The Influence of Physical Forcing on Bottom-water Dissolved Oxygen within the Caloosahatchee River Estuary, FL

EPA Science Inventory

Environmental Fluid Dynamic Code (EFDC), a numerical estuarine and coastal ocean circulation hydrodynamic model, was used to simulate the distribution of dissolved oxygen (DO), salinity, temperature, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), and chlorophyll a in the Caloosahatchee Riv...

Three dimensional model evaluation of physical alterations of the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary: Impact on salt transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Detong; Wan, Yongshan; Qiu, Chelsea

2016-05-01

Numerical hydrodynamic modeling provides quantitative understanding of how physical alterations of an estuary may alter the waterbody hydrodynamics and the rate of mixing with the ocean. In this study, a three dimensional hydrodynamic model (CH3D) was used to compare simulated salinities between the existing condition and five historical cases representing varying physical alterations of the Caloosahatchee Estuary involving (1) removal of the headwater structure (S-79); (2) removal of the downstream causeway to Sanibel Island; (3) backfilling an oyster bar near the estuary month; (4) refilling the navigation channel; and (5) the pre-development bathymetric condition. The results suggested that some alterations including the Sanibel Causeway, backfilling the oyster bar and the S-79 structure may have some local effects but did not change estuarine salinity structure significantly. Refilling the navigation channel had a more profound effect, resulting in a dry season salinity reduction of about 5 when compared with the existing condition. The reduced salt transport was more pronounced with the pre-development bathymetry because the estuary as a whole was much shallower than today. The significant system-wide increase in salt transport caused by the historic dredging of the navigation channel in the Caloosahatchee Estuary has significant implications in the development of attainable environmental flow targets for protecting the estuarine ecosystem.

Uptake of human pharmaceuticals in bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) inhabiting a wastewater-impacted river.

PubMed

Gelsleichter, James; Szabo, Nancy J

2013-07-01

The presence of human pharmaceuticals in sewage-impacted ecosystems is a growing concern that poses health risks to aquatic wildlife. Despite this, few studies have investigated the uptake of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in aquatic organisms. In this study, the uptake of 9 APIs from human drugs was examined and compared in neonate bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) residing in pristine (Myakka River) and wastewater-impacted (Caloosahatchee River) tributaries of Florida's Charlotte Harbor estuary. The synthetic estrogen used in human contraceptives (17α-ethynylestradiol) and 6 of the selective serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (citalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline, venlafaxine) used in human antidepressants were observed at detectable and, in some cases, quantifiable levels in plasma of Caloosahatchee River sharks. Comparatively, only venlafaxine was detected in the plasma of a single Myakka River shark at a level below the limit of quantitation. These results suggest that sharks residing in wastewater-impacted habitats accumulate APIs, a factor that may pose special risks to C. leucas since it is one of few shark species to regularly occupy freshwater systems. Further research is needed to determine if the low levels of API uptake observed in Caloosahatchee River bull sharks pose health risks to these animals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrodynamic Characteristics and Salinity Patterns in Estero Bay, Lee County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Byrne, Michael J.; Gabaldon, Jessica N.

2008-01-01

Estero Bay is an estuary (about 12 miles long and 3 miles wide) on the southwestern Florida coast, with several inlets connecting the bay to the Gulf of Mexico and numerous freshwater tributaries. Continuous stage and salinity data were recorded at eight gaging stations in Estero Bay estuary from October 2001 to September 2005. Continuous water velocity data were recorded at six of these stations for the purpose of measuring discharge. In addition, turbidity data were recorded at four stations, suspended sediment concentration were measured at three stations, and wind measurements were taken at one station. Salinity surveys, within and around Estero Bay, were conducted 15 times from July 2002 to January 2004. The average daily discharge ranged from 35,000 to -34,000 ft3/s (cubic feet per second) at Big Carlos Pass, 10,800 to -11,200 ft3/s at Matanzas Pass, 2,200 to -2,900 ft3/s at Big Hickory Pass, 680 to -700 ft3/s at Mullock Creek, 330 to -370 ft3/s at Estero River, and 190 to -180 ft3/s at Imperial River. Flood tide is expressed as negative discharge and ebb flow as positive discharge. Reduced salinity at Matanzas Pass was negatively correlated (R2 = 0.48) to freshwater discharge from the Caloosahatchee River at Franklin Locks (S-79). Matanzas Pass is hydrologically linked to Hell Peckney Bay; therefore, water-quality problems associated with the Caloosahatchee River also affect Hell Peckney Bay. Rocky Bay was significantly less saline than Coconut Point and Matanzas Pass was significantly less saline than Ostego Bay, based on data from the salinity surveys. The quality-checked and edited continuous data and the salinity maps have been compiled and are stored on the U.S. Geological Survey South Florida Information Access (SOFIA) website (http://sofia.usgs.gov).

Effects of variations in flow characteristics through W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam on downstream water quality in the Caloosahatchee River Estuary and in McIntyre Creek in the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, southern Florida, 2010–13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Booth, Amanda C.; Soderqvist, Lars E.; Knight, Travis M.

2016-05-17

The U.S. Geological Survey studied water-quality trends at the mouth of McIntyre Creek, an entry point to the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, to investigate correlations between flow rates and volumes through the W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam and water-quality constituents inside the refuge from March 2010 to December 2013. Outflow from Lake Okeechobee, and flows from Franklin Lock, tributaries to the Caloosahatchee River Estuary, and the Cape Coral canal system were examined to determine the sources and quantity of water to the study area. Salinity, temperature, dissolved-oxygen concentration, pH, turbidity, and chromophoric dissolved organic matter fluorescence (FDOM) were measured during moving-boat surveys and at a fixed location in McIntyre Creek. Chlorophyll fluorescence was also recorded in McIntyre Creek. Water-quality surveys were completed on 20 dates between 2011 and 2014 using moving-boat surveys.Franklin Lock contributed the majority of flow to the Caloosahatchee River. Between 2010 and 2013, the monthly mean flow rate at Franklin Lock ranged from 29 cubic feet per second in May 2011 to 10,650 cubic feet per second in August 2013. Instantaneous near-surface salinity in McIntyre Creek ranged from 12.9 parts per thousand on September 26, 2013, to 37.9 parts per thousand on June 27, 2011. Salinity in McIntyre Creek decreased with increasing flow rate through Franklin Lock. Flow rates through Franklin Lock explained 61 percent of the variation in salinity in McIntyre Creek. Salinity data from moving-boat surveys also indicate that an increase in flow rate at Franklin Lock decreases salinity in the Caloosahatchee River Estuary, and a reduction or elimination in flow increases salinity. The FDOM in McIntyre Creek was positively correlated with flow at Franklin Lock, and 54 percent of the variation in FDOM can be attributed to the flow rate through Franklin Lock. Data from moving-boat surveys indicate that FDOM increases when flow volume from Franklin Lock increases. The highest FDOM recorded during a survey was at Billy’s Creek. Chlorophyll fluorescence was positively correlated with flow at Franklin Lock, with 23 percent of the variation explained by the flow rate at Franklin Lock. An increase in flow rate at Franklin Lock resulted in a decrease in pH (21 percent of variation explained by flow rates). Data from the pH surveys indicate an increase in pH with distance from Franklin Lock. Turbidity and dissolved oxygen near the surface in McIntyre Creek were not correlated with flow rate at Franklin Lock. Moving-boat surveys did not document a change in turbidity or dissolved oxygen with a change in distance from the Franklin Lock. Correlations between Franklin Lock flow rate and water quality in McIntyre Creek indicate that releases at Franklin Lock affect water quality in the Caloosahatchee River Estuary and Ding Darling Refuge.

Investigation of Submarine Groundwater Discharge along the Tidal Reach of the Caloosahatchee River, Southwest Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reich, Christopher D.

2010-01-01

The tidal reach of the Caloosahatchee River is an estuarine habitat that supports a diverse assemblage of biota including aquatic vegetation, shellfish, and finfish. The system has been highly modified by anthropogenic activity over the last 150 years (South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), 2009). For example, the river was channelized and connected to Lake Okeechobee in 1881 (via canal C-43). Subsequently, three control structures (spillway and locks) were installed for flood protection (S-77 and S-78 in the 1930s) and for saltwater-intrusion prevention (S-79, W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam in 1966). The emplacement of these structures and their impact to natural water flow have been blamed for water-quality problems downstream within the estuary (Flaig and Capece, 1998; SFWMD, 2009). Doering and Chamberlain (1999) found that the operation of these control structures caused large and often rapid variations in salinity during various times of the year. Variable salinities could have deleterious impacts on the health of organisms in the Caloosahatchee River estuary. Flow restriction along the Caloosahatchee has also been linked to surface-water eutrophication problems (Doering and Chamberlain, 1999; SFWMD, 2009) and bottom-sediment contamination (Fernandez and others, 1999). Sources of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous) that cause eutrophication are primarily from residential sources and agriculture, though wastewater-treatment-plant discharges can also play a major role (SFWMD, 2009). The pathway for many of these nutrients is by land runoff and direct discharge from stormwater drains. An often overlooked source of nutrients and other chemical constituents is from submarine groundwater discharge (SGD). SGD can be either a diffuse or point source (for example, submarine springs) of nutrients and other chemical constituents to coastal waters (Valiela and others, 1990; Swarzenski and others, 2001; 2006; 2007; 2008). SGD can be composed of either fresh or marine water or various mixed ratios of fresh and marine water (Martin and others, 2007). In coastal areas where water-table elevations (hydraulic gradients) are steep, such as in Hood Canal, Washington (Swarzenski and others, 2007; Simonds and others, 2008), groundwater entering the coastal marine waters can be fresh (~1-4 parts per thousand, ppt). SGD in coastal locations that have low relief (low hydraulic gradients) such as the study area or other locations in Florida are typically driven by tidal pumping (Reich and others, 2002; 2008; Swarzenski and others, 2008), and water advecting into surface water is composed of recirculated marine water mixed with either fresh or brackish groundwaters. The importance of SGD in the delivery of nutrients and trace elements to coastal environments has been shown to be both beneficial and deleterious to ecosystem health (Valiela and others, 1990). The logical step in studying SGD is to map areas where SGD occurs. Methods such as continuous surface-water radon-222 (222Rn) mapping and electrical resistivity (continuous resistivity profiles, CRP) have been developed and used to identify potential SGD sites (Dulaiova and others, 2005; Swarzenski and others 2004; 2006; 2007; 2008; Reich and others, 2008). CRP data record subsurface, bulk-resistivity measurements to depths up to 25 meters (m). The bulk resistivity can be representative of changes in porewater salinity or in lithology (Reich and others, 2008; Swarzenski and others, 2008). Radon-222 (half-life = 3.28 days) is a natural tracer of groundwater, because sediments and rocks, containing uranium-bearing materials such as limestone and phosphatic material, continually produce 222Rn. Rn-222 (also referred to simply as radon) is an ideal tracer, because there is a constant source. Since radon is a gas, 222Rn does not build up in the surface water but rather evades directly to the atmosphere (Burnett and Dulaiova, 2003; Burnett and others, 2003; Dulaiova and Burnett, 2006).

Hydrologic and land-cover features of the Caloosahatchee River Basin, Lake Okeechobee to Franklin Lock, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

LaRose, Henry R.; McPherson, Benjamin F.

1980-01-01

The freshwater part of the Caloosahatchee River basin, Fla., from Franklin Lock to Lake Okeechobee, is shown at a scale of 1 inch equals 1 mile on an aerial photomosaic, dated January 1979. The basin is divided into 16 subbasins, and the land cover and land use in each subbasin are given. The basin is predominantly rangeland and agricultural land. Surface-water flow in the basin is largely controlled. Some selected data on water quality are given. (USGS)

A test of flushing procedures to control salt-water intrusion at the W. P. Franklin Dam near Ft. Myers, Florida and The magnitude and extent of salt-water contamination in the Caloosahatchee River between La Belle and Olga, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boggess, Durward H.

1970-01-01

During low-flow periods, salty water from the tidal part of the Caloosahatchee River moves upstream during boat lockages at the W. P. Franklin Darn near Ft. Myers, Florida, as shown on figure L Salty water enters the lock chamber through openings of the downstream sector gates which separate tidal and fresh water; when the upstream gates open, some of the salty water moves into the upper pool, probably as a density current. Repeated injections of salty water cause a progressive increase in the salinity of the upstream water. The salty water moves upstream within the deeper parts of the river channel as far as 5 or more miles above the lock. Some mixing of the high-chloride deeper water and the fresher shallow water occurs in the affected reach above the lock, probably as a result of wind and waves, and turbulence created by boat traffic.

A habitat assessment for Florida panther population expansion into central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thatcher, C.A.; Van Manen, F.T.; Clark, J.D.

2009-01-01

One of the goals of the Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) recovery plan is to expand panther range north of the Caloosahatchee River in central Florida. Our objective was to evaluate the potential of that region to support panthers. We used a geographic information system and the Mahalanobis distance statistic to develop a habitat model based on landscape characteristics associated with panther home ranges. We used cross-validation and an independent telemetry data set to test the habitat model. We also conducted a least-cost path analysis to identify potential habitat linkages and to provide a relative measure of connectivity among habitat patches. Variables in our model were paved road density, major highways, human population density, percentage of the area permanently or semipermanently flooded, and percentage of the area in natural land cover. Our model clearly identified habitat typical of that found within panther home ranges based on model testing with recent telemetry data. We identified 4 potential translocation sites that may support a total of approximately 36 panthers. Although we identified potential habitat linkages, our least-cost path analyses highlighted the extreme isolation of panther habitat in portions of the study area. Human intervention will likely be required if the goal is to establish female panthers north of the Caloosahatchee in the near term.

Surface-geophysical characterization of ground-water systems of the Caloosahatchee River basin, southern Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cunningham, Kevin J.; Locker, Stanley D.; Hine, Albert C.; Bukry, David; Barron, John A.; Guertin, Laura A.

2001-01-01

The Caloosahatchee River Basin, located in southwestern Florida, includes about 1,200 square miles of land. The Caloosahatchee River receives water from Lake Okeechobee, runoff from the watershed, and seepage from the underlying ground-water systems; the river loses water through drainage to the Gulf of Mexico and withdrawals for public-water supply and agricultural and natural needs. Water-use demands in the Caloosahatchee River Basin have increased dramatically, and the Caloosahatchee could be further stressed if river water is used to accommodate restoration of the Everglades. Water managers and planners need to know how much water will be used within the river basin and how much water is contributed by Lake Okeechobee, runoff, and ground water. In this study, marine seismic-reflection and ground-penetrating radar techniques were used as a means to evaluate the potential for flow between the river and ground-water systems. Seven test coreholes were drilled to calibrate lithostratigraphic units, their stratal geometries, and estimated hydraulic conductivities to surface-geophysical profiles. A continuous marine seismic-reflection survey was conducted over the entire length of the Caloosahatchee River and extending into San Carlos Bay. Lithostratigraphic units that intersect the river bottom and their characteristic stratal geometries were identified. Results show that subhorizontal reflections assigned to the Tamiami Formation intersect the river bottom between Moore Haven and about 9 miles westward. Oblique and sigmoidal progradational reflections assigned to the upper Peace River Formation probably crop out at the floor of the river in the Ortona area between the western side of Lake Hicpochee and La Belle. These reflections image a regional-scale progradational deltaic depositional system containing quartz sands with low to moderate estimated hydraulic conductivities. In an approximate 6-mile length of the river between La Belle and Franklin Lock, deeper karstic collapse structures are postulated. These structures influence the geometries of parallel reflections that intersect the river channel. Here, reflections assigned to the Buckingham Limestone Member of the Tamiami Formation (a confining unit) and reflections assigned to the clastic zone of the sandstone aquifer likely crop out at the river bottom. Beneath these shallow reflections, relatively higher amplitude parallel reflections of the carbonate zone of the sandstone aquifer are well displayed in the seismic-reflection profiles. In San Carlos Bay, oblique progradational reflections assigned to the upper Peace River Formation are shown beneath the bay. Almost everywhere beneath the river, a diffuse ground-water flow system is in contact with the channel bottom. Ground-penetrating radar profiles of an area about 2 miles north of the depositional axis of the deltaic depositional system in the Ortona area show that progradational clinoforms imaged on seismic reflection profiles in the Caloosahatchee River are present within about 17 feet of the ground surface. Ground-penetrating radar profiles show southward dipping, oblique progradational reflections assigned to the upper Peace River Formation that are terminated at their tops by a toplapping or erosional discontinuity. These clinoformal reflections image clean quartz sand that is probably characterized by moderate hydraulic conductivity. This sand could be mapped using ground-penetrating radar methods.

Regional acidification trends in Florida shellfish estuaries: A 20+ year look at pH, oxygen, temperature, and salinity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robbins, Lisa L.; Lisle, John T.

2018-01-01

Increasing global CO2 and local land use changes coupled with increased nutrient pollution are threatening estuaries worldwide. Local changes of estuarine chemistry have been documented, but regional associations and trends comparing multiple estuaries latitudinally have not been evaluated. Rapid climate change has impacted the annual and decadal chemical trends in estuaries, with local ecosystem processes enhancing or mitigating the responses. Here, we compare pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and salinity data from 10 Florida shellfish estuaries and hundreds of shellfish bed stations. Over 80,000 measurements, spanning from 1980 to 2008, taken on Atlantic Ocean and West Florida coast showed significant regional trends of consistent pH decreases in 8 out of the 10 estuaries, with an average rate of decrease on the Gulf of Mexico side estuaries of Florida of 7.3 × 10−4 pH units year−1, and average decrease on the Atlantic Coast estuaries of 5.0 × 10−4 pH units year−1. The rates are approximately 2–3.4 times slower than observed in pH decreases associated with ocean acidification in the Atlantic and Pacific. Other significant trends observed include decreasing dissolved oxygen in 9 out of the 10 estuaries, increasing salinity in 6 out of the 10, and temperature increases in 3 out of the 10 estuaries. The data provide a synoptic regional view of Florida estuary trends which reflect the complexity of changing climate and coastal ocean acidification superimposed on local conditions. These data provide context for understanding, and interpreting the past and predicting future of regional water quality health of shellfish and other organisms of commercial and ecological significance along Florida’s coasts.

77 FR 74923 - Water Quality Standards for the State of Florida's Estuaries, Coastal Waters, and South Florida...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-18

... proposing numeric water quality criteria to protect ecological systems, aquatic life, and human health from... Technical Support Section. http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/wqssp/.everglades/docs/pctsd/IIIChapter.2.pdf... Water Quality Standards for the State of Florida's Estuaries, Coastal Waters, and South Florida Inland...

Interplay of late Cenozoic siliciclastic supply and carbonate response on the southeast Florida platform

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cunningham, K.J.; Locker, S.D.; Hine, A.C.; Bukry, D.; Barron, J.A.; Guertin, L.A.

