potential for identifying indications of disturbance by bark beetles than MODIS change maps, with Sentinel-2 capturing negative changes in NDVI for all spots. Conclusions: Our research shows that for practical bark beetle detection via remote sensing, higher spatial and temporal resolution will be needed.

Wild Radish: Biology and Control

Wild radish is one of the most common and problematic pasture weeds in the Florida Panhandle. It is found throughout the state and can be a serious pest in other crops including peanut, corn, and winter vegetables. This publication provides information concerning the biology and growth of wild radish, the problems associated with its presence in wheat and other small grains as well as cover crops, and methods for control and management.&#x0D; Previous version:&#x0D; Ferrell, J., and G. MacDonald. 2005. “Wild Radish--Biology and Control”. EDIS 2005 (11). https://journals.flvc.org/edis/article/view/115117.

Timing and Patterns of Size, Reproduction, and Seed Germination in Florida Endemic Euphorbia telephioides (Euphorbiaceae): Management and Conservation Implications

To protect and manage species listed under the US Endangered Species Act requires knowledge of the species' biology. Biological information was lacking for Euphorbia telephioides, a threatened species endemic to pine flatwoods in the Florida Panhandle. Decline of this species is due largely to habitat loss and degradation. To understand the conservation requirements for the recovery of E. telephioides, we established three permanent plots, marked 150 plants, and investigated size and reproduction, response to fire, and in situ seed germination and seedling survival from 2010 to 2014. Plants are long-lived and survived fire by resprouting. Populations are composed of vegetatives, males, females, and monoecious individuals with labile sex expression, including fire-induced sex change. Both adults and seedlings exhibited obligate winter dormancy and facultative non-synchronized summer dormancy, and some adults had prolonged (>1 y) vegetative dormancy, which minimize exposure to stressful conditions. Reproductive plants tended to be larger than vegetatives, but did not differ significantly in most size parameters. Seeds possess a deep physiological dormancy, tolerate fire, and persist in the field less than 1 y; thus, soil seed bank is unlikely to maintain populations in the face of environmental stochasticity. Once established, seedlings resprout after fire, which likely contributes to population persistence. Overall, E. telephioides displays life history traits that are adaptive in the fire-prone habitats where this species occurs. For specific management recommendations in the field, knowledge of gender expression and lability, seed ecology, and the effects of disturbances such as fire on plants and habitat are imperative.

A Geodemographic Service Coverage Analysis of Travel Time to Glaucoma Specialists in Florida.

Approximately 1 in 9 Florida residents over the age of 65 years (438,642 people) live more than an hour away from a glaucoma specialist, which represents a significant barrier to care. To describe access to glaucoma care for Florida's elderly population using travel time to American Glaucoma Society (AGS) member offices. For this cross-sectional service coverage analysis, a list of AGS member locations was extracted from the AGS website, and addresses were geocoded using ArcGIS Online. Driving time regions were created using the service area tool in ArcGIS Pro 2.4 and overlaid with 2010 United States Census and 2016 American Community Survey data for all Florida residents age 65 or older. Fifty-eight AGS member providers with 65 locations were identified and geocoded. There were 3,797,625 individuals aged over 65 years in Florida, of which 1,153,320 (30.4%) lived within 15 minutes of driving time from an AGS provider's office, 2,586,825 (68.1%) within 30 minutes, 3,358,983 (88.4%) within 60 minutes, and 3,491,815 (91.9%) within 120 minutes. The areas with the lowest access include rural areas near Lake Okeechobee and the Florida Panhandle. The population living beyond a 60-minute drive was more likely to be White, non-Hispanic and older, but less likely to be living below the federal poverty level or receiving public assistance than the population living within a 60-minute drive. There is a significant travel burden for the elderly community of Florida to reach AGS providers. Additional studies could help identify other social barriers to accessing glaucoma providers in Florida and beyond in an effort to improve patient compliance and, ultimately, vision outcomes.

Strategies to Increase Personal Resilience in Disaster Response Efforts

In 2018, Hurricane Michael caused extensive damage in the Florida panhandle as a Category 4 hurricane. Cooperative Extension has a disaster preparedness and information dissemination role in hurricane response (Medford-Davis &amp; Kapur, 2014; Washburn, 2006). Personal resilience focuses on reducing stress and increasing coping abilities in stressful situations. A basic qualitative research design explored UF/IFAS Extension agents’ hurricane experiences. Results suggested participants experienced some inability to balance personal and professional demands and were mentally and emotionally stressed. Participants felt fatigued and results suggested they experienced high levels of mental and emotional stress. There is scope to improve Extension agents’ personal resilience by: (1) strengthening individual levels of hardy attitudes and hardy strategies; and (2) reducing barriers such as mental and physical stress and performance deficits.