2003-01-01

High-resolution seismic-reflection data collected along the length of the Caloosahatchee River in southwestern Florida have been correlated to nannofossil biostratigraphy and strontium-isotope chemostratigraphy at six continuously cored boreholes. These data are interpreted to show a major Late Miocene(?) to Early Pliocene fluvial-deltaic depositional system that prograded southward across the carbonate Florida Platform, interrupting nearly continuous carbonate deposition since early in the Cretaceous. Connection of the platform top to a continental source of siliciclastics and significant paleotopography combined to focus accumulation of an immense supply of siliciclastics on the southeastern part of the Florida Platform. The remarkably thick (> 100 m), sand-rich depositional system, which is characterized by clinoformal progradation, filled in deep accommodation, while antecedent paleotopography directed deltaic progradation southward within the middle of the present-day Florida Peninsula. The deltaic depositional system may have prograded about 200 km southward to the middle and upper Florida Keys, where Late Miocene to Pliocene siliciclastic form the foundation of the Quaternary carbonate shelf and shelf margin of the Florida Keys. These far-traveled siliciclastic deposits filled accommodation on the southeastern part of the Florida Platform so that paleobathymetry was sufficiently shallow to allow Quaternary recovery of carbonate sedimentation in the area of southern peninsular Florida and the Florida Keys.

From lake to estuary, the tale of two waters: a study of aquatic continuum biogeochemistry.

PubMed

Julian, Paul; Osborne, Todd Z

2018-01-25

The balance of fresh and saline water is essential to estuarine ecosystem function. Along the fresh-brackish-saline water gradient within the C-43 canal/Caloosahatchee River Estuary (CRE), the quantity, timing and distribution of water, and associated water quality significantly influence ecosystem function. Long-term trends of water quality and quantity were assessed from Lake Okeechobee to the CRE between May 1978 and April 2016. Significant changes to monthly flow volumes were detected between the lake and the estuary which correspond to changes in upstream management. and climatic events. Across the 37-year period, total phosphorus (TP) flow-weighted mean (FWM) concentration significantly increased at the lake; meanwhile, total nitrogen (TN) FMW concentrations significantly declined at both the lake and estuary headwaters. Between May 1999 and April 2016, TN, TP, and total organic carbon (TOC), ortho-P, and ammonium conditions were assessed within the estuary at several monitoring locations. Generally, nutrient concentrations decreased from upstream to downstream with shifts in TN/TP from values > 20 in the freshwater portion, ~ 20 in the estuarine portion, and < 20 in the marine portion indicating a spatial shift in nutrient limitations along the continuum. Aquatic productivity analysis suggests that the estuary is net heterotrophic with productivity being negatively influenced by TP, TN, and TOC likely due to a combination of effects including shading by high color dissolved organic matter. We conclude that rainfall patterns, land use, and the resulting discharges of runoff drive the ecology of the C-43/CRE aquatic continuum and associated biogeochemistry rather than water management associated with Lake Okeechobee.

Utilizing Depth of Colonization of Seagrasses to Develop Numeric Water Quality Criteria for Florida Estuaries

EPA Science Inventory

US EPA is working with state and local partners in Florida to develop numeric water quality criteria to protect estuaries from nutrient pollution. Similar to other nutrient management programs in Florida, EPA is considering status of seagrass habitats as an indicator of biologic...

MODIS water quality algorithms for northwest Florida estuaries

EPA Science Inventory

Synoptic and frequent monitoring of water quality parameters from satellite is useful for determining the health of aquatic ecosystems and development of effective management strategies. Northwest Florida estuaries are classified as optically-complex, or waters influenced by chlo...

Denitrification and phosphorus sequestration in restored Oyster beds in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In 2016, an algae bloom in the St. Lucie River in Florida led the governor to declare a state of emergency. The river is part of a connected system of estuaries along the Atlantic coast of Florida called the Indian River Lagoon (IRL). As with many estuaries around the world, nutrient loading in the ...

Development and validation of a MODIS colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) algorithm in northwest Florida estuaries

EPA Science Inventory

Satellite remote sensing provides synoptic and frequent monitoring of water quality parameters that aids in determining the health of aquatic ecosystems and the development of effective management strategies. Northwest Florida estuaries are classified as optically-complex, or wat...

An analysis of MODIS algorithms for surface salinity and dissolved organic carbon in northwest Florida estuaries

EPA Science Inventory

Synoptic and frequent monitoring of water quality parameters from satellite is useful for determining the health of aquatic ecosystems and development of effective management strategies. Northwest Florida estuaries are classified as optically-complex, or waters influenced by chlo...

INFLUENCE OF FRESHWATER INPUT ON THE HABITAT VALUE OF OYSTER REEFS IN THREE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA ESTUARIES.

EPA Science Inventory

In order to examine the influence of freshwater input on the habitat value of oyster reefs, a spatiotemporal comparison of reef-resident fishes and decapod crustaceans was conducted during three seasonally dry and three seasonally wet months in three Southwest Florida estuaries: ...

Physical, Hydrological, and Biological Characteristics of the Loxahatchee River Estuary, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

McPherson, Benjamin F.; Sabanskas, Maryann; Long, William A.

1982-01-01

The Loxahatchee River estuary empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Jupiter Inlet in southeastern Florida. Although relatively small, the estuary is important for its esthetic value and for its sport fishing, boating, recreation, tourism, and prime residential development. In recent years, the condition of the estuary has become of concern to many citizens and agencies of the State. In response to this concern, the U.S. Geological Survey planned and carried out an in-depth environmental investigation. The events that led to the investigation and the objectives of the investigation are outlined in a recent U.S. Geological Survey report by McPherson and Sabanskas (WRI 80-1109).

Geology of the surficial aquifer system, Broward County, Florida; lithologic logs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Causaras, C.R.

1985-01-01

The geologic framework of the surficial aquifer system, of which the Biscayne aquifer is the major component in Broward County, Florida, is presented in eight geologic cross sections. The cross sections are based on detailed lithologic logs of 27 test wells that were drilled, in the summer of 1981, through the sediments overlying the relatively impermeable units of the Hawthorn Formation, of Miocene age. The cross sections show the aquifer system as a wedge-shaped sequence of Cenozoic sediments. The aquifer thickness gradually decreases from more than 400 feet along the coast to about 160 feet in the west and southwest parts of Broward County. The sediments that comprise the aquifer system range in age from Pliocene to Pleistocene and are assigned to the following stratigraphic units from bottom to top: Tamiami Formation, Caloosahatchee Marl, Fort Thompson Formation, Key Largo Limestone, Anastasia Formation, Miami Oolite, and Pamlico Sand. (USGS)

Estuarine response in northeastern Florida Bay to major hurricanes in 2005: Chapter 6I in Science and the storms-the USGS response to the hurricanes of 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Woods, Jeff; Zucker, Mark

2007-01-01

Hurricanes and tropical storms are critical components of the south Florida hydrologic cycle. These storms cause dramatic and often rapid changes in water level of, salinity of, and discharge into northeastern Florida Bay as well as into adjacent marine estuaries. During 2005, two major hurricanes (Katrina and Wilma) crossed the southern estuaries of the Everglades and had substantial impacts on hydrologic conditions.

Use of the USEPA Estuary Nitrogen Model to Estimate Concentrations of Total Nitrogen in Estuaries Using Loads Calculated by Watershed Models and Monitoring Data

EPA Science Inventory

We use USEPA’s Estuary Nitrogen Model (ENM) to calculate annual average concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) in ten estuaries or sub-estuaries along the Atlantic coast from New Hampshire to Florida. These include a variety of systems, ranging from strongly-flushed bays to weakly...

Estuaries of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem: Laboratories of Long-term Change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wingard, G.L.; Hudley, J.W.; Marshall, F.E.

2010-01-01

Restoring the greater Everglades ecosystem of south Florida is arguably the largest ecosystem restoration effort to date. A critical goal is to return more natural patterns of flow through south Florida wetlands and into the estuaries, but development of realistic targets requires acknowledgement that ecosystems are constantly evolving and changing in response to a variety of natural and human-driven stressors. Examination of ecosystems over long periods of time requires analysis of sedimentary records, such as those deposited in the wetlands and estuaries of south Florida. As sediment accumulates, it preserves information about the animals and plants that lived in the environment and the physical, chemical, and climatic conditions present. One of the methods used to interpret this information is paleoecology-the study of the ecology of previously living organisms. Paleoecologic investigations of south Florida estuaries provide quantitative data on historical variability of salinity and trends that may be applied to statistical models to estimate historical freshwater flow. These data provide a unique context to estimate future ecosystem response to changes related to restoration activities and predicted changes in sea level and temperature, thus increasing the likelihood of successful and sustainable ecosystem restoration.

Pink shrimp as an indicator for restoration of everglades ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Browder, Joan A.; Robblee, M.B.

2009-01-01

The pink shrimp, Farfantepenaeus duorarum, familiar to most Floridians as either food or bait shrimp, is ubiquitous in South Florida coastal and offshore waters and is proposed as an indicator for assessing restoration of South Florida's southern estuaries: Florida Bay, Biscayne Bay, and the mangrove estuaries of the lower southwest coast. Relationships between pink shrimp and salinity have been determined in both field and laboratory studies. Salinity is directly relevant to restoration because the salinity regimes of South Florida estuaries, critical nursery habitat for the pink shrimp, will be altered by changes in the quantity, timing, and distribution of freshwater inflow planned as part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project (CERP). Here we suggest performance measures based on pink shrimp density (number per square meter) in the estuaries and propose a restoration assessment and scoring scheme using these performance measures that can readily be communicated to managers, policy makers, and the interested public. The pink shrimp is an appropriate restoration indicator because of its ecological as well as its economic importance and also because scientific interest in pink shrimp in South Florida has produced a wealth of information about the species and relatively long time series of data on both juveniles in estuarine nursery habitats and adults on the fishing grounds. We suggest research needs for improving the pink shrimp performance measure.

Five hydrologic and landscape databases for selected National Wildlife Refuges in the Southeastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buell, Gary R.; Gurley, Laura N.; Calhoun, Daniel L.; Hunt, Alexandria M.

2017-06-12

This report serves as metadata and a user guide for five out of six hydrologic and landscape databases developed by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to describe data-collection, data-reduction, and data-analysis methods used to construct the databases and provides statistical and graphical descriptions of the databases. Six hydrologic and landscape databases were developed: (1) the Cache River and White River National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) and contributing watersheds in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, (2) the Cahaba River NWR and contributing watersheds in Alabama, (3) the Caloosahatchee and J.N. “Ding” Darling NWRs and contributing watersheds in Florida, (4) the Clarks River NWR and contributing watersheds in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi, (5) the Lower Suwannee NWR and contributing watersheds in Georgia and Florida, and (6) the Okefenokee NWR and contributing watersheds in Georgia and Florida. Each database is composed of a set of ASCII files, Microsoft Access files, and Microsoft Excel files. The databases were developed as an assessment and evaluation tool for use in examining NWR-specific hydrologic patterns and trends as related to water availability and water quality for NWR ecosystems, habitats, and target species. The databases include hydrologic time-series data, summary statistics on landscape and hydrologic time-series data, and hydroecological metrics that can be used to assess NWR hydrologic conditions and the availability of aquatic and riparian habitat. Landscape data that describe the NWR physiographic setting and the locations of hydrologic data-collection stations were compiled and mapped. Categories of landscape data include land cover, soil hydrologic characteristics, physiographic features, geographic and hydrographic boundaries, hydrographic features, and regional runoff estimates. The geographic extent of each database covers an area within which human activities, climatic variation, and hydrologic processes can potentially affect the hydrologic regime of the NWRs and adjacent areas. The hydrologic and landscape database for the Cache and White River NWRs and contributing watersheds in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma has been described and documented in detail (Buell and others, 2012). This report serves as a companion to the Buell and others (2012) report to describe and document the five subsequent hydrologic and landscape databases that were developed: Chapter A—the Cahaba River NWR and contributing watersheds in Alabama, Chapter B—the Caloosahatchee and J.N. “Ding” Darling NWRs and contributing watersheds in Florida, Chapter C—the Clarks River NWR and contributing watersheds in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi, Chapter D—the Lower Suwannee NWR and contributing watersheds in Georgia and Florida, and Chapter E—the Okefenokee NWR and contributing watersheds in Georgia and Florida.

ASSESSING THE ECOLOGICAL CONDITION OF SOUTHEAST U. S. ESTUARIES

EPA Science Inventory

As a means to assess ecological condition, 151 stations located in southeastern estuaries from Cape Henry, Virginia to Biscayne Bay, Florida were sampled by state agencies during the summer of 2000 using a probabilistic design. The design used 8 size classes of estuaries ranging ...

Recent sediments of the St. Marks River coast, northwest Florida, a low-energy, sediment-starved estuary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Highly, A.B.; Donoghue, J.F.; Garrett, C.

1994-03-01

The St. Marks river of northwest Florida drains parts of the central panhandle of northwestern Florida, and a small area in southwestern Georgia. It traverses nearly 56.3 kilometers through a watershed of 1,711 square kilometers. The slow-moving river carries little sediment and terminates in Apalachee Bay, a low-energy embayment in the northeasternmost Gulf of Mexico. The coastal region is characterized by mudflats, seagrass beds, and an absence of sandy beaches and barrier islands. Clastic sediments of the coast and shelf rest on a shallow-dipping carbonate platform. The upper surface of the platform is locally karstic. As a result, like othermore » rivers in this region of northwest Florida, the St. Marks watershed is marked by sinkholes and disappearing streams. The fact that the river travels underground through part of its lower watershed serves to trap or sieve some of its clastic load. In the estuary, the undulating karst topography causes the estuarine sediments to vary in thickness from 0 to 4+ meters. The concave shape of the coastline and its orientation with respect to prevailing winds result in low average wave energy. Sedimentation is therefore controlled by riverine and tidal forces. The relatively low energy conditions result in good preservation of the sedimentary record in the St. Marks estuary. A suite of sediment cores has been collected in the lower river, estuary and adjacent Gulf of Mexico. Lead-210 dating results indicate a slow average sedimentation rate ([approximately] 1mm/yr). Investigation of sedimentation rates and sediment characteristics over time in the St. Marks estuary indicate that sedimentologic conditions in this low-energy environment have been relatively stable during the recent geologic history of the estuary.« less

West Florida Shelf Response to Hurricane Irma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Y.; Weisberg, R. H.; Chen, J.; Merz, C. R.; Law, J.; Zheng, L.

2017-12-01

Hurricane Irma impacted the west Florida continental shelf (WFS) as it transited the state of Florida during September 10-12, 2017, making landfall first at Cudjoe Key and then again at Naples, as a Category 2 hurricane. The WFS response to Hurricane Irma is analyzed using a combination of in situ observations and numerical model simulations. The observations include water column velocity (by Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers), sea surface temperature and meteorological records from three moorings on the shelf, surface currents by high-frequency radars, and coastal tide gauge records. The West Florida Coastal Ocean Model (WFCOM) employed downscales from the deep Gulf of Mexico, across the shelf and into the estuaries by nesting the unstructured grid FVCOM in the Gulf of Mexico HYCOM. Both the observations and the model simulations revealed strong upwelling and vertical mixing followed by downwelling as the storm passed by. This was accompanied by a rapid drop in sea surface temperature of approximately 4ºC and large decreases in sea level with associated negative surges, causing drying in the Florida Bay, Charlotte Harbor, Tampa Bay estuaries and the Big Bend region. The transport and exchange of water between the shelf and the estuaries and between the shelf and the Florida Keys reef track during the hurricane may have important implications for ecosystem studies within the region.

Algal conditions in the Caloosahatchee River (1975-79), Lake Okeechobee to Franklin Lock, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

McPherson, Benjamin F.; La Rose, Henry R.

1982-01-01

Maximum numbers of suspended algae occurred in late spring and early summer, in each of the years 1975-79, in the Caloosahatchee River. Numbers exceeded 100,000 cells per milliliter at all stations sometime during the study. Concentrations decreased during late summer and autumn and were low during winter, except in January 1979 when numbers at most sites exceeded 100,000 cells per milliliter. The January 1979 bloom coincided with large discharges from Lake Okeechobee. During previous winters, discharges and algal numbers were lower. During other seasons, algal blooms occurred most frequently under low-flow or stagnant conditions. The upstream site at Moore Haven, which had the least discharge and was most stagnant, had consistently higher algal concentrations than downstream sites. Blue-green algae were dominant in the river during the summer at the upstream site throughout the year. The percentage of blue-green algae decreased downstream. Concentrations of nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen were inversely correlated with concentrations of algae and decreased to near zero during algal blooms. The low concentrations of these forms of inorganic nitrogen relative to other major nutrients probably favor blue-green algae and limit growth of other algae. Contributions by the basin tributaries to the nutritive condition of the river were small because concentrations of nutrients, algal growth potential, and algae in the tributaries were generally less than those in the river. (USGS)

Geophysical mapping of oyster habitats in a shallow estuary; Apalachicola Bay, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Twichell, David C.; Andrews, Brian D.; Edmiston, H. Lee; Stevenson, William R.

2007-01-01

This report presents high-resolution geophysical data, interpretive maps, and a preliminary discussion about the oyster habitat and estuary-floor geology within Apalachicola Bay, Florida (fig. 1). During two research cruises, conducted in 2005 and 2006, approximately 230 km² of the bay floor were surveyed using interferometric-bathymetry, sidescan-sonar, and chirp seismic-reflection techniques. The research was conducted as part of a cooperative program between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coastal Services Center (CSC), and the Apalachicola Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The Apalachicola Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve was established in 1979 to provide opportunities for long-term monitoring and research to provide a basis for more informed coastal management decisions for this estuary. Apalachicola Bay is the largest oyster fishery in Florida (Whitfield and Beaumariage, 1977), and the primary objective of this program is to develop a suite of maps that define oyster habitat distribution and estuary-floor geology within the bay. The resulting maps will assist in effective management of oyster resources and provide a reference geologic framework for future scientific and applied research.

Archive of bathymetry data collected in South Florida from 1995 to 2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hansen, Mark Erik; DeWitt, Nancy T.; Reynolds, Billy J.

2017-08-10

DescriptionLand development and alterations of the ecosystem in south Florida over the past 100 years have decreased freshwater and increased nutrient flows into many of Florida's estuaries, bays, and coastal regions. As a result, there has been a decrease in the water quality in many of these critical habitats, often prompting seagrass die-offs and reduced fish and aquatic life populations. Restoration of water quality in many of these habitats will depend partly upon using numerical-circulation and sediment-transport models to establish water-quality targets and to assess progress toward reaching restoration targets. Application of these models is often complicated because of complex sea floor topography and tidal flow regimes. Consequently, accurate and modern sea-floor or bathymetry maps are critical for numerical modeling research. Modern bathymetry data sets will also permit a comparison to historical data in order to help assess sea-floor changes within these critical habitats. New and detailed data sets also support marine biology studies to help understand migratory and feeding habitats of marine life.This data series is a compilation of 13 mapping projects conducted in south Florida between 1995 and 2015 and archives more than 45 million bathymetric soundings. Data were collected primarily with a single beam sound navigation and ranging (sonar) system called SANDS developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 1993. Bathymetry data for the Estero Bay project were supplemented with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL) system. Data from eight rivers in southwest Florida were collected with an interferometric swath bathymetry system. The projects represented in this data series were funded by the USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program (CMGP), the USGS South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Project- formally named Placed Based Studies, and other non-Federal agencies. The purpose of the data collection for all these projects was to support one or more of the following scientific aspects: numerical model applications, sea floor change analysis, or marine habitat investigations.This report serves as an archive of processed bathymetry sounding data, digital bathymetric contours, digital bathymetric maps, sea floor surface grids, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata. Refer to the Abbreviations page for explanations of acronyms and abbreviations used in this report. Since 2006, the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) assigns a unique identifier or Field Activity Number (FAN) for each field data collection. Projects described in this report conducted prior to 2006 do not have a FAN.Data from the 13 projects presented in this report provided critical hydrographic information to support multiple science projects in south Florida. The projects and the types of sounding data collected are:Florida Bay (1995-1999) - single-beamLake Okeechobee (2001) - single-beamTampa Bay (2001-2004) - single-beamCaloosahatchee River (2002)- single-beamEstero Bay to Matlacha Pass and offshore to Wiggins Pass (2003) - single-beam and airborne lidarNorth and Northwest Forks of the Loxahatchee and Lower St. Lucie Rivers (2003) - single-beamSouth Charlotte Harbor and offshore Sanibel Island (2003-2004) - single-beamShark River and Trout Creek (2004) - single-beam and interferometric swathSouthwest Florida Rivers (2004) - interferometric swathOffshore from Wiggins Pass to Cape Romano (2005) - single-beamTen Thousand Islands (2009) - single-beamLemon Bay (2011) - single-beamSouthwest Florida Rivers (2015) - interferometric swath

An epizootic of Florida manatees associated with a dinoflagellate bloom

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Shea, T.J.; Rathbun, G.B.; Bonde, R.K.; Buergelt, C.D.; Odell, D.K.

1991-01-01

Over a 10-wk period in early 1982, 39 Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) were found dead in the lower Caloosahatchee River and nearby waters of southwestern Florida. Two were killed by boats. The remainder showed no evidence of trauma. Lesions indicative of infectious agents were not identified, and bacteriological and contaminant residue findings were unremarkable. Nonspecific lesions of congestion and hemorrhage were identified in brain tissue. Numerous reports were also received of manatee morbidity. Some distressed manatees showed no biochemical lesions in clinical analyses of blood samples and recovered quickly. Timing of manatee illnesses coincided with fish and double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) mortality and morbidity. A widespread bloom of the dinoflagellate red tide organism (Gymnodinium breve) also coincided with these incidents. G. breve produces potent neurotoxins (brevetoxins). Circumstantial evidence links these events, and possible routes of exposure may include ingestion of filter-feeding ascidians. Ecological conditions that magnified the extent of the epizootic included an early dispersal of manatees into the area from a nearby winter aggregation site and unusually high salinities that facilitated the inshore spread of the red tide bloom. Management responses to future episodes of red tide in manatee areas are suggested.

50 CFR 226.218 - Critical habitat for the U.S. DPS of smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...) located along the southwest coast of peninsular Florida. The northern unit is the Charlotte Harbor Estuary... portions of Charlotte, Lee, Collier, Monroe, and Miami-Dade Counties. (1) Charlotte Harbor Estuary Unit. The Charlotte Harbor Estuary Unit is located within Charlotte and Lee Counties. The unit includes...

50 CFR 226.218 - Critical habitat for the U.S. DPS of smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...) located along the southwest coast of peninsular Florida. The northern unit is the Charlotte Harbor Estuary... portions of Charlotte, Lee, Collier, Monroe, and Miami-Dade Counties. (1) Charlotte Harbor Estuary Unit. The Charlotte Harbor Estuary Unit is located within Charlotte and Lee Counties. The unit includes...

50 CFR 226.218 - Critical habitat for the U.S. DPS of smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...) located along the southwest coast of peninsular Florida. The northern unit is the Charlotte Harbor Estuary... portions of Charlotte, Lee, Collier, Monroe, and Miami-Dade Counties. (1) Charlotte Harbor Estuary Unit. The Charlotte Harbor Estuary Unit is located within Charlotte and Lee Counties. The unit includes...

THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODELING OF COHESIVE SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN A PARTIALLY STRATIFIED MICRO-TIDAL ESTUARY TO ASSESS EFFECTIVENESS OF SEDIMENT TRAPS

EPA Science Inventory

The three-dimensional (3D) finite difference model Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC) was used to simulate the hydrodynamics and sediment transport in a partially stratified micro-tidal estuary. The estuary modeled consisted of a 16-km reach of the St. Johns River, Florida,...

Oil characterization and distribution in shoreline sediments of Pensacola Bay, Florida following the Deepwater Horizon spill

EPA Science Inventory

Barrier islands of Northwest Florida were heavily oiled during the Deepwater Horizon spill, but less is known about the impacts to the shorelines of the associated estuaries. Shoreline sediment oiling was investigated at 18 sites within the Pensacola Bay, Florida system prior to...

76 FR 16636 - Pine Island, Matlacha Pass, Island Bay, and Caloosahatchee NWRs, Lee County, FL; Final...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-24

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R4-R-2010-N240; 40136-1265-0000-S3] Pine Island, Matlacha Pass, Island Bay, and Caloosahatchee NWRs, Lee County, FL; Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Finding of No Significant Impact for Environmental Assessment AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife...

BACTERIOPLANKTON DYNAMICS IN A SUBTROPICAL ESTUARY: EVIDENCE FOR SUBSTRATE LIMITATION

EPA Science Inventory

Bacterioplankton abundance and metabolic characteristics were measured along a transect in Pensacola Bay, Florida, USA, to examine the factors that control microbial water column processes in this subtropical estuary. The microbial measures included 3 H-L-leucine incorporation, e...

Suwannee river basin and estuary integrated science workshop: September 22-24, 2004 Cedar Key, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Katz, Brian; Raabe, Ellen

2004-01-01

In response to the growing number of environmental concerns in the mostly pristine Suwannee River Basin and the Suwannee River Estuary system, the States of Florida and Georgia, the Federal government, and other local organizations have identified the Suwannee River as an ecosystem in need of protection because of its unique biota and important water resources. Organizations with vested interests in the region formed a coalition, the Suwannee Basin Interagency Alliance (SBIA), whose goals are to promote coordination in the identification, management, and scientific knowledge of the natural resources in the basin and estuary. To date, an integrated assessment of the physical, biological, and water resources has not been completed. A holistic, multi-disciplinary approach is being pursued to address the research needs in the basin and estuary and to provide supportive data for meeting management objectives of the entire ecosystem. The USGS is well situated to focus on the larger concerns of the basin and estuary by addressing specific research questions linking water supply and quality to ecosystem function and health across county and state boundaries. A strategic plan is being prepared in cooperation with Federal, State, and local agencies to identify and implement studies to address the most compelling research issues and management questions, and to conduct fundamental environmental monitoring studies. The USGS, Suwannee River Water Management District and the Florida Marine Research Institute are co-sponsoring this scientific workshop on the Suwannee River Basin and Estuary to: Discuss current and past research findings, Identify information gaps and research priorities, and Develop an action plan for coordinated and relevant research activities in the future. This workshop builds on the highly successful basin-wide conference sponsored by the Suwannee Basin Interagency Alliance that was held three years ago in Live Oak, Florida. This years workshop will focus on identifying information needs and priorities and developing partnerships. The USGS is seeking to define the role of the USGS Florida Integrated Science Center (FISC) in conducting integrated research in the Suwannee River Basin, and to establish a cooperative program with other agencies. Participants interested in river, floodplain, springs, estuary, or basin-wide issues are encouraged to attend. Topics for this years workshop include: Water quality and geochemistry: nutrient enrichment, reduction of nutrient loading to ground water, contaminants, and land use, Hydrogeology: interactions among ground water, surface water and ecosystem, modeling, and baseline mapping, Ecosystem dynamics: structure, process, species, and habitats (estuarine, riverine, floodplain, and wetland), and Information management: data sharing, database development, geographic information system (GIS), and basin-wide models.

DREDGING IMPACT ON AN URBANIZED FLORIDA BAYOU: EFFECTS ON BENTHOS AND ALGAL-PERIPHYTON.

EPA Science Inventory

Environmental effects of dredging events have been uncommonly reported for shallow, residential estuaries characteristic of the Gulf of Mexico region. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of hydraulic dredging on an urbanized estuary. Physicochemical quality, ...

Characterizing light attenuation within Northwest Florida ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Water Quality (WQ) condition is based on ecosystem stressor indicators (e.g. water clarity) which are biogeochemically important and critical when considering the Deepwater Horizon oil spill restoration efforts under the 2012 RESTORE Act. Nearly all of the proposed RESTORE projects list restoring WC as a goal, but 90% neglect water clarity. Here, dynamics of optical constituents impacting clarity are presented from a 2009-2011 study within Pensacola, Choctawhatchee, St. Andrew and St. Joseph estuaries (targeted RESTORE sites) in Northwest Florida. Phytoplankton were the smallest contribution to total absorption (at-wPAR) at 412 nm (5-11%), whereas colored dissolved organic matter was the largest (61-79%). Estuarine at-wPAR was significantly related to light attenuation (KdPAR), where individual contributors to clarity and the influence of climatic events were discerned. Provided are conversion equations demonstrating interoperability of clarity indicators between traditional State-measured WQ measures (e.g. secchi disc), optical constituents, and even satellite remote sensing for obtaining baseline assessments. This paper arose from efforts under SSWR and SHC to utilize water quality data as baseline measures for RESTORE Act monitoring in Florida estuaries. This paper aims to (1) describe dynamics of optical constituents that impact water clarity in four NW Florida estuaries, and (2) make a case for the total absorption coefficient (at-wPAR) as a valuable

Quantitative assessment of benthic food resources for juvenile Gulf sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi in the Suwannee River estuary, Florida, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brooks, R.A.; Sulak, K.J.

2005-01-01

Gulf sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi, forage extensively in the Suwannee River estuary following emigration out of the Suwannee River, Florida. While in the estuary, juvenile Gulf sturgeon primarily feed on benthic infauna. In June-July 2002 and February-April 2003, random sites within the estuary were sampled for benthic macrofauna (2002 n = 156; 2003 n = 103). A mean abundance of 2,562 ind m-2 (SE ?? 204) was found in the summer, with significantly reduced macrofaunal abundance in the winter (mean density of 1,044 ind m-2, SE ?? 117). Benthic biomass was significantly higher in the summer with an average summer sample dry weight of 5.92 g m-2 (SE ?? 0.82) compared to 3.91 g m-2 (SE ?? 0.67) in the winter. Amphipods and polychaetes were the dominant taxa collected during both sampling periods. Three different estimates of food availability were examined taking into account principal food item information and biomass estimates. All three estimates provided a slightly different view of potential resources but were consistent in indicating that food resource values for juvenile Gulf sturgeon are spatially heterogeneous within the Suwannee River estuary. ?? 2005 Estuarine Research Federation.

Non-conservative behavior of fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) within a subterranean estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suryaputra, I. G. N. A.; Santos, I. R.; Huettel, M.; Burnett, W. C.; Dittmar, T.

2015-11-01

The role of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) in releasing fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) to the coastal ocean and the possibility of using FDOM as a proxy for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was investigated in a subterranean estuary in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico (Turkey Point, Florida). FDOM was continuously monitored for three weeks in shallow beach groundwater and in the adjacent coastal ocean. Radon (222Rn) was used as a natural groundwater tracer. FDOM and DOC correlated in groundwater and seawater samples, implying that FDOM may be a proxy of DOC in waters influenced by SGD. A mixing model using salinity as a seawater tracer revealed FDOM production in the high salinity region of the subterranean estuary. This production was probably a result of infiltration and transformation of labile marine organic matter in the beach sediments. The non-conservative FDOM behavior in this subterranean estuary differs from most surface estuaries where FDOM typically behaves conservatively. At the study site, fresh and saline SGD delivered about 1800 mg d-1 of FDOM (quinine equivalents) to the coastal ocean per meter of shoreline. About 11% of this input was related to fresh SGD, while 89% were related to saline SGD resulting from FDOM production within the shallow aquifer. If these fluxes are representative of the Florida Gulf Coast, SGD-derived FDOM fluxes would be equivalent to at least 18% of the potential regional riverine FDOM inputs. To reduce uncertainties related to the scarcity of FDOM data, further investigations of river and groundwater FDOM inputs in Florida and elsewhere are necessary.

Sediment loads in canals 18, 23, and 24 in southeastern Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pitt, William A. J.

1971-01-01

Suspended-sediment concentrations and suspended-sediment discharges were determined in selected canals in St. Lucie, Martin, and Palm Beach Counties, in southeastern Florida. Sediment rating curves were developed to relate water discharge to sediment concentration at the three sites sampled. An evaluation of the concentration and sediment loads shows that larger amounts of suspended sediment were being carried into the St. Lucie River estuary than were being carried into the Loxahatchee River estuary. Peat and muck soils in areas drained for agricultural planting and citrus cultivation are readily carried by runoff water into major canals that traverse the region.

Management case study: Tampa Bay, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morrison, G.; Greening, H.S.; Yates, K.K.

2012-01-01

Tampa Bay, Florida,USA, is a shallow,subtropical estuary that experienced severe cultural eutrophication between the 1940s and 1980s, a period when the human population of its watershed quadrupled. In response, citizen action led to the formation of a public- and private-sector partnership (the Tampa Bay Estuary Program), which adopted a number of management objectives to support the restoration and protection of the bay’s living resources. These included numeric chlorophyll a and water-clarity targets, as well as long-term goals addressing the spatial extent of sea grasses and other selected habitat types, to support estuarine-dependent faunal guilds.

BENTHIC NUTRIENT FLUX IN A SMALL ESTUARY IN NORTHWESTERNFLORIDA (USA)

EPA Science Inventory

Benthic Nutrient Flux in a Small Estuary in Northwestern Florida(USA).Gulf and Caribbean Research 18, 15-25, 2006.

Benthic nutrient fluxes of ammonium (NH4+), nitrite/nitrate (NO2-+NO3-), phosphate (PO4-), and dissolved silica (DSi) were measured in Escambia Bay, an estuar...

ECOLOGICAL CONDITION OF ESTUARIES IN THE GULF OF MEXICO

EPA Science Inventory

The Gulf of Mexico is a vast natural resource that encompasses the coastal areas of western Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, as well as a portion of Mexico. Many estuaries flow into the Gulf of Mexico and serve as nursery grounds for fish, habitat for a wide va...

PHYTOPLANKTON DYNAMICS IN A GULF OF MEXICO ESTUARY: TIME SERIES OF SIZE STRUCTURE, NUTRIENTS, VARIABLE FLUORESCENCE AND ALGAL PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY

EPA Science Inventory

Relationships between phytoplankton dynamics and physiology, and environmental conditions were studied in Santa Rosa Sound, Florida, USA, at near-weekly intervals during 2001. Santa Rosa Sound is a component of the Pensacola Bay estuary in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Parameters ...

Sediment concentrations and loads in the Loxahatchee River estuary, Florida, 1980-82

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sonntag, Wayne H.; McPherson, Benjamin F.

1984-01-01

This study was conducted to estimate the magnitude of sediment loads and the general spatial and temporal patterns of sediment transport in the Loxahatchee River estuary, Florida. Mean concentrations of suspended sediment generally were higher in the Jupiter Inlet area than in the remainder of the embayment area. Concentrations of suspended sediment varied with season and weather conditions. Concentrations in selected tributaries following Tropical Storm Dennis in August 1981 immediately increased as much as 16 times over concentrations before the storm. Suspended-sediment loads from the tributaries were also highly seasonal and storm related. During a 61-day period of above-average rainfall that included Tropical Storm Dennis, 5 major tributaries discharged 926 tons (short) of suspended sediment to the estuary, accounting for 74 percent of the input for the 1981 water year and 49 percent of the input for the 20-month study period. Suspended-sediment loads at Jupiter Inlet and at the mouth of the estuary embayment on both incoming and outgoing tides far exceeded tributary loads, but the direction of long-term, net tidal transport was not determined. (USGS)

Cyanobacteria of the 2016 Lake Okeechobee and Okeechobee Waterway harmful algal bloom

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosen, Barry H.; Davis, Timothy W.; Gobler, Christopher J.; Kramer, Benjamin J.; Loftin, Keith A.

2017-05-31

The Lake Okeechobee and the Okeechobee Waterway (Lake Okeechobee, the St. Lucie Canal and River, and the Caloosahatchee River) experienced an extensive harmful algal bloom within Lake Okeechobee, the St. Lucie Canal and River and the Caloosahatchee River in 2016. In addition to the very visible bloom of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa, several other cyanobacteria were present. These other species were less conspicuous; however, they have the potential to produce a variety of cyanotoxins, including anatoxins, cylindrospermopsins, and saxitoxins, in addition to the microcystins commonly associated with Microcystis. Some of these species were found before, during, and 2 weeks after the large Microcystis bloom and could provide a better understanding of bloom dynamics and succession. This report provides photographic documentation and taxonomic assessment of the cyanobacteria present from Lake Okeechobee and the Caloosahatchee River and St. Lucie Canal, with samples collected June 1st from the Caloosahatchee River and Lake Okeechobee and in July from the St. Lucie Canal. The majority of the images were of live organisms, allowing their natural complement of pigmentation to be captured. The report provides a digital image-based taxonomic record of the Lake Okeechobee and the Okeechobee Waterway microscopic flora. It is anticipated that these images will facilitate current and future studies on this system, such as understanding the timing of cyanobacteria blooms and their potential toxin production.

Effects of Irradiance on Benthic and Water Column Processes in a Gulf of Mexico Estuary: Pensacola Bay, Florida, USA

EPA Science Inventory

We examined the effect of light on water column and benthic fluxes in the Pensacola Bay estuary, a river-dominated system in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. Measurements were made during summer 2003 and 2004 on 16 dates at along depth and salinity gradients. Dissolved oxygen flu...

MONITORING, PHOTOCHEMICAL FATE, AND OXIDATIVE DEGRADATION BY UV AND SOLAR-BASED CATALYTIC TECHNOLOGIES OF CYANOTOXINS IN FRESHWATER ESTUARIES

EPA Science Inventory

The increase of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in freshwater estuaries, especially in the Great Lakes and Florida, is a source of growing concern. The presence of high concentrations of harmful cyanotoxins from HABs in drinking water supplies is a serious threat to human and envi...

Biostratigraphy and chronostratigraphy of the area between Sarasota and Lake Okeechobee, southern Florida: An integrated approach

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wingard, G.L.; Edwards, L.E.; McCartan, L.

1993-03-01

Preliminary analysis of paleontologic and isotopic data from 15 coreholes, integrated with the lithostratigraphic framework, has revealed three chronostratigraphic depositional units in the subsurface of the Arcadia and Sarasota 30 [times] 60-minute quadrangles, in the southern Florida peninsula. (1) An upper Oligocene depositional unit unconformably overlies the lower Oligocene Suwannee Formation and has been dated by using [sup 87]Sr/[sup 86]Sr values and molluscs. (2) A lower and middle Miocene depositional unit has been dated on the basis of [sup 87]Sr/[sup 86]Sr values, molluscs, and dinoflagellates. The upper boundary of this unit is marked by the top of the Venice Claymore » in the western part of the study area. (3) A Pliocene and Pleistocene depositional unit, dated on the basis of [sup 87]Sr/[sup 86]Sr values, molluscs, dinoflagellates, foraminifera, ostracodes, and pollen, unconformably overlies the lower and middle Miocene beds; this unconformity represents approximately a 13-million-year gap in the record. The Pliocene and Pleistocene unit is seen in the surficial deposits of the Caloosahatchee, Tamiami, Bermont, and Fort Thompson Formations. The interpretation of Florida's geologic history is hampered by the interfingering of onlap/offlap cycles from two coastlines, a unique situation in southeastern coastal plain geology. In addition, a complex diagenetic history, mixing of carbonate and siliciclastic regimes, and lack of surface exposures make interpretation of the stratigraphic sequences difficult. The chronostratigraphic depositional units identified cut across lithofacies boundaries and allow correlation across the Florida peninsula, thus leading to the development of coherent, well-defined lithostratigraphic units.« less

Land use, water use, streamflow characteristics, and water-quality characteristics of the Charlotte Harbor inflow area, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hammett, K.M.

1990-01-01

Charlotte Harbor is a 270-square-mile estuarine system in west-central Florida. It is being subjected to increasing environmental stress by rapid population growth and development. By 2020, population in the inflow area may double, which will result in increased demands for freshwater and increased waste loads. The Charlotte Harbor inflow area includes about 4,685 square miles. The Myakka, the Peace, and the Caloosahatchee are the major rivers emptying into the harbor. About 70 percent of the land in these three river basins is used for agriculture and range. In the coastal basin around Charlotte Harbor, about 50 percent of the total land area is devoted to commercial or residential uses. Water use in the inflow area is about 565 million gallons per day, of which 59 percent is used for irrigation, 26 percent for industry, 11 percent for public supply, and 4 percent for rural supply. Total freshwater inflow from the three major rivers, the coastal area, and rainfall directly into Charlotte Harbor averages between 5,700 and 6,100 cubic feet per second, which is more than 3,500 million gallons per day. A trend analysis of about 50 years of streamflow data shows a statistically significant decreasing trend for the Peace River stations at Bartow, Zolfo Springs, and Arcadia. No significant trend has been observed in the Myakka or the Caloosahatchee River data. In the Peace River, the decrease in flow may be related to a long-term decline in the potentiometric surface of the underlying Floridan aquifer system, which resulted from ground-water withdrawals. It is not possible to determine whether the trend will continue. However, if it does continue at the same rate, then, except for brief periods of storm runoff, the Peace River at Zolfo Springs could be dry year-round in about 100 years. Of the 114 facilities permitted to discharge domestic or industrial effluent to waters tributary to Charlotte Harbor, 88 are in the Peace River basin. Phosphate ore and citrus processing account for most of the industrial effluent. Several locations in the headwaters of the Peace River have been significantly affected as a result of receiving wastewater effluent. The Peace, the Myakka, and the Caloosahatchee Rivers transport more than 2,000 tons per day of dissolved solids, more than 17 tons per day of nitrogen, and about 6 tons per day of phosphorus. By 2020, the population in the inflow area is expected to increase by more than 500,000 people. They will require an additional 76 million gallons per day for water supply. The increased population will produce an additional 60 million gallons per day of domestic wastewater, which could result in an additional 3 tons per day of nitrogen and 0.65 ton per day of phosphorus. More than 150 square miles of land will be converted to urban uses, which will produce another 0.25 ton per day of nitrogen from urban runoff. These increased nutrient loads can be expected to occur concurrently with decreased freshwater inflow.

Baseline sediment trace metals investigation: Steinhatchee River estuary, Florida, Northeast Gulf of Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trimble, C.A.; Hoenstine, R.W.; Highley, A.B.; Donoghue, J.F.; Ragland, P.C.

1999-01-01

This Florida Geological Survey/U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service Cooperative Study provides baseline data for major and trace metal concentrations in the sediments of the Steinhatchee River estuary. These data are intended to provide a benchmark for comparison with future metal concentration data measurements. The Steinhatchee River estuary is a relatively pristine bay located within the Big Bend Wildlife Management Area on the North Central Florida Gulf of Mexico coastline. The river flows 55 km through woodlands and planted pines before emptying into the Gulf at Deadman Harbor. Water quality in the estuary is excellent at present. There is minimal development within the watershed. The estuary is part of an extensive system of marshes that formed along the Florida Gulf coast during the Holocene marine transgression. Sediment accretion rate measurements range from 1.4 to 4.1 mm/yr on the basis of lead-210 measurements. Seventy-nine short cores were collected from 66 sample locations, representing four lithofacies: clay- and organic-rich sands, organic-rich sands, clean quartz sands, and oyster bioherms. Samples were analyzed for texture, total organic matter, total carbon, total nitrogen, clay mineralogy, and major and trace-metal content. Following these analyses, metal concentrations were normalized against geochemical reference elements (aluminum and iron) and against total weight percent organic matter. Metals were also normalized granulometrically against total weight percent fines (<0.062 mm). Concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) for all metals except mercury. Mercury concentrations were determined by cold-flameless atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Granulometric measurements were made by sieve and pipette analyses. Organic matter was determined by two methods: weight loss upon ignition and elemental analysis (by Carlo-Erba Furnace) of carbon and nitrogen. X-ray diffraction was used to determine clay mineralogy. Trace-metal concentrations were best correlated when normalized with respect to sediment aluminum concentrations. Normalizations indicate that most major and trace-metal concentrations fall within 95% prediction limits of the expected value. This finding suggests that little significant metal contamination occurred within this system prior to 1994 sediment sampling. Exceptions include lead, mercury, copper, zinc, potassium, and phosphorous. Lead and mercury are elements that generally enter this watershed through atmospheric deposition; thus, anomalous levels of these metals are not necessarily associated with activities within the watershed of the Steinhatchee River estuary. Anomalous concentrations of other metals such as zinc, copper, and phosphorous probably do originate within the Steinhatchee watershed. Copper failed to correlate well with any geochemical or granulometric normalizer, and this condition was not limited to a single facies or area within the estuary. This finding may indicate copper contamination in the system. Increased zinc and copper levels may be attributed to marine paints. Phosphorous levels also appeared to be elevated in a few locations in the two marsh facies sampled. This may be due to nutrient loading from two small communities, Jena and Steinhatchee, or from the application of this element in fertilizer to reduce moisture stress to young planted pines on tree farms within the watershed.The Florida Geological Survey/US Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service Cooperative Study provides baseline data for major and trace metal concentrations in the sediments of the Steinhatchee River estuary. The data are intended to provide a benchmark for comparison with metal concentration data measurements. Seventy nine short cores were collected from 66 sample locations and analyzed. Metal concentrations were normalized against geochemical reference elements and against total weight percen

Contaminant exposure and effects--terrestrial vertebrates database: Trends and data gaps for Atlantic Coast estuaries

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rattner, B.A.; Pearson, J.L.; Golden, N.H.; Cohen, J.B.; Erwin, R.M.; Ottinger, M.A.

2000-01-01

In order to examine the condition of biota in Atlantic coast estuaries, a ?Contaminant Exposure and Effects--Terrestrial Vertebrates? database (CEE-TV) has been compiled through computerized search of published literature, review of existing databases, and solicitation of unpublished reports from conservation agencies, private groups, and universities. Summary information has been entered into the database, including species, collection date (1965-present), site coordinates, estuary name, hydrologic unit catalogue code, sample matrix, contaminant concentrations, biomarker and bioindicator responses, and reference source, utilizing a 98-field character and numeric format. Currently, the CEE-TV database contains 3699 georeferenced records representing 190 vertebrate species and >145,000 individuals residing in estuaries from Maine through Florida. This relational database can be directly queried, imported into a Geographic Information System to examine spatial patterns, identify data gaps and areas of concern, generate hypotheses, and focus ecotoxicological field assessments. Information on birds made up the vast majority (83%) of the database, with only a modicum of data on amphibians (75,000 chemical compounds in commerce, only 118 commonly measured environmental contaminants were quantified in tissues of terrestrial vertebrates. There were no CEE-TV data records in 15 of the 67 estuaries located along the Atlantic coast and Florida Gulf coast. The CEE-TV database has a number of potential applications including focusing biomonitoring efforts to generate critically needed ecotoxicological data in the numerous ?gaps? along the coast, reducing uncertainty about contaminant risk, identifying areas for mitigation, restoration or special management, and ranking ecological conditions of estuaries.

Establishing Minimum Flow Requirements Based on Benthic Vegetation: What are Some Issues Related to Identifying Quantity of Inflow and Tools Used to Quantify Ecosystem Response?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hunt, M. J.; Nuttle, W. K.; Cosby, B. J.; Marshall, F. E.

2005-05-01

Establishing minimum flow requirements in aquatic ecosystems is one way to stipulate controls on water withdrawals in a watershed. The basis of the determination is to identify the amount of flow needed to sustain a threshold ecological function. To develop minimum flow criteria an understanding of ecological response in relation to flow is essential. Several steps are needed including: (1) identification of important resources and ecological functions, (2) compilation of available information, (3) determination of historical conditions, (4) establishment of technical relationships between inflow and resources, and (5) identification of numeric criteria that reflect the threshold at which resources are harmed. The process is interdisciplinary requiring the integration of hydrologic and ecologic principles with quantitative assessments. The tools used quantify the ecological response and key questions related to how the quantity of flow influences the ecosystem are examined by comparing minimum flow determination in two different aquatic systems in South Florida. Each system is characterized by substantial hydrologic alteration. The first, the Caloosahatchee River is a riverine system, located on the southwest coast of Florida. The second, the Everglades- Florida Bay ecotone, is a wetland mangrove ecosystem, located on the southern tip of the Florida peninsula. In both cases freshwater submerged aquatic vegetation (Vallisneria americana or Ruppia maritima), located in areas of the saltwater- freshwater interface has been identified as a basis for minimum flow criteria. The integration of field studies, laboratory studies, and literature review was required. From this information we developed ecological modeling tools to quantify and predict plant growth in response to varying environmental variables. Coupled with hydrologic modeling tools questions relating to the quantity and timing of flow and ecological consequences in relation to normal variability are addressed.

Coastal wetland adaptation to sea level rise: Quantifying potential for landward migration and coastal squeeze

USGS Publications Warehouse

Borchert, Sinéad M.; Osland, Michael J.; Enwright, Nicholas M.; Griffith, Kereen

2018-01-01

Coastal wetland ecosystems are expected to migrate landwards in response to rising seas. However, due to differences in topography and coastal urbanization, estuaries vary in their ability to accommodate migration. Low‐lying urban areas can constrain migration and lead to wetland loss (i.e. coastal squeeze), especially where existing wetlands cannot keep pace with rising seas via vertical adjustments. In many estuaries, there is a pressing need to identify landward migration corridors and better quantify the potential for landward migration and coastal squeeze.We quantified and compared the area available for landward migration of tidal saline wetlands and the area where urban development is expected to prevent migration for 39 estuaries along the wetland‐rich USA Gulf of Mexico coast. We did so under three sea level rise scenarios (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 m by 2100).Within the region, the potential for wetland migration is highest within certain estuaries in Louisiana and southern Florida (e.g. Atchafalaya/Vermilion Bays, Mermentau River, Barataria Bay, and the North and South Ten Thousand Islands estuaries).The potential for coastal squeeze is highest in estuaries containing major metropolitan areas that extend into low‐lying lands. The Charlotte Harbor, Tampa Bay, and Crystal‐Pithlachascotee estuaries (Florida) have the highest amounts of urban land expected to constrain wetland migration. Urban barriers to migration are also high in the Galveston Bay (Texas) and Atchafalaya/Vermilion Bays (Louisiana) estuaries.Synthesis and applications. Coastal wetlands provide many ecosystem services that benefit human health and well‐being, including shoreline protection and fish and wildlife habitat. As the rate of sea level rise accelerates in response to climate change, coastal wetland resources could be lost in areas that lack space for landward migration. Migration corridors are particularly important in highly urbanized estuaries where, due to low‐lying coastal development, there is not space for wetlands to move and adapt to sea level rise. Future‐focused landscape conservation plans that incorporate the protection of wetland migration corridors can increase the adaptive capacity of these valuable ecosystems and simultaneously decrease the vulnerability of coastal human communities to the harmful effects of rising seas.

Dynamics of marsh-mangrove ecotone since the mid-Holocene: A palynological study of mangrove encroachment and sea level rise in the Shark River Estuary, Florida

PubMed Central

Liu, Kam-biu

2017-01-01

Sea level rise and the associated inland shift of the marsh-mangrove ecotone in south Florida have raised many scientific and management concerns in recent years. Holocene paleoecological records can provide an important baseline to shed light on the long-term dynamics of vegetation changes across this ecotone in the past, which is needed to predict the future. In this study, we present palynological, X-ray fluorescence, and loss-on ignition data from four sedimentary cores recovered from a 20-km marine-to-freshwater transect along the Shark River Estuary, southwest Everglades, to document the patterns and processes of coastal vegetation changes in response to sea level rise since the mid-Holocene. Our record indicates that freshwater marsh progressively replaced marl prairies at the Shark River Estuary between 5700 and 4400 cal yr BP. As marine transgression continued, marine influence reached the threshold necessary for mangroves to establish at the current mouth of the Shark River Slough at 3800 cal yr BP. During the next 3000 years, although sea level rise in the Western North Atlantic slowed down to 0.4 mm/yr, a spatial and temporal gradient was evident as the marsh-mangrove ecotone shifted inland by 20 km from 3800 to 800 cal yr BP, accompanied by a gradual landward replacement of freshwater marsh by mangrove forest. If sea level continues to rise at 2.33 mm/yr in the 21st century in south Florida, it is possible that marine influence will reach the threshold for mangroves to establish in the central Everglades, and we could expect a much more aggressive mangrove encroachment toward the northern and interior parts of south Florida in the next few centuries. PMID:28282415

Dynamics of marsh-mangrove ecotone since the mid-Holocene: A palynological study of mangrove encroachment and sea level rise in the Shark River Estuary, Florida.

PubMed

Yao, Qiang; Liu, Kam-Biu

2017-01-01

Sea level rise and the associated inland shift of the marsh-mangrove ecotone in south Florida have raised many scientific and management concerns in recent years. Holocene paleoecological records can provide an important baseline to shed light on the long-term dynamics of vegetation changes across this ecotone in the past, which is needed to predict the future. In this study, we present palynological, X-ray fluorescence, and loss-on ignition data from four sedimentary cores recovered from a 20-km marine-to-freshwater transect along the Shark River Estuary, southwest Everglades, to document the patterns and processes of coastal vegetation changes in response to sea level rise since the mid-Holocene. Our record indicates that freshwater marsh progressively replaced marl prairies at the Shark River Estuary between 5700 and 4400 cal yr BP. As marine transgression continued, marine influence reached the threshold necessary for mangroves to establish at the current mouth of the Shark River Slough at 3800 cal yr BP. During the next 3000 years, although sea level rise in the Western North Atlantic slowed down to 0.4 mm/yr, a spatial and temporal gradient was evident as the marsh-mangrove ecotone shifted inland by 20 km from 3800 to 800 cal yr BP, accompanied by a gradual landward replacement of freshwater marsh by mangrove forest. If sea level continues to rise at 2.33 mm/yr in the 21st century in south Florida, it is possible that marine influence will reach the threshold for mangroves to establish in the central Everglades, and we could expect a much more aggressive mangrove encroachment toward the northern and interior parts of south Florida in the next few centuries.

Utilizing Depth of Colonization of Seagrasses to Develop ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

US EPA is working with state and local partners in Florida to develop numeric water quality criteria to protect estuaries from nutrient pollution. Similar to other nutrient management programs in Florida, EPA is considering status of seagrass habitats as an indicator of biological integrity, with depth of colonization of seagrasses used to relate potential seagrass extent to water quality requirements (especially water clarity). We developed and validated an automated methodology for evaluating depth of colonization and applied it to generate 228 estimates of seagrass colonization depth for coverage years spanning 67 years (1940-2007) in a total of 100 segments within 19 estuarine and coastal areas in Florida. A validation test showed that two parameters that were computed, Zc50 and ZcMax, approximated the average and 95th percentile depth at the deep-water margin of seagrass beds. Zc50 was estimated separately for continuous seagrass vs. all seagrass. Average values for Zc50 as well as long-term trends were evaluated for the entire state, illustrating a decline on average from early years (e.g., 1940-1953) to a middle period (1982-1999) and a variable degree of recovery since 2000. The largest decrease in Zc50 occurred in Florida panhandle estuaries. Extensive water quality data compiled in the Florida DEP’s Impaired Waters Rule database was evaluated to characterize Secchi depth, CDOM, TSS, and chlorophyll-a in relation to depth of colonization estima

Spatial and temporal variability in estuary habitat use by American alligators

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fujisaki, Ikuko; Hart, Kristen M.; Cherkiss, Michael S.; Mazzotti, Frank J.; Beauchamp, Jeffrey S.; Jeffery, Brian M.; Brandt, Laura A.

2016-01-01

Estuarine habitat occupied by Alligator mississippiensis, a primarily freshwater species, is spatially and temporally heterogeneous largely due to a salinity gradient that fluctuates. Using long-term night light survey data, we examined seasonal patterns in alligators’ habitat use by size classes in midstream and downstream estuary zones of Shark River, Everglades National Park, in southern Florida. We observed predominantly large-sized alligators (total length ≥ 1.75 m); observations of alligators in the small size classes (0.5 m ≤ total length < 1.25 m) were rare especially in the higher-salinity downstream zone. The density of alligators in the downstream zone was lower than that of the midstream zone during the dry season when salinity increases due to reduced precipitation. Conversely, the density of the large size alligators was higher in the downstream zone than in the midstream zone during the wet season, likely because of reduced salinity. We also found a significant declining trend over time in the number of alligators in the dry season, which coincides with the reported decline in alligator relative density in southern Florida freshwater wetlands. Our results indicated high adaptability of alligators to the fluctuating habitat conditions. Use of estuaries by alligators is likely driven in part by physiology and possibly by reproductive cycle, and our results supported their opportunistic use of estuary habitat and ontogenetic niche shifts.

Long time-series of turbid coastal water using AVHRR: An example from Florida Bay, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stumpf, R.P.; Frayer, M.L.

1997-01-01

The AVHRR can provide information on the reflectance of turbid case II water, permitting examination of large estuaries and plumes from major rivers. The AVHRR has been onboard several NOAA satellites, with afternoon overpasses since 1981, offering a long time-series to examine changes in coastal water. We are using AVHRR data starting in December 1989, to examine water clarity in Florida Bay, which has undergone a decline since the late 1980's. The processing involves obtaining a nominal reflectance for red light with standard corrections including those for Rayleigh and aerosol path radiances. Established relationships between reflectance and the water properties being measured in the Bay provide estimates of diffuse attenuation and light limitation for phytoplankton and seagrass productivity studies. Processing also includes monthly averages of reflectance and attenuation. The AVHRR data set describes spatial and temporal patterns, including resuspension of bottom sediments in the winter, and changes in water clarity. The AVHRR also indicates that Florida Bay has much higher reflectivity relative to attenuation than other southeastern US estuaries. ??2005 Copyright SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering.

Long time-series of turbid coastal water using AVHRR: an example from Florida Bay, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stumpf, Richard P.; Frayer, M. L.

1997-02-01

The AVHRR can provide information on the reflectance of turbid case II water, permitting examination of large estuaries and plumes from major rivers. The AVHRR has been onboard several NOAA satellites, with afternoon overpasses since 1981, offering a long time-series to examine changes in coastal water. We are using AVHRR data starting in December 1989, to examine water clarity in Florida Bay, which has undergone a decline since the late 1980's. The processing involves obtaining a nominal reflectance for red light with standard corrections including those for Rayleigh and aerosol path radiances. Established relationships between reflectance and the water properties being measured in the Bay provide estimates of diffuse attenuation and light limitation for phytoplankton and seagrass productivity studies. Processing also includes monthly averages of reflectance and attenuation. The AVHRR data set describes spatial and temporal patterns, including resuspension of bottom sediments in the winter, and changes in water clarity. The AVHRR also indicates that Florida Bay has much higher reflectivity relative to attenuation than other southeastern US estuaries.

Florida Bay: A history of recent ecological changes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fourqurean, J.W.; Robblee, M.B.

1999-01-01

Florida Bay is a unique subtropical estuary at the southern tip of the Florida peninsula. Recent ecological changes (seagrass die-off, algal blooms, increased turbidity) to the Florida Bay ecosystem have focused the attention of the public, commercial interests, scientists, and resource managers on the factors influencing the structure and function of Florida Bay. Restoring Florida Bay to some historic condition is the goal of resource managers, but what is not clear is what an anthropogenically-unaltered Florida Bay would look like. While there is general consensus that human activities have contributed to the changes occurring in the Florida Bay ecosystem, a high degree of natural system variability has made elucidation of the links between human activity and Florida Bay dynamics difficult. Paleoecological analyses, examination of long-term datasets, and directed measurements of aspects of the ecology of Florida Bay all contribute to our understanding of the behavior of the bay, and allow quantification of the magnitude of the recent ecological changes with respect to historical variability of the system.

Changes in the fish fauna of the Kissimmee River basin, peninsular Florida: Nonnative additions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nico, L.G.

2005-01-01

Recent decades have seen substantial changes in fish assemblages in rivers of peninsular Florida. The most striking change has involved the addition of nonnative fishes, including taxa from Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. I review recent and historical records of fishes occurring in the Kissimmee River basin (7,800 km2), a low-gradient drainage with 47 extant native fishes (one possibly the result of an early transplant), at least 7 foreign fishes (most of which are widely established), and a stocked hybrid. Kissimmee assemblages include fewer marine fishes than the nearby Peace and Caloosahatchee rivers, and fewer introduced foreign fishes than south Florida canals. Fish assemblages of the Kissimmee and other subtropical Florida rivers are dynamic, due to new introductions, range expansions of nonnative fishes already present, and periodic declines in nonnative fish populations during occasional harsh winters. The addition, dispersal, and abundance of nonnative fishes in the basin is linked to many factors, including habitat disturbance, a subtropical climate, and the fact that the basin is centrally located in a region where drainage boundaries are blurred and introductions of foreign fishes commonplace. The first appearance of foreign fishes in the basin coincided with the complete channelization of the Kissimmee River in the 1970s. Although not a causal factor, artificial waterways connecting the upper lakes and channelization of the Kissimmee River have facilitated dispersal. With one possible exception, there have been no basin-wide losses of native fishes. When assessing change in peninsular Florida waters, extinction or extirpation of fishes appears to be a poor measure of impact. No endemic species are known from peninsular Florida (although some endemic subspecies have been noted). Most native freshwater fishes are themselves descended from recent invaders that reached the peninsula from the main continent. These invasions likely were associated with major fluctuations in sea level since the original mid-Oligocene emergence of the Florida Platform. As opportunistic invaders, most native freshwater fishes in peninsular Florida are resilient, widespread, and common. At this early stage, it is not possible to predict the long-term consequences caused by the introduction of foreign fishes. We know a few details about the unusual trophic roles and other aspects of the life histories of certain nonnatives. Still, the ecological outcome may take decades to unfold.

Simulation of tidal flow and circulation patterns in the Loxahatchee River Estuary, southeastern Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Russell, G.M.; Goodwin, C.R.

1987-01-01

Results of a two-dimensional, vertically averaged, computer simulation model of the Loxahatchee River estuary show that under typical low freshwater inflow and vertically well mixed conditions, water circulation is dominated by freshwater inflow rather than by tidal influence. The model can simulate tidal flow and circulation in the Loxahatchee River estuary under typical low freshwater inflow and vertically well mixed conditions, but is limited, however, to low-flow and well mixed conditions. Computed patterns of residual water transport show a consistent seaward flow from the northwest fork through the central embayment and out Jupiter Inlet to the Atlantic Ocean. A large residual seaward flow was computed from the North Intracoastal Waterway to the inlet channel. Although the tide produces large flood and ebb flows in the estuary, tide-induced residual transport rates are low in comparison with freshwater-induced residual transport. Model investigations of partly mixed or stratified conditions in the estuary need to await development of systems capable of simulating three-dimensional flow patterns. (Author 's abstract)

Response of Florida shelf ecosystems to climate change: from macro to micro scales

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robbins, Lisa; Raabe, Ellen

2010-01-01

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research in St. Petersburg, Fla., is focusing attention on marine environments of the Florida shelf at three levels, from regional to estuarine to the individual organism. The USGS is partnering on this project with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the University of South Florida (USF) in marine studies. The specific goals of these combined efforts are an improved understanding of the effects of ocean acidification on regional carbonate processes, changes in individual estuaries, and organism-level response. This understanding will assist in developing appropriate Federal, State, and local management responses to climate change in coastal areas.

Patterns of fish use and piscivore abundance within a reconnected saltmarsh impoundment in the northern Indian River Lagoon, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stevens, Philip W.; Montague, C.L.; Sulak, K.J.

2006-01-01

Nearly all saltmarshes in east-central, Florida were impounded for mosquito control during the 1960s. The majority of these marshes have since been reconnected to the estuary by culverts, providing an opportunity to effectively measure exchange of aquatic organisms. A multi-gear approach was used monthly to simultaneously estimate fish standing stock (cast net), fish exchange with the estuary (culvert traps), and piscivore abundance (gill nets and bird counts) to document patterns of fish use in a reconnected saltmarsh impoundment. Changes in saltmarsh fish abundance, and exchange of fish with the estuary reflected the seasonal pattern of marsh flooding in the northern Indian River Lagoon system. During a 6-month period of marsh flooding, resident fish had continuous access to the marsh surface. Large piscivorous fish regularly entered the impoundment via creeks and ditches to prey upon small resident fish, and piscivorous birds aggregated following major fish movements to the marsh surface or to deep habitats. As water levels receded in winter, saltmarsh fish concentrated into deep habitats and emigration to the estuary ensued (200% greater biomass left the impoundment than entered). Fish abundance and community structure along the estuary shoreline (although fringed with marsh vegetation) were not analogous to marsh creeks and ditches. Perimeter ditches provided deep-water habitat for large estuarine predators, and shallow creeks served as an alternative habitat for resident fish when the marsh surface was dry. Use of the impoundment as nursery by transients was limited to Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, but large juvenile and adult piscivorous fish used the impoundment for feeding. In conclusion, the saltmarsh impoundment was a feeding site for piscivorous fish and birds, and functioned as a net exporter of forage fish to adjacent estuarine waters. ?? Springer 2006.

Nitrogen limitation, toxin synthesis potential, and toxicity of cyanobacterial populations in Lake Okeechobee and the St. Lucie River Estuary, Florida, during the 2016 state of emergency event.

PubMed

Kramer, Benjamin J; Davis, Timothy W; Meyer, Kevin A; Rosen, Barry H; Goleski, Jennifer A; Dick, Gregory J; Oh, Genesok; Gobler, Christopher J

2018-01-01

Lake Okeechobee, FL, USA, has been subjected to intensifying cyanobacterial blooms that can spread to the adjacent St. Lucie River and Estuary via natural and anthropogenically-induced flooding events. In July 2016, a large, toxic cyanobacterial bloom occurred in Lake Okeechobee and throughout the St. Lucie River and Estuary, leading Florida to declare a state of emergency. This study reports on measurements and nutrient amendment experiments performed in this freshwater-estuarine ecosystem (salinity 0-25 PSU) during and after the bloom. In July, all sites along the bloom exhibited dissolved inorganic nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratios < 6, while Microcystis dominated (> 95%) phytoplankton inventories from the lake to the central part of the estuary. Chlorophyll a and microcystin concentrations peaked (100 and 34 μg L-1, respectively) within Lake Okeechobee and decreased eastwards. Metagenomic analyses indicated that genes associated with the production of microcystin (mcyE) and the algal neurotoxin saxitoxin (sxtA) originated from Microcystis and multiple diazotrophic genera, respectively. There were highly significant correlations between levels of total nitrogen, microcystin, and microcystin synthesis gene abundance across all surveyed sites (p < 0.001), suggesting high levels of nitrogen supported the production of microcystin during this event. Consistent with this, experiments performed with low salinity water from the St. Lucie River during the event indicated that algal biomass was nitrogen-limited. In the fall, densities of Microcystis and concentrations of microcystin were significantly lower, green algae co-dominated with cyanobacteria, and multiple algal groups displayed nitrogen-limitation. These results indicate that monitoring and regulatory strategies in Lake Okeechobee and the St. Lucie River and Estuary should consider managing loads of nitrogen to control future algal and microcystin-producing cyanobacterial blooms.

A sensitivity analysis of low salinity habitats simulated by a hydrodynamic model in the Manatee River estuary in Florida, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, XinJian

2012-06-01

This paper presents a sensitivity study of simulated availability of low salinity habitats by a hydrodynamic model for the Manatee River estuary located in the southwest portion of the Florida peninsula. The purpose of the modeling study was to establish a regulatory minimum freshwater flow rate required to prevent the estuarine ecosystem from significant harm. The model used in the study was a multi-block model that dynamically couples a three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamic model with a laterally averaged (2DV) hydrodynamic model. The model was calibrated and verified against measured real-time data of surface elevation and salinity at five stations during March 2005-July 2006. The calibrated model was then used to conduct a series of scenario runs to investigate effects of the flow reduction on salinity distributions in the Manatee River estuary. Based on simulated salinity distribution in the estuary, water volumes, bottom areas and shoreline lengths for salinity less than certain predefined values were calculated and analyzed to help establish the minimum freshwater flow rate for the estuarine system. The sensitivity analysis conducted during the modeling study for the Manatee River estuary examined effects of the bottom roughness, ambient vertical eddy viscosity/diffusivity, horizontal eddy viscosity/diffusivity, and ungauged flow on the model results and identified the relative importance of these model parameters (input data) to the outcome of the availability of low salinity habitats. It is found that the ambient vertical eddy viscosity/diffusivity is the most influential factor controlling the model outcome, while the horizontal eddy viscosity/diffusivity is the least influential one.

Application of a weighted-averaging method for determining paleosalinity: a tool for restoration of south Florida's estuaries

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wingard, G.L.; Hudley, J.W.

2012-01-01

A molluscan analogue dataset is presented in conjunction with a weighted-averaging technique as a tool for estimating past salinity patterns in south Florida’s estuaries and developing targets for restoration based on these reconstructions. The method, here referred to as cumulative weighted percent (CWP), was tested using modern surficial samples collected in Florida Bay from sites located near fixed water monitoring stations that record salinity. The results were calibrated using species weighting factors derived from examining species occurrence patterns. A comparison of the resulting calibrated species-weighted CWP (SW-CWP) to the observed salinity at the water monitoring stations averaged over a 3-year time period indicates, on average, the SW-CWP comes within less than two salinity units of estimating the observed salinity. The SW-CWP reconstructions were conducted on a core from near the mouth of Taylor Slough to illustrate the application of the method.

Hydrologic data summary for the St. Lucie River Estuary, Martin and St. Lucie Counties, Florida, 1998-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Byrne, Michael J.; Patino, Eduardo

2004-01-01

A hydrologic analysis was made at three canal sites and four tidal sites along the St. Lucie River Estuary in southeastern Florida from 1998 to 2001. The data included for analysis are stage, 15-minute flow, salinity, water temperature, turbidity, and suspended-solids concentration. During the period of record, the estuary experienced a drought, major storm events, and high-water discharge from Lake Okeechobee. Flow mainly occurred through the South Fork of the St. Lucie River; however, when flow increased through control structures along the C-23 and C-24 Canals, the North Fork was a larger than usual contributor of total freshwater inflow to the estuary. At one tidal site (Steele Point), the majority of flow was southward toward the St. Lucie Inlet; at a second tidal site (Indian River Bridge), the majority of flow was northward into the Indian River Lagoon. Large-volume stormwater discharge events greatly affected the St. Lucie River Estuary. Increased discharge typically was accompanied by salinity decreases that resulted in water becoming and remaining fresh throughout the estuary until the discharge events ended. Salinity in the estuary usually returned to prestorm levels within a few days after the events. Turbidity decreased and salinity began to increase almost immediately when the gates at the control structures closed. Salinity ranged from less than 1 to greater than 35 parts per thousand during the period of record (1998-2001), and typically varied by several parts per thousand during a tidal cycle. Suspended-solids concentrations were observed at one canal site (S-80) and two tidal sites (Speedy Point and Steele Point) during a discharge event in April and May 2000. Results suggest that most deposition of suspended-solids concentration occurs between S-80 and Speedy Point. The turbidity data collected also support this interpretation. The ratio of inorganic to organic suspended-solids concentration observed at S-80, Speedy Point, and Steele Point during the discharge event indicates that most flocculation of suspended-solids concentration occurs between Speedy Point and Steele Point.

Long-term environmental drivers of DOC fluxes: Linkages between management, hydrology and climate in a subtropical coastal estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regier, Peter; Briceño, Henry; Jaffé, Rudolf

2016-12-01

Urban and agricultural development of the South Florida peninsula has disrupted historic freshwater flow in the Everglades, a hydrologically connected ecosystem stretching from central Florida to the Gulf of Mexico, USA. Current system-scale restoration efforts aim to restore natural hydrologic regimes to reestablish pre-drainage ecosystem functioning through increased water availability, quality and timing. Aquatic transport of carbon in this ecosystem, primarily as dissolved organic carbon (DOC), plays a critical role in biogeochemical cycling and food-web dynamics, and will be affected both by water management policies and climate change. To better understand DOC dynamics in South Florida estuaries and how hydrology, climate and water management may affect them, 14 years of monthly data collected in the Shark River estuary were used to examine DOC flux dynamics in a broader environmental context. Multivariate statistical methods were applied to long-term datasets for hydrology, water quality and climate to untangle the interconnected environmental drivers that control DOC export at monthly and annual scales. DOC fluxes were determined to be primarily controlled by hydrology but also by seasonality and long-term climate patterns and episodic weather events. A four-component model (salinity, rainfall, inflow, Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation) capable of predicting DOC fluxes (R2 = 0.84, p < 0.0001, n = 155) was established and applied to potential climate change scenarios for the Everglades to assess DOC flux response to climate and restoration variables. The majority of scenario runs indicated that DOC export from the Everglades is expected to decrease due to future changes in rainfall, water management and salinity.

Salinity and Temperature Tolerance Experiments on Selected Florida Bay Mollusks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Murray, James B.; Wingard, G. Lynn

2006-01-01

The ultimate goal of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) is to restore and preserve the unique ecosystems of South Florida, including the estuaries. Understanding the effect of salinity and temperature changes, beyond typical oscillations, on the biota of South Florida's estuaries is a necessary component of achieving the goal of restoring the estuaries. The U.S. Geological Survey has been actively involved in researching the history of the South Florida Ecosystem, to provide targets, performance measures, and baseline data for restoration managers. These experiments addressed two aspects of ecosystem history research: 1) determining the utility of using molluscan shells as recorders of change in water chemistry parameters, primarily salinity, and 2) enhancing our in situ observations on modern assemblages by exceeding typically observed aquatic conditions. This set of experiments expanded our understanding of the effects of salinity, temperature and other water chemistry parameters on the reproduction, growth and overall survivability of key species of mollusks used in interpreting sediment core data. Observations on mollusks, plants and microbes made as part of these experiments have further refined our knowledge and understanding of the effects of ecosystem feedback and the role salinity and temperature play in ecosystem stability. The results have demonstrated the viability of several molluscan species as indicators of atypical salinity, and possibly temperature, modulations. For example Cerithium muscarum and Bulla striata demonstrated an ability to withstand a broad salinity and temperature range, with reproduction occurring in atypically high salinities and temperatures. These experiments also provided calibration data for the shell biogeochemistry of Chione cancellata and the possible use of this species as a water chemistry recorder. Observations made in the mesocosms, on a scale not normally observable in the field, have led to new questions about the influence of salinity on the localized ecosystem. The next phase of these experiments; to calibrate growth rate and reproductive viability in atypical salinities is currently underway.

Landscape Scale Hydrologic Performance Measures for the South Florida Everglades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, R. A.; Kotun, K.; Engel, V.

2008-05-01

Large scale drainage and land reclamation activities began in the south Florida Everglades around 1905. By 1920 four large canals were constructed across the Everglades to drain Lake Okeechobee to the Atlantic Ocean. In 1930, following two major hurricanes, construction began on a levee system around Lake Okeechobee, and two additional coastal outlets were created to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee Rivers. These activities significantly lowered water levels in the lake and reduced natural surface water flows to the downstream Everglades. Throughout the 1930s and early 1940s, a network of uncontrolled canals were excavated along the Atlantic Coastal Ridge that penetrated the permeable Biscayne Aquifer, further draining the Everglades and local groundwater to the ocean. Early hydrologic studies documented the detrimental affects of this over-drainage on urban and agricultural water supply, including the abandonment of wellfields because of saltwater intrusion. In the interior marshes the loss of soil moisture in the Everglades organic soils also caused widespread soil subsidence and increased fire frequency. Following a third major hurricane in 1947, which resulted in loss of life and widespread economic losses, the U.S. Congress authorized the Army Corps of Engineers to begin construction of the Central and Southern Florida Project. The C&SF Project was designed to correct the flooding and water supply problems in south Florida, as well as providing adequate water supply to protect fish and wildlife resources of the Everglades. By 1953 most of the major drainage canals had control structures added to prevent excessive drainage, and an East Coast Protective Levee was constructed from Lake Okeechobee to Everglades National Park, to reduce flooding along the Atlantic Coastal Ridge and retain water in the Everglades. By the late 1950's most of the northern Everglades was diked and drained to form the Everglades Agricultural Area, and by 1963 the central Everglades were divided by levees to form five compartments or Water Conservation Areas. By 1965 all of the natural surface water inflows to Everglades National Park were replaced by managed flows, and much of the wet season runoff from the upstream Everglades was retained to meet expanding urban and agricultural water supply needs. All of these changes have dramatically altered the rainfall-runoff relationship in the Everglades and lead to Congressional directions to restore more natural hydrologic conditions in the watershed. While all of the scientists involved in the restoration program agree that the focus should be on restoring the defining hydrologic characteristics of the pre-drainage Everglades (restoring marsh sheetflow and connectivity, the generalized flow and water depth patterns that sustained key animal and plant communities, as well as the historic linkages between freshwater and estuarine systems) there is a lack of information on the pre-drainage conditions to fully inform our selection of performance measures, needed to track restoration success. Our current suite of ecological and hydrological performance measures tends to focus on depths and durations of flooding, rates of marsh drydowns, and flow volumes and velocities in discrete habitat units or indicator regions within the current compartmentalized watershed. A more recent approach is to expand these performance measures to include larger-scale hydrologic patterns that would be present in an uncompartmentalized system such as regional flow directions, hydrologic head gradients, and the seasonal timing, and duration of flows to the estuaries.

Toxin composition of the 2016 Microcystis aeruginosa bloom in the St. Lucie Estuary, Florida.

PubMed

Oehrle, Stuart; Rodriguez-Matos, Marliette; Cartamil, Michael; Zavala, Cristian; Rein, Kathleen S

2017-11-01

A bloom of the cyanobacteria, Microcystis aeruginosa occurred in the St. Lucie Estuary during the summer of 2016, stimulated by the release of waters from Lake Okeechobee. This cyanobacterium produces the microcystins, a suite of heptapeptide hepatotoxins. The toxin composition of the bloom was analyzed and was compared to an archived bloom sample from 2005. Microcystin-LR was the most abundant toxin with lesser amounts of microcystin variants. Nodularin, cylindrospermopsin and anatoxin-a were not detected. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nutrient input from the Loxahatchee River Environmental Control District sewage-treatment plant to the Loxahatchee River Estuary, southeastern Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sonntag, W.H.; McPherson, B.F.

1984-01-01

Two test discharges of treated-sewage effluent were made to the Loxahatchee River in February and September 1981 from the ENCON sewage-treatment plant to document nutrient loading and downstream transport of the effluent to the estuary under maximum daily discharge allowable by law (4 million gallons per day). Concentrations of total nitrogen in the effluent exceeded background concentrations by as much as 7 times during the February test, while concentrations of total phosphorus exceeded background concentrations by as much as 112 times during the September test. The effluent was transported downstream to the estuary in less than 24 hours. Discharge of treated sewage effluent to the river-estuary system in the 1981 water year accounted for less than 0.5 percent of the total nitrogen and 8 percent of the total phosphorus discharged from the major tributaries to the estuary. If maximum discharges of effluent (4 million gallons per day) were sustained throughout the year, annual nitrogen loading from the effluent would account for 5 to 18 percent of the total nitrogen input by the major tributaries to the estuary. With maximum discharges of effluent, annual phosphorus loading would exceed the amount of phosphorus input by the major tributaries to the estuary by 54 to 167 percent. (USGS)

Estimating benefits in a recovering estuary: Tampa Bay, Florida

EPA Science Inventory

Restoration and preservation of riparian forests and coastal marshes provides nutrient removal and other biochemical and physical functions which may preclude, reduce, or delay the need for additional water treatment, while also protecting human health. We examined the ecosystem ...

A SURVEY OF CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL STRUCTURE IN THREE FLORIDA BAYOU-ESTUARIES

EPA Science Inventory

Structural and functional characteristics of the benthic biota were determined and compared for three urbanized bayous, in conjuction with sediment chemical quality and acute toxicity. Sediment chemical contamination in the bayous was common. Numerical sediment quality assessmen...

Using Sediment Profile Imagery (SPI) to Quantify ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

We present the results of monthly sediment and water quality surveys to evaluate the impact of intermittent, seasonal hypoxia on benthic habitat condition. This study was conducted in the Pensacola Bay (Florida) estuary across nine sites extending from the mouth of the Escambia River down-estuary to the outlet into the Gulf of Mexico. The sites span the full salinity gradient and cover a range of sediment types and dissolved oxygen statuses. Monthly sediment profile imagery (SPI) was captured from each site in conjunction with water column conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) profiles and sediment grabs to evaluate sediment characteristics and macrobenthic community composition. The results of this study will be used to evaluate the use of SPI to determine effects of water quality on the health of benthic communities in Gulf Coast estuaries. Whereas recent water quality management efforts in Florida (e.g., numeric nutrient criteria, marine dissolved oxygen standard) assumed linkages between dissolved oxygen and aquatic life use attainment based on laboratory tests, SPI methods can potentially provide an assessment of these relationships in realistic field settings. The work presented here is in support of better indicators and endpoints and will help improve quantitative relationships between nutrient pollution and ecosystem condition. The audience that would be interested in this presentation includes scientists and managers from across the southeastern U

COMPARATIVE ECLOGICAL CONDITION OF BAYOUS TEXAR, CHICO AND GRANDE

EPA Science Inventory

Water and sediment quality in three urban bayous or tidal estuaries located near Pensacola, Florida, were determined at 23 sampling stations over a three year period during which hurricane and dredging activity occurred. Our primary objective was to determine the environmental co...

GREATER HEMOCYTE BACTERICIDAL ACTIVITY IN OYSTERS (CRASSOSTREA VIRGINICA) FROM A RELATIVELY CONTAMINATED SITE IN PENSACOLA BAY, FLORIDA.

EPA Science Inventory

Bivalve mollusks such as Crassostrea virginica inhabiting polluted estuaries and coastal areas may bioaccumulate high concentrations of contaminants without apparent ill effects. However, changes in putative internal defense activities have been associated with contaminant accumu...

PHYTOPLANKTON PRODUCTION AND NUTRIENT DISTRIBUTIONS IN A SUBTROPICAL ESTUARY: IMPORTANCE OF FRESHWATER FLOW

EPA Science Inventory

The relationships between phytoplankton productivity, nutrient distributions, and freshwater flow were examined in a seasonal study conducted in Escambia Bay, Florida, USA, located in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. Five sites oriented along the salinity gradient were sampled 24...

76 FR 22101 - Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Notification of a Public Teleconference of the Chartered...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-20

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9297-6] Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Notification of a Public Teleconference of the Chartered Science Advisory Board AGENCY: Environmental Protection... Florida's Estuaries, Coastal Waters, and Southern Inland Flowing Waters.'' DATES: The public...

Denitrification and Phosphorus Sequestration in Restored Oyster Beds in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallagher, S. M.; Schmidt, C. A.; Walters, L.

2016-12-01

In 2016, an algae bloom in the St. Lucie River in Florida led the governor to declare a state of emergency. The river is part of a connected system of estuaries along the Atlantic coast of Florida called the Indian River Lagoon (IRL). As with many estuaries around the world, nutrient loading in the IRL has led to periodic eutrophication. As a result, much research has been done to address nutrients in these systems. Previous estuary studies have related oyster restoration to denitrification and phosphorus sequestration in their bed sediment. To this point, these studies have been inconclusive, and have only focused on seasonal variation in nutrient cycling. In 2007, yearly oyster bed installation and restoration began in a study area in the IRL. By 2016, beds aged up to eleven years were available for sampling. This unique advantage allowed investigation of bed sediment and nutrient cycling over long periods of time. Sediment from the IRL was measured for organic matter, microbial weight, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Denitrification was measured using an acetylene block technique. A statistical analysis was used to find differences in sediment characteristics and denitrification between restored beds and control sites over time. In addition, sequencing of 16S rRNA DNA and a variety of denitrifying genes was used to identify bacterial species and their denitrifying capability in the sediment. The ability to sequence denitrification genes in established oyster beds over a period of years was also unique to this study. Significant differences were found in soil properties, denitrification rates, and phosphorus sequestration between control sites and restored oyster beds. Gene sequencing also found differences in bacterial populations between the sites. Oyster bed restoration resulted in a rapid increase in nutrient removal as beds developed over three years, but additional benefits were limited as restoration progressed further. This study adds an investigation of IRL oysters to existing knowledge of nutrient removal by oysters in other estuaries. These results help clarify single year studies focused on seasonal changes by showing a rapid increase in oyster bed nutrient removal over a period of three years.

Biogeochemical transport in the Loxahatchee River estuary, Florida: The role of submarine groundwater discharge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Swarzenski, P.W.; Orem, W.H.; McPherson, B.F.; Baskaran, M.; Wan, Y.

2006-01-01

The distributions of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), Ba, U, and a suite of naturally occurring radionuclides in the U/Th decay series (222Rn, 223,224,226,228Ra) were studied during high- and low-discharge conditions in the Loxahatchee River estuary, Florida to examine the role of submarine groundwater discharge in estuarine transport. The fresh water endmember of this still relatively pristine estuary may reflect not only river-borne constituents, but also those advected during active groundwater/surface water (hyporheic) exchange. During both discharge conditions, Ba concentrations indicated slight non-conservative mixing. Such Ba excesses could be attributed either to submarine groundwater discharge or particle desorption processes. Estuarine dissolved organic carbon concentrations were highest at salinities closest to zero. Uranium distributions were lowest in the fresh water sites and mixed mostly conservatively with an increase in salinity. Suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentrations were generally lowest ( 28??dpm L- 1) at the freshwater endmember of the estuary and appear to identify regions of the river most influenced by the discharge of fresh groundwater. Activities of four naturally occurring isotopes of Ra (223,224,226,228Ra) in this estuary and select adjacent shallow groundwater wells yield mean estuarine water-mass transit times of less than 1 day; these values are in close agreement to those calculated by tidal prism and tidal frequency. Submarine groundwater discharge rates to the Loxahatchee River estuary were calculated using a tidal prism approach, an excess 226Ra mass balance, and an electromagnetic seepage meter. Average SGD rates ranged from 1.0 to 3.8 ?? 105??m3 d- 1 (20-74??L m- 2 d- 1), depending on river-discharge stage. Such calculated SGD estimates, which must include both a recirculated as well as fresh water component, are in close agreement with results obtained from a first-order watershed mass balance. Average submarine groundwater discharge rates yield NH4+ and PO4- 3 flux estimates to the Loxahatchee River estuary that range from 62.7 to 1063.1 and 69.2 to 378.5????mol m- 2 d- 1, respectively, depending on river stage. SGD-derived nutrient flux rates are compared to yearly computed riverine total N and total P load estimates. ?? 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Empirical tools for simulating salinity in the estuaries in Everglades National Park, Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, F. E.; Smith, D. T.; Nickerson, D. M.

2011-12-01

Salinity in a shallow estuary is affected by upland freshwater inputs (surface runoff, stream/canal flows, groundwater), atmospheric processes (precipitation, evaporation), marine connectivity, and wind patterns. In Everglades National Park (ENP) in South Florida, the unique Everglades ecosystem exists as an interconnected system of fresh, brackish, and salt water marshes, mangroves, and open water. For this effort a coastal aquifer conceptual model of the Everglades hydrologic system was used with traditional correlation and regression hydrologic techniques to create a series of multiple linear regression (MLR) salinity models from observed hydrologic, marine, and weather data. The 37 ENP MLR salinity models cover most of the estuarine areas of ENP and produce daily salinity simulations that are capable of estimating 65-80% of the daily variability in salinity depending upon the model. The Root Mean Squared Error is typically about 2-4 salinity units, and there is little bias in the predictions. However, the absolute error of a model prediction in the nearshore embayments and the mangrove zone of Florida Bay may be relatively large for a particular daily simulation during the seasonal transitions. Comparisons show that the models group regionally by similar independent variables and salinity regimes. The MLR salinity models have approximately the same expected range of simulation accuracy and error as higher spatial resolution salinity models.

Characterizing light attenuation within Northwest Florida Estuaries: Implications for RESTORE Act water quality monitoring

EPA Science Inventory

Water Quality (WQ) condition is based on ecosystem stressor indicators (e.g. water clarity) which are biogeochemically important and critical when considering the Deepwater Horizon oil spill restoration efforts under the 2012 RESTORE Act. Nearly all of the proposed RESTORE proj...

INFLUENCE OF FRESHWATER INFLOW AND WATER MANAGEMENT ON OYSTER-REEF RESIDENT ORGANISMS: IMPLICATIONS FOR ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION.

EPA Science Inventory

Two sources of seasonal programming are at work in southwest Florida estuaries: variation in temperature and variation in rainfall and water release resulting in downstream variations in salinity. Since more significant correlations were detected between salinity and metrics than...

Importance of seagrass as a carbon source for heterotrophic bacteria in a subtropical estuary (Florida Bay)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Clayton J.; Jaffé, Rudolf; Anderson, William T.; Jochem, Frank J.

2009-11-01

A stable carbon isotope approach was taken to identify potential organic matter sources incorporated into biomass by the heterotrophic bacterial community of Florida Bay, a subtropical estuary with a recent history of seagrass loss and phytoplankton blooms. To gain a more complete understanding of bacterial carbon cycling in seagrass estuaries, this study focused on the importance of seagrass-derived organic matter to pelagic, seagrass epiphytic, and sediment surface bacteria. Particulate organic matter (POM), seagrass epiphytic, seagrass ( Thalassia testudinum) leaf, and sediment surface samples were collected from four Florida Bay locations with historically different organic matter inputs, macrophyte densities, and primary productivities. Bulk (observed and those reported previously) and compound-specific bacterial fatty acid δ 13C values were used to determine important carbon sources to the estuary and benthic and pelagic heterotrophic bacteria. The δ 13C values of T. testudinum green leaves with epiphytes removed ranged from -9.9 to -6.9‰. Thalassia testudinum δ 13C values were significant more enriched in 13C than POM, epiphytic, and sediment samples, which ranged from -16.4 to -13.5, -16.2 to -9.6, and -16.7 to -11.0‰, respectively. Bacterial fatty acid δ 13C values (measured for br14:0, 15:0, i15:0, a15:0, br17:0, and 17:0) ranged from -25.5 to -8.2‰. Assuming a -3‰ carbon source fractionation from fatty acid to whole bacteria, pelagic, epiphytic, and sediment bacterial δ 13C values were generally more depleted in 13C than T. testudinum δ 13C values, more enriched in 13C than reported δ 13C values for mangroves, and similar to reported δ 13C values for algae. IsoSource mixing model results indicated that organic matter derived from T. testudinum was incorporated by both benthic and pelagic bacterial communities, where 13-67% of bacterial δ 13C values could arise from consumption of seagrass-derived organic matter. The IsoSource model, however, failed to discriminate clearly the fraction of algal (0-86%) and mangrove (0-42%) organic matter incorporated by bacterial communities. These results indicate that pelagic, epiphytic, and sediment surface bacteria consumed organic matter from a variety of sources. Bacterial communities incorporated consistently seagrass-derived organic matter, the dominant macrophyte in Florida Bay, but seagrass δ 13C values alone could not account fully for bacterial δ 13C values.

Spatial and temporal variation in seagrass coverage in Southwest Florida: assessing the relative effects of anthropogenic nutrient load reductions and rainfall in four contiguous estuaries.

PubMed

Tomasko, D A; Corbett, C A; Greening, H S; Raulerson, G E

2005-08-01

The estuaries of Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Lemon Bay, and Upper Charlotte Harbor are contiguous waterbodies located within the subtropical environment of Southwest Florida. Based on an examination of rainfall data over the period of record (1916-2001) within the watersheds of these estuaries, there is no evidence for spatial differences (at the watershed level) or monotonic trends in annual rainfall. During the 1980s, nitrogen loads into Tampa Bay and Sarasota Bay (generated primarily by domestic wastewater treatment facilities) were reduced by 57% and 46%, respectively. In response, both Tampa Bay and Sarasota Bay have lower phytoplankton concentrations, greater water clarity and more extensive seagrass coverage in 2002 than in the early 1980s. As there is no evidence of a concurrent trend in rainfall during the period of 1982-2001, it is unlikely that variation in rainfall can account for the observed increase in seagrass coverage in these two bays. In contrast, seagrass coverage has remained relatively constant since the mid 1980s in Lemon Bay and Charlotte Harbor. Domestic wastewater treatment facilities are minor sources of nitrogen to Lemon Bay, and water clarity in Charlotte Harbor varies mostly as a function of dissolved organic matter and non-chlorophyll associated turbidity, not phytoplankton levels. Even in estuaries that share boundaries and are within 100 km of each other, varied responses to anthropogenic changes and natural phenomena were observed in water quality and associated seagrass extent. Resource management strategies must take into account system-specific factors-not all strategies will result in similar results in different systems.

Distribution of Epiphytic Diatoms in a Sub-Tropical Estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frankovich, T. A.; Gaiser, E. E.; Wachnicka, A.; Zieman, J. C.

2005-05-01

Within estuaries, seagrasses may represent an order of magnitude greater surface area relative to sediments for the colonization and growth of diatoms. Fossil diatom distributions have proven useful in inferring paleoenvironmental conditions. The strength of these inferences is dependent upon defining the environmental relationships of contempory diatom compositions. The present investigation characterized the modern epiphytic diatom flora on the seagrass Thalassia testudinum at seven sites in the sub-tropical Florida Bay estuary and at one Atlantic Ocean site east of the upper Florida Keys. These sites were sampled six times between March 2000 and April 2001. Diatom species composition was related to water quality parameters using multivariate statistics. 338 diatom species were identified. The seven most abundant species from pooled samples were Cocconeis placentula, Brachysira aponina, Nitzschia liebetruthii, Hyalosynedra laevigata, Amphora cf. tenerrima, Mastogloia crucicula, and M. pusilla. These seven species collectively accounted for 51.7 percent of all valves counted and occurred in at least 85 percent of all samples. Analysis of similiarity and NMDS ordination of species relative abundances revealed four distinct diatom communities across the study region. The spatial variability of these communities was correlated with salinity and water-column nutrient availability. Summertime communities were significantly different from winter-spring communities, but these communities showed a gradual temporal progression with much overlap. The temporal variability was correlated with temperature. Indicator species analysis identified many species significantly influencing the four spatial groups. The Atlantic marine site was characterized by many different Mastogloia species and some epipsammic (sand-grain associated) diatoms (i.e., Cymatosira lorenziana, Dimerogramma dubium, and Neofragilaria nicobarica). Mastogloia pusilla, Rhopalodia pacifica, and Cocconeis woodii were strong indicators of the Gulf of Mexico marine site. Reimerothrix floridensis was particularly abundant in the western interior of Florida Bay (i.e., sites 2, 3, and 4) during summer months. The eastern interior of Florida Bay was characterized by high relative abundances of Brachysira aponina and Nitzschia liebetruthii. The optima and tolerance of these indicator species relative to individual water quality parameters were also determined.

Adaptation of a Weighted Regression Approach to Evaluate Water Quality Trends in an Estuary

EPA Science Inventory

To improve the description of long-term changes in water quality, we adapted a weighted regression approach to analyze a long-term water quality dataset from Tampa Bay, Florida. The weighted regression approach, originally developed to resolve pollutant transport trends in rivers...

76 FR 3133 - Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Notification of a Public Teleconference of the Science...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-19

... document (TSD), Methods and Approaches for Deriving Numeric Criteria for Nitrogen/Phosphorus Pollution in Florida's Estuaries, Coastal Waters, and Southern Inland Flowing Waters. The draft TSD describes methods... discuss its draft report reviewing EPA's technical support document on development of numeric nutrient...

Using Sediment Profile Imagery (SPI) to Quantify Relationships Between Water Quality and Benthic Habitat Condition

EPA Science Inventory

We present the results of monthly sediment and water quality surveys to evaluate the impact of intermittent, seasonal hypoxia on benthic habitat condition. This study was conducted in the Pensacola Bay (Florida) estuary across nine sites extending from the mouth of the Escambia ...

SUSCEPTIBILITY OF A GULF OF MEXICO ESTUARY TO HYPOXIA: AN ANALYSIS USING BOX MODELS

EPA Science Inventory

The extent of hypoxia and the physical factors affecting development and maintenance of hypoxia were examined for Pensacola Bay, Florida (USA) by conducting monthly water quality surveys for 3 years and by constructing salt-and-water balance box models using the resulting data. W...

Estuarine Biotope Mosaics and Habitat Management Goals: An Application in Tampa Bay, Florida, USA

EPA Science Inventory

Many types of anthropogenic stress to estuaries lead to destruction and conversion of habitats, thus altering habitat landscapes and changing the “arena” in which the life history interactions of native fauna take place. This can lead to decreased populations of valued fauna, an...

Estuarine Biotope Mosaics and Habitat Management Goals: An Application in Tampa Bay, Florida, USA

EPA Science Inventory

Many types of anthropogenic stress to estuaries lead to destruction and conversion of habitats, thus altering habitat landscapes and changing the “arena” in which the life history interactions of native fauna take place. This can lead to decreased populations of valued fauna, a...

PHOTOCHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL DEGRADATION OF CDOM IN WATERS FROM SELECTED COASTAL REGIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

EPA Science Inventory

Biological and photochemical degradation of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) were investigated in controlled experiments using waters from southeastern U.S. estuaries, from the Mississippi River plume and Gulf of Mexico, and from the coastal shelf region in the Florida Key...

OBSERVATIONS OF PHYTOPLANKTON SIZE STRUCTURE, NUTRIENTS, VARIABLE FLOURESCENCE, AND ALGAL PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY IN A GULF COAST ESTUARY

EPA Science Inventory

During 2001, phytoplankton dynamics, physiology, and related environmental conditions were studied in Santa Rosa Sound, Florida, USA, at near-weekly intervals. Santa Rosa Sound is a component of the Pensacola Bay system located in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Environmental parame...

Nutrient-Chlorophyll Relationships in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida

EPA Science Inventory

The Indian River Lagoon is a highly diverse estuary located along Florida’s Atlantic coast. The system is made up of the main stem and two side-lagoons: the Banana River and Mosquito Lagoon. We segmented the main stem into three sections based on spatial trends in water quality ...

Nutrient-Chlorophyll Relationships in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida(SEERS)

EPA Science Inventory

The Indian River Lagoon is a highly diverse estuary located along Florida’s Atlantic coast. The system is made up of the main stem and two side-lagoons: the Banana River and Mosquito Lagoon. We segmented the main stem into three sections based on spatial trends in water quality ...

Northwest Florida estuaries: an overview from urban growth models to water quality

EPA Science Inventory

Estuarine and coastal regions in the Gulf of Mexico possess major ecological and economic resources that support a quality of life that makes this region a popular place to live and work. Florida’s largest economic driver is tourism and recreation, which is typically connected t...

SEAGRASS DISTRIBUTION IN THE PENSACOLA BAY SYSTEM, NORTHWEST FLORIDA

EPA Science Inventory

Seagrass coverage in the northern Gulf of Mexico has decreased 20 to 100% in many estuaries since the 1950s. As a result, determination of seagrass coverage and identification of the cause(s) of declines are priority research issues. Aerial surveys of seagrass coverage in the P...

Resolving drivers of variability in estuarine metabolism from in situ and experimental measurements at paired sites in a warm temperate Pensacola Bay, Florida

EPA Science Inventory

We investigated the integrated ecosystem properties (gross production, respiration, and net ecosystem metabolism) in the Pensacola Bay estuary, using a combination of instrument deployments and plankton metabolism experiments. High-frequency water quality data were collected from...

The Carbon Budget of Coastal Waters of Eastern North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najjar, R.; Boyer, E. W.; Burdige, D.; Butman, D. E.; Cai, W. J.; Canuel, E. A.; Chen, R. F.; Friedrichs, M. A.; Griffith, P. C.; Herrmann, M.; Kemp, W. M.; Kroeger, K. D.; Mannino, A.; McCallister, S. L.; McGillis, W. R.; Mulholland, M. R.; Salisbury, J.; Signorini, S. R.; Tian, H.; Tzortziou, M.; Vlahos, P.; Wang, A. Z.; Zimmerman, R. C.; Pilskaln, C. H.

2015-12-01

Observations and the output of numerical and statistical models are synthesized to construct a carbon budget of the coastal waters of eastern North America. The domain extends from the head of tide to (roughly) the continental shelf break and from southern Florida to southern Nova Scotia. The domain area is 2% tidal wetlands, 19% estuarine open water, and 78% shelf water. Separate budgets are constructed for inorganic and organic carbon; for tidal wetlands, estuaries, and shelf waters; and for three main subregions: the Gulf of Maine, the Mid-Atlantic Bight, and the South Atlantic Bight. Net primary production for the study region is about 150 Tg C yr-1, with 12% occurring in tidal wetlands and 7% in estuaries. Though respiration and photosynthesis are nearly balanced in most systems and regions, tidal wetlands and shelf waters are each found to be net autotrophic whereas estuaries are net heterotrophic. The domain as a whole is a sink of 5 Tg C yr-1 of atmospheric CO2, with tidal wetlands and shelf waters taking up 10 Tg C yr-1 (split roughly equally) and estuaries releasing 5 Tg C yr-1 to the atmosphere. Carbon burial is about 3 Tg C yr-1, split roughly equally among tidal wetlands, estuaries, and shelf waters. Rivers supply 6-7 Tg C yr-1 to estuaries, about 2/3 of which is organic. Tidal wetlands supply an additional 4 Tg C yr-1 to estuaries, about half of which is organic. Carbon in organic and inorganic forms is exported from estuaries to shelf waters and from shelf waters to the open ocean. In summary, tidal wetlands and estuaries, though small in area, contribute substantially to the overall carbon budget of the region.

KSC-08pd4128

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-12-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Hooded Merganser ducks swim on a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge, which borders NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Their habitat includes wooded ponds, lakes and rivers. They are most often seen along rivers and estuaries during the fall and winter. They feed chiefly on small fish, which they pursue in long, rapid, underwater dives, and also frogs and aquatic insects. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-08pd4129

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-12-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Hooded Merganser ducks swim on a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge, which borders NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Their habitat includes wooded ponds, lakes and rivers. They are most often seen along rivers and estuaries during the fall and winter. They feed chiefly on small fish, which they pursue in long, rapid, underwater dives, and also frogs and aquatic insects. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Submarine groundwater discharge is an important source of REEs to the coastal ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johannesson, K. H.; Chevis, D. A.; Palmore, C. D.; Telfeyan, K.; Burdige, D.; Cable, J. E.; Hemming, S. R.; Rasbury, T.; Moran, S. B.; Prouty, N.; Swarzenski, P. W.

2014-12-01

Rare earth element (REE) concentrations of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) were measured in three subterranean estuaries (i.e., Indian River Lagoon, Florida; Pettaquamscutt estuary, Rhode Island; Kona Coast, Hawaii). Using site-specific SGD estimates previously obtained by a variety of techniques (e.g., seepage meters, Ra, and Rn), we estimated SGD-derived fluxes of REEs to the coastal ocean using simple, one-dimensional modeling techniques. Our results indicate that the SGD fluxes of REEs are either of the same magnitude as riverine REE fluxes (Indian River Lagoon; Pettaquamscutt estuary), or far exceed surface runoff sources of REEs to the coastal ocean (Kona Coast). At each site important biogeochemical reactions occurring in the subterranean estuary, such as redox reactions, sediment bioirrigation, mineral dissolution and re-precipitation, and salt-induced mobilization from "nano-colloids", appear to facilitate release of REEs into solution, which are then advected to the coastal ocean via SGD. Neodymium isotope analysis of SGD and aquifer sediment are consistent with sediment diagenesis and redox transformations of Fe(III) oxides/oxyhydroxides, as well as preferential weathering of REE-bearing minerals like apatite, as being important sources of REEs to coastal seawater. Our investigations demonstrate that geochemical reactions occurring in the studied subterranean estuaries represent a net source of light and middle REEs to coastal seawater, whereas the heavy REEs appear to be sequestered in the subterranean estuary sediment.

An historical perspective on eutrophication in the Pensacola ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

In this chapter, we provide a brief description of the Pensacola Bay estuary, examining the available historical data for evidence of trends in eutrophication within the estuary. Common to many industrialized estuaries, Pensacola Bay has been subjected to unregulated point sources of nutrients and other contaminants, peaking during the 1950s and 1960s. Also, over the past 60 years, the region has experienced a 5-fold increase in population in the watershed and a doubling of river nitrate concentrations. Today, the estuary exhibits classical symptoms of eutrophication, including extensive summer hypoxia, significant loss of seagrass habitat, and phytoplankton dynamics that respond strongly to seasonal and interannual variation in freshwater flow. Surprisingly, Pensacola Bay appears to have low nutrient concentrations, moderate productivity, and high water transparency; characteristics that appear to have persisted during a period of rapid human population growth. We find the lack of demonstrable changes in the distribution of phytoplankton biomass or distribution and severity of hypoxia during a period of increasing human population pressures enigmatic. This brief manuscript summarizes historical water quality data from Pensacola Bay Florida

Combining Monitoring Data Spanning Multiple Temporal and Spatial Scales To Evaluate Water Quality Affecting Seagrass Habitat Extent in northwest Florida Estuaries

EPA Science Inventory

The ability to understand and manage ecological changes caused by anthropogenic stressors is often impeded by a lack of sufficient information to resolve pattern and change with sufficient resolution and extent. Increasingly, different types of environmental data are available t...

RELATIONS BETWEEN BACTERIAL NITROGEN METABOLISM AND GROWTH EFFICIENCY IN AN ESTUARINE AND AN OPEN-WATER ECOSYSTEM

EPA Science Inventory

Bacterial uptake or release of dissolved nitrogen compounds (amino nitrogen, urea, ammonium and nitrate) were examined in 0.8 |m filtered water from an estuary (Santa Rosa Sound [SRS], northwestern Florida) and an open-water location in the Gulf of Mexico [GM]. The bacterial nutr...

Smart Phone Application Development and Demonstration in Support of EPA HICO Imagery for Coastal and Ocean Protection

EPA Science Inventory

High resolution spectral data from the ISS Hyperspectral Imager of the Coastal Ocean (HICO) system has been used to map the spatial distribution of selected water quality indicators for four Florida Gulf Coast estuaries from 2010-2012. HICO is the first hyperspectral imager speci...

Isolation of Vibrio cholerae Serotype Ogawa from a Florida Estuary

PubMed Central

Motes, M. L.; Zywno, S. R.; DePaola, A.; Becker, R. E.; Presnell, M. W.

1983-01-01

Vibrio cholerae serotype Ogawa was recently isolated from the estuarine waters of Apalachicola Bay, Fla., in areas that are subject to consistent fecal contamination and in areas that are remote from any apparent source of contamination. The significance of these organisms in the environment has not been determined. PMID:6824323

Foraminiferal assemblages in Biscayne Bay, Florida, USA: Responses to urban and agricultural influence in a subtropical estuary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carnahan, E.A.; Hoare, A.M.; Hallock, P.; Lidz, B.H.; Reich, C.D.

2009-01-01

This study assessed foraminiferal assemblages in Biscayne Bay, Florida, a heavily utilized estuary, interpreting changes over the past 65 years and providing a baseline for future comparisons. Analyses of foraminiferal data at the genus level revealed three distinct biotopes. The assemblage from the northern bay was characterized by stress-tolerant taxa, especially Ammonia, present in low abundances (???2.0 ?? 103 foraminifers/gram) though relatively high diversity (???19 genera/sample). The southwestern margin of the bay was dominated by Ammonia and Quinqueloculina, an assemblage characterized by the lowest diversities (???12 genera/sample) and highest abundances (???1.1 ?? 104 foraminifers/gram), influenced by both reduced salinity and elevated organic-carbon concentrations. A diverse assemblage of smaller miliolids and rotaliids (???26 genera/sample) characterized the open-bay assemblage, which also had a significant component (???10%) of taxa that host algal endosymbionts. In the past 65 years, populations of symbiont-bearing taxa, which are indicators of normal-marine conditions, have decreased while stress-tolerant taxa, especially Ammonia spp., have increased in predominance. ?? 2009 Elsevier Ltd.

Hydrologic overlay maps of the Cape Canaveral Quadrangle, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frazee, James M.; Laughlin, Charles P.

1979-01-01

Brevard County is an area of some 1,300 square miles located on the east coast of central Florida.  The Cape Canaveral quadrangle, in central Brevard, includes part of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, John F. Kennedy Space Center (NASA), and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.  The eastern part of the quadrangle is occupied by the Atlantic Ocean and the western part by estuarine waters of the Banana River.  Topography is characterized by numerous elongate sand dumes, with altitudes up to 10 feet or greater, which roughly parallel the estuary and ocean.

KSC-08pd4123

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-12-22

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A roseate spoonbill is feeding on a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge, which borders NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Spoonbills inhabit areas of mangroves such as on the coasts of southern Florida and Texas. These birds feed on shrimp and fish in the shallow water, sweeping their bills from side to side. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-99pc66

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-01-14

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A robin perches on a branch in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which shares a boundary with the space center. Robins range throughout North America, from Alaska to Florida. Although considered a harbinger of spring, they do winter in northern states, frequenting cedar bogs and swamps. They also winter in Florida, where they often can be seen in flocks of hundreds near KSC and the wildlife refuge, which comprises 92,000 acres, ranging from hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods to fresh-water impoundments, salt-water estuaries and brackish marshes. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles, including such endangered species as Southern bald eagles, wood storks, Florida scrub jays, Atlantic loggerhead and leatherback turtles, osprey, and nearly 5,000 alligators

Municipal water supplies in Lee County, Florida, 1974

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Donnell, T. H.

1977-01-01

In 1974 the total pumpage for Lee County, Fla., municipal supplies reached 5,700 Mgal (million gallons annually), an increase of 54 percent over 1970 levels. Pumpage from individual sources included: Caloosahatchee River, 1,312 Mgal; water-table aquifer, 2,171 Mgal; the water-bearing zone in the Tamiami Formation, 340 Mgal; the water-bearing zone in the upper part of the Hawthorn Formation, 1,399 Mgal; the saline water zones in the lower part of the Hawthorn Formation and the Suwannee Limestone, 483 Mgal. Among the various sources, the water-table aquifer showed the greatest increase in municipal pumpage over 1970 levels (60 percent) while the saline zones in the lower part of the Hawthorn Formation and Suwannee Limestone showed the least (40 percent). Intensive pumpage from the water bearing zone in the upper part of the Hawthorn Formation has caused a progressive decline in water levels in wells tapping that zone. The quality of fresh ground water in areas unaffected by intrusion of saline water, generally meets all the recommended limits of the Environmental Protection Agency. The chemical treatment processes utilized by water plants in the county are generally effective in producing finished water that meets EPA preliminary drinking water standards. (Woodard-USGS)

Potential Impacts and Management Implications of Climate Change on Tampa Bay Estuary Critical Coastal Habitats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherwood, Edward T.; Greening, Holly S.

2014-02-01

The Tampa Bay estuary is a unique and valued ecosystem that currently thrives between subtropical and temperate climates along Florida's west-central coast. The watershed is considered urbanized (42 % lands developed); however, a suite of critical coastal habitats still persists. Current management efforts are focused toward restoring the historic balance of these habitat types to a benchmark 1950s period. We have modeled the anticipated changes to a suite of habitats within the Tampa Bay estuary using the sea level affecting marshes model under various sea level rise (SLR) scenarios. Modeled changes to the distribution and coverage of mangrove habitats within the estuary are expected to dominate the overall proportions of future critical coastal habitats. Modeled losses in salt marsh, salt barren, and coastal freshwater wetlands by 2100 will significantly affect the progress achieved in "Restoring the Balance" of these habitat types over recent periods. Future land management and acquisition priorities within the Tampa Bay estuary should consider the impending effects of both continued urbanization within the watershed and climate change. This requires the recognition that: (1) the Tampa Bay estuary is trending towards a mangrove-dominated system; (2) the current management paradigm of "Restoring the Balance" may no longer provide realistic, attainable goals; (3) restoration that creates habitat mosaics will prove more resilient in the future; and (4) establishing subtidal and upslope "refugia" may be a future strategy in this urbanized estuary to allow sensitive habitat types (e.g., seagrass and salt barren) to persist under anticipated climate change and SLR impacts.

Potential impacts and management implications of climate change on Tampa Bay estuary critical coastal habitats.

PubMed

Sherwood, Edward T; Greening, Holly S

2014-02-01

The Tampa Bay estuary is a unique and valued ecosystem that currently thrives between subtropical and temperate climates along Florida's west-central coast. The watershed is considered urbanized (42 % lands developed); however, a suite of critical coastal habitats still persists. Current management efforts are focused toward restoring the historic balance of these habitat types to a benchmark 1950s period. We have modeled the anticipated changes to a suite of habitats within the Tampa Bay estuary using the sea level affecting marshes model under various sea level rise (SLR) scenarios. Modeled changes to the distribution and coverage of mangrove habitats within the estuary are expected to dominate the overall proportions of future critical coastal habitats. Modeled losses in salt marsh, salt barren, and coastal freshwater wetlands by 2100 will significantly affect the progress achieved in "Restoring the Balance" of these habitat types over recent periods. Future land management and acquisition priorities within the Tampa Bay estuary should consider the impending effects of both continued urbanization within the watershed and climate change. This requires the recognition that: (1) the Tampa Bay estuary is trending towards a mangrove-dominated system; (2) the current management paradigm of "Restoring the Balance" may no longer provide realistic, attainable goals; (3) restoration that creates habitat mosaics will prove more resilient in the future; and (4) establishing subtidal and upslope "refugia" may be a future strategy in this urbanized estuary to allow sensitive habitat types (e.g., seagrass and salt barren) to persist under anticipated climate change and SLR impacts.

Seasonal and Spatial Distribution of Freshwater Flow and Salinity in the Ten Thousand Islands Estuary, Florida, 2007-2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Soderqvist, Lars E.; Patino, Eduardo

2010-01-01

The watershed of the Ten Thousand Islands (TTI) estuary has been substantially altered through the construction of canals and roads for the Southern Golden Gate Estates (SGGE), Barron River Canal, and U.S. 41 (Tamiami Trail). Two restoration projects designed to improve freshwater delivery to the estuary are the Picayune Strand Restoration Project, which includes the Southern Golden Gate Estates, and the Tamiami Trail Culverts Project; both are part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. To address hydrologic information needs critical for monitoring the effects of these restoration projects, the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a study in October 2006 to characterize freshwater outflows from the rivers, internal circulation and mixing within the estuary, and surface-water exchange between the estuary and Gulf of Mexico. The effort is conducted in cooperation with the South Florida Water Management District and complemented by monitoring performed by the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Surface salinity was measured during moving boat surveys using a flow-through system that operated at planing speeds averaging 20 miles per hour. The data were logged every 10 seconds by a data recorder that simultaneously logged location information from a Global Positioning System. The major rivers, bays, and nearshore Gulf of Mexico region of the TTI area were surveyed in approximately 5 hours by two boats traversing about 200 total miles. Salinity and coordinate data were processed using inverse distance weighted interpolation to create salinity contour maps of the entire TTI region. Ten maps were created from salinity surveys performed between May 2007 and May 2009 and illustrate the dry season, transitional, and wet season salinity patterns of the estuarine rivers, inner bays, mangrove islands, and Gulf of Mexico boundary. The effects of anthropogenic activities are indicated by exceptionally low salinities associated with point discharge into the estuary from the Faka Union Canal and Barron River during the wet season. Low salinities in Faka Union Bay may cause reduced diversity and density of submerged aquatic vegetation, fish, and benthic organisms compared with neighboring Fakahatchee Bay. The Faka Union Canal System reduced the size of the watershed for the western TTI estuary, resulting in increased wet season salinities compared to those for the eastern TTI estuary, the watershed of which is composed of the relatively pristine Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park. Minimal river discharge and high evaporation caused hypersaline conditions to develop throughout the entire TTI region during the dry season. The 2007-2008 drought and passage of Tropical Storm Fay on August 18-19, 2008, demonstrated the effects of seasonal rainfall on salinity patterns, with substantially higher salinities observed during the 2007 wet season compared to those for the 2008 wet season. The salinity maps, coupled with data from the monitoring stations, provide baseline information of seasonal and spatial distribution of freshwater flow and salinity in the TTI estuary, and a means of monitoring the effects of restoration in improving freshwater delivery to the estuary.

KSC-08pd4119

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-12-22

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge, a male hooded Merganser duck swims with a female. The Merganser's habitat includes wooded ponds, lakes and rivers. They are most often seen along rivers and estuaries during the fall and winter. They feed chiefly on small fish, which they pursue in long, rapid, underwater dives, and also frogs and aquatic insects. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-08pd4118

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-12-22

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge, a male hooded Merganser duck stretches its wings. The Merganser's habitat includes wooded ponds, lakes and rivers. They are most often seen along rivers and estuaries during the fall and winter. They feed chiefly on small fish, which they pursue in long, rapid, underwater dives, and also frogs and aquatic insects. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-08pd4117

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-12-22

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge, a male hooded Merganser duck swims with two females. Their habitat includes wooded ponds, lakes and rivers. They are most often seen along rivers and estuaries during the fall and winter. They feed chiefly on small fish, which they pursue in long, rapid, underwater dives, and also frogs and aquatic insects. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Evaluation of long-term trends in hydrographic and nutrient parameters in a southeast US coastal river.

PubMed

Williams, Asher A; Kimball, Matthew E

2013-12-01

The Nassau River estuary is located in northeast Florida adjacent to the eutrophic St. Johns River. Historically, development has been sparse in the Nassau River's catchment; thus, the system may provide a relatively undisturbed aquatic environment. To monitor the condition of the Nassau River estuary and to discern spatial and temporal trends in water quality, nutrients and hydrographic variables were assessed throughout the estuary from 1997 to 2011. Hydrographic (temperature, salinity, total suspended solids, and turbidity) and nutrient parameters (total phosphorus, ortho-PO₄(3-), total nitrogen, NH₄(+), total Kjeldahl nitrogen, and NO₃(-)) were monitored bimonthly at 12 sites in the mesohaline and polyhaline zones of the river. Nonparametric Kendall's Tau was implemented to analyze long-term water quality patterns. Salinity was found to increase with time, particularly in the mesohaline sampling sites. Dissolved oxygen decreased over time in the estuary and hypoxic conditions became increasingly frequent in the final years of the study. Nutrients increased in the estuary, ranging from 149 to 401%. Rainfall data collected in adjacent conservation areas did not correlate well with nutrients as compared with stream discharge data collected in the basin headwaters, outside of the conservation lands, attributed here to expanding urbanization. During the study period, the Nassau basin underwent rapid human population growth and land development resulting in commensurate impacts to water quality. Nutrient and physical data collected during this study indicate that the Nassau River estuary is becoming more eutrophic with time.

OBLIQUE VIEW OF EAST AND NORTH SIDES OF FIRE PUMP ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

OBLIQUE VIEW OF EAST AND NORTH SIDES OF FIRE PUMP HOUSE, LOCK CONTROL HOUSES IN BACKGROUND, VIEW TOWARDS SOUTHWEST - Ortona Lock, Lock No. 2, Fire Pump House, Caloosahatchee River, Cross-State Canal, Okeechobee Intracoastal Waterway, Ortona, Glades County, FL

The Florida Seagrass Integrated Mapping and Monitoring (SIMM) Program: Indications of the effects of regional climate variability on these vital ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yarbro, L.; Carlson, P. R., Jr.

2016-12-01

The SIMM program was developed to protect and manage seagrass resources in Florida by providing a collaborative vehicle for seagrass mapping, monitoring, data sharing, and reporting. We summarize and interpret mapping data and field assessments of seagrass abundance and diversity and water quality gathered by regional scientists and managers who work in estuaries from the Panhandle to the northeast Florida coast. Since 2013, regional reports summarizing the status and trends of seagrass ecosystems have been available on the web. The format provides current information for a wide stakeholder community. Ongoing collaborative efforts of more than 30 seagrass researchers and managers provide timely information on environmental and ecosystem changes in these important systems. Since the first published seagrass assessments in 2009, we have observed large changes in seagrass abundance and diversity in several regions; most but not all changes were likely due to variations in water quality that determine the light available to benthic vegetation. In the Panhandle and the Big Bend, in 2012-2104, increases in the frequency and severity of storms and resulting runoff reduced water quality which in turn decreased the abundance and distribution of seagrasses. The storm pattern resulted from changes in the subtropical jet stream and persisted for 3 years. In south Florida, heat and drought elevated salinities to extreme levels in Florida Bay in 2015; the resulting stratification along with high temperatures caused die-off of thousands of hectares of seagrass in the north central Bay. Extremely wet conditions in southeast Florida in 2015-2016 strained the water management system, resulting in large releases of polluted freshwater to estuaries on the southwest and southeast coasts, reducing light availability and causing large blooms of noxious algae. While other regions have also experienced algal blooms that reduced available light (Indian River Lagoon), seagrasses have remained stable or improved in regions where climatic conditions have been stable and where concerted efforts continue to maintain excellent water quality (Springs Coast, Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay). With continuing updates, the SIMM program and reports provide timely information and assessment of seagrasses at a statewide level.

Assessing Environmental Drivers of DOC Fluxes in the Shark River Estuary: Modeling the Effects of Climate, Hydrology and Water Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regier, P.; Briceno, H.; Jaffe, R.

2016-02-01

Urban and agricultural development of the South Florida peninsula has disrupted freshwater flow in the Everglades, a hydrologically connected ecosystem stretching from central Florida to the Gulf of Mexico. Current system-scale restoration efforts aim to restore natural hydrologic regimes to reestablish pre-drainage ecosystem functioning through increased water availability, quality and timing. However, it is uncertain how hydrologic restoration combined with climate change will affect the downstream section of the system, including the mangrove estuaries of Everglades National Park. Aquatic transport of carbon, primarily as dissolved organic carbon (DOC), plays a critical role in biogeochemical cycling and food-web dynamics, and will be affected both by water management policies and climate change. To better understand DOC dynamics in these estuaries and how hydrology, climate and water management may affect them, 14 years of monthly data collected in the Shark River estuary were used to build a DOC flux model. Multi-variate methods were applied to long-term data-sets for hydrology, water quality and climate to untangle the interconnected environmental drivers that control DOC export at intra and inter-annual scales. DOC fluxes were determined to be primarily controlled by hydrology but also by seasonality and long-term climate patterns. Next, a 4-component model (salinity, inflow, rainfall, Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation) capable of predicting DOC fluxes (R2=0.78, p<0.0001, n=161) was established. Finally, potential climate change scenarios for the Everglades were applied to this model to assess DOC flux variations in response to climate and restoration variables. Although global predictions anticipate that DOC export will generally increase in the future, the majority of scenario runs indicated that DOC export from the Everglades is expected to decrease due to changes in rainfall, evapotranspiration, inflows and sea-level rise.

Influence of sea level rise on iron diagenesis in an east Florida subterranean estuary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roy, M.; Martin, J.B.; Cherrier, J.; Cable, J.E.; Smith, C.G.

2010-01-01

Subterranean estuary occupies the transition zone between hypoxic fresh groundwater and oxic seawater, and between terrestrial and marine sediment deposits. Consequently, we hypothesize, in a subterranean estuary, biogeochemical reactions of Fe respond to submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) and sea level rise. Porewater and sediment samples were collected across a 30-m wide freshwater discharge zone of the Indian River Lagoon (Florida, USA) subterranean estuary, and at a site 250. m offshore. Porewater Fe concentrations range from 0.5 ??M at the shoreline and 250. m offshore to about 286 ??M at the freshwater-saltwater boundary. Sediment sulfur and porewater sulfide maxima occur in near-surface OC-rich black sediments of marine origin, and dissolved Fe maxima occur in underlying OC-poor orange sediments of terrestrial origin. Freshwater SGD flow rates decrease offshore from around 1 to 0.1. cm/day, while bioirrigation exchange deepens with distance from about 10. cm at the shoreline to about 40. cm at the freshwater-saltwater boundary. DOC concentrations increase from around 75 ??M at the shoreline to as much as 700 ??M at the freshwater-saltwater boundary as a result of labile marine carbon inputs from marine SGD. This labile DOC reduces Fe-oxides, which in conjunction with slow discharge of SGD at the boundary, allows dissolved Fe to accumulate. Upward advection of fresh SGD carries dissolved Fe from the Fe-oxide reduction zone to the sulfate reduction zone, where dissolved Fe precipitates as Fe-sulfides. Saturation models of Fe-sulfides indicate some fractions of these Fe-sulfides get dissolved near the sediment-water interface, where bioirrigation exchanges oxic surface water. The estimated dissolved Fe flux is approximately 0.84 ??M Fe/day per meter of shoreline to lagoon surface waters. Accelerated sea level rise predictions are thus likely to increase the Fe flux to surface waters and local primary productivity, particularly along coastlines where groundwater discharges through sediments. ?? 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

OBLIQUE VIEW OF NORTH AND EAST SIDES OF NORTHWEST CONTROL ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

OBLIQUE VIEW OF NORTH AND EAST SIDES OF NORTHWEST CONTROL HOUSE WITH SOUTHWEST CONTROL HOUSE IN BACKGROUND, VIEW TOWARDS SOUTH - Ortona Lock, Lock No. 2, Machinery and Control Houses, Caloosahatchee River, Cross-State Canal, Okeechobee Intracoastal Waterway, Ortona, Glades County, FL

VIEW OF NORTH SIDE OF NORTHEAST CONTROL HOUSE WITH SOUTHEAST ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

VIEW OF NORTH SIDE OF NORTHEAST CONTROL HOUSE WITH SOUTHEAST CONTROL HOUSE IN BACKGROUND, LOCK UNDER REPAIR, VIEW TOWARDS SOUTH - Ortona Lock, Lock No. 2, Machinery and Control Houses, Caloosahatchee River, Cross-State Canal, Okeechobee Intracoastal Waterway, Ortona, Glades County, FL

Ecological drivers and habitat associations of estuarine bivalves

PubMed Central

Tunberg, Björn G.; Johnston, Cora A.; Barshis, Daniel J.

2015-01-01

Community composition of the infaunal bivalve fauna of the St. Lucie Estuary and southern Indian River Lagoon, eastern Florida was sampled quarterly for 10 years as part of a long-term benthic monitoring program. A total of 38,514 bivalves of 137 taxa were collected and identified. We utilized this data, along with sediment samples and environmental measurements gathered concurrently, to assess the community composition, distribution, and ecological drivers of the infaunal bivalves of this estuary system. Salinity had the strongest influence on bivalve assemblage across the 15 sites, superseding the influences of sediment type, water turbidity, temperature and other environmental parameters. The greatest diversity was found in higher salinity euhaline sites, while the greatest abundance of individual bivalves was found in medium salinity mixohaline sites, the lowest diversity and abundances were found in the low salinity oligohaline sites, demonstrating a strong positive association between salinity and diversity/abundance. Water management decisions for the estuary should incorporate understanding of the role of salinity on bivalve diversity, abundance, and ecosystem function. PMID:26587338

Ecological drivers and habitat associations of estuarine bivalves.

PubMed

McKeon, C Seabird; Tunberg, Björn G; Johnston, Cora A; Barshis, Daniel J

2015-01-01

Community composition of the infaunal bivalve fauna of the St. Lucie Estuary and southern Indian River Lagoon, eastern Florida was sampled quarterly for 10 years as part of a long-term benthic monitoring program. A total of 38,514 bivalves of 137 taxa were collected and identified. We utilized this data, along with sediment samples and environmental measurements gathered concurrently, to assess the community composition, distribution, and ecological drivers of the infaunal bivalves of this estuary system. Salinity had the strongest influence on bivalve assemblage across the 15 sites, superseding the influences of sediment type, water turbidity, temperature and other environmental parameters. The greatest diversity was found in higher salinity euhaline sites, while the greatest abundance of individual bivalves was found in medium salinity mixohaline sites, the lowest diversity and abundances were found in the low salinity oligohaline sites, demonstrating a strong positive association between salinity and diversity/abundance. Water management decisions for the estuary should incorporate understanding of the role of salinity on bivalve diversity, abundance, and ecosystem function.

KSC-2009-1012

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-12-22

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Morning light sculpts a cactus on the roadside at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

Mosquito production in a rotationally managed impoundment compared to other management techniques.

PubMed

Carlson, D B; O'Bryan, P D

1988-06-01

Mosquito production was monitored by larval dipping for 12 months in a 20.2 ha central east coast Florida salt marsh impoundment which was being managed under a rotational impoundment management (RIM) regime. This regime, implemented to provide mosquito control while retaining natural resource benefits, virtually eliminated salt-marsh Aedes mosquito production from late May through September when the marsh was closed to the estuary and flooded to approximately 1.0 ft NGVD. Anopheles spp. were collected only along the upland marsh edges in relatively low densities. Compared with the management methods of: 1) open to the estuary with culverts and, 2) passive retention of water with flapgate risers, RIM proved to be significantly more effective in reducing mosquito production.

KSC-08pd4120

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-12-22

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge, a male hooded Merganser duck swims with a female (right) who is stretching her wings. The Merganser's habitat includes wooded ponds, lakes and rivers. They are most often seen along rivers and estuaries during the fall and winter. They feed chiefly on small fish, which they pursue in long, rapid, underwater dives, and also frogs and aquatic insects. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Arsenic, barium, germanium, tin, dimethylsulfide and nutrient biogeochemistry in Charlotte Harbor, Florida, a phosphorus-enriched estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Froelich, P. N.; Kaul, L. W.; Byrd, J. T.; Andreae, M. O.; Roe, K. K.

1985-03-01

Concentrations of dissolved nutrients (NO 3, PO 4, Si), germanium species, arsenic species, tin, barium, dimethylsulfide and related parameters were measured along the salinity gradient in Charlotte Harbor. Phosphate enrichment from the phosphate industry on the Peace River promotes a productive diatom bloom near the river mouth where NO 3 and Si are completely consumed. Inorganic germanium is completely depleted in this bloom by uptake into biogenic opal. The Ge/Si ratio taken up by diatoms is about 0·7 × 10 -6, the same as that provided by the river flux, confirming that siliceous organisms incorporate germanium as an accidental trace replacement for silica. Monomethylgermanium and dimethylgermanium concentrations are undetectable in the Peace River, and increase linearly with increasing salinity to the seawater end of the bay, suggesting that these organogermanium species behave conservatively in estuaries, and are neither produced nor consumed during estuarine biogenic opal formation or dissolution. Inorganic arsenic displays slight removal in the bloom. Monomethylarsenic is produced both in the bloom and in mid-estuary, while dimethylarsenic is conservative in the bloom but produced in mid-estuary. The total production of methylarsenicals within the bay approximately balances the removal of inorganic arsenic, suggesting that most biological arsenic uptake in the estuary is biomethylated and released to the water column. Dimethylsulfide increases with increasing salinity in the estuary and shows evidence of removal, probably both by degassing and by microbial consumption. An input of DMS is observed in the central estuary. The behavior of total dissolvable tin shows no biological activity in the bloom or in mid-estuary, but does display a low-salinity input signal that parallels dissolved organic material, perhaps suggesting an association between tin and DOM. Barium displays dramatic input behavior at mid-salinities, probably due to slow release from clays deposited in the harbor after catastrophic phosphate slime spills into the Peace River.

OBLIQUE VIEW OF SOUTH AND WEST SIDES OF SOUTHWEST CONTROL ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

OBLIQUE VIEW OF SOUTH AND WEST SIDES OF SOUTHWEST CONTROL HOUSE WITH NORTHWEST CONTROL HOUSE AND BUILDING NO. 52 IN BACKGROUND, VIEW TOWARDS NORTH - Ortona Lock, Lock No. 2, Machinery and Control Houses, Caloosahatchee River, Cross-State Canal, Okeechobee Intracoastal Waterway, Ortona, Glades County, FL

KSC-08pd4101

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-12-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Roseate spoonbills and white ibis search the water for food at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs

KSC-2009-1011

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-01-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Sunrise casts an orange glow over the wooded landscape surrounding NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2009-1009

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-01-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Fog blankets the woods near a road in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

A robin perches on a branch at KSC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

A robin perches on a branch in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which shares a boundary with the space center. Robins range throughout North America, from Alaska to Florida. Although considered a harbinger of spring, they do winter in northern states, frequenting cedar bogs and swamps. They also winter in Florida, where they often can be seen in flocks of hundreds near KSC and the wildlife refuge, which comprises 92,000 acres, ranging from hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods to fresh-water impoundments, salt-water estuaries and brackish marshes. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles, including such endangered species as Southern bald eagles, wood storks, Florida scrub jays, Atlantic loggerhead and leatherback turtles, osprey, and nearly 5,000 alligators.

Using high frequency CDOM hyperspectral absorption to fingerprint river water sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beckler, J. S.; Kirkpatrick, G. J.; Dixon, L. K.; Milbrandt, E. C.

2016-12-01

Quantifying riverine carbon transfer from land to sea is complicated by variability in dissolved organic carbon (DOC), closely-related dissolved organic matter (DOM) and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) concentrations, as well as in the composition of the freshwater end members of multiple drainage basins and seasons. Discrete measurements in estuaries have difficulty resolving convoluted upstream watershed dynamics. Optical measurements, however, can provide more continuous data regarding the molecular composition and concentration of the CDOM as it relates to river flow, tidal mixing, and salinity and may be used to fingerprint source waters. For the first time, long-term, hyperspectral CDOM measurements were obtained on filtered Caloosahatchee River estuarine waters using an in situ, long-pathlength spectrophotometric instrument, the Optical Phytoplankton Discriminator (OPD). Through a collaborative monitoring effort among partners within the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS), ancillary measurements of fluorescent DOM (FDOM) and water quality parameters were also obtained from co-located instrumentation at high frequency. Optical properties demonstrated both short-term (hourly) tidal variations and long-term (daily - weekly) variations corresponding to changes in riverine flow and salinity. The optical properties of the river waters are demonstrated to be a dilution-adjusted linear combination of the optical properties of the source waters comprising the overall composition (e.g. Lake Okeechobee, watershed drainage basins, Gulf of Mexico). Overall, these techniques are promising as a tool to more accurately constrain the carbon flux to the ocean and to predict the optical quality of coastal waters.

Hydrologic sections through Lee County and adjacent areas of Hendry and Collier counties, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boggess, Durward H.; Missimer, T.M.; O'Donnell, T. H.

1981-01-01

The freshwater underlying Lee, western Hendry, and northern Collier Counties occurs within the marine terrace sands, the Fort Thompson, Caloosahatchee, Tamiami, and Hawthorn Formations. These are, respectively, the water-table aquifer, an aquifer in the Tamiami Formation, and an aquifer in the upper part of the Hawthorn Formation. These aquifers are separated by clay, marl, and marly limestone. Wells tapping the water-table aquifer are commonly less than 50 feet deep, with yields ranging from 5 to 500 gallons per minute. The water quality in the aquifer is usually good, except for iron, which generally exceeds 1 milligram per liter, and color, which ranges from 30 to 600 Platinum-Cobalt units. Wells tapping the Tamiami aquifer range in depth from about 60 to 300 feet; most are less than 100 feet deep. Yields range from 20 to 500 gallons per minute. The water quality in the Tamiami aquifer is good, except where affected by leakage from deep artesian wells. Wells tapping the upper Hawthorn aquifer range in depth from about 100 to 300 feet. Yields range from 10 to 500 gallons per minute. The water quality from the upper Hawthorn aquifer is good, except in areas where upward leakage from the deep artesian aquifer has occurred. (USGS)

Drought Increases Consumer Pressure on Oyster Reefs in Florida, USA

PubMed Central

Garland, Hanna G.; Kimbro, David L.

2015-01-01

Coastal economies and ecosystems have historically depended on oyster reefs, but this habitat has declined globally by 85% because of anthropogenic activities. In a Florida estuary, we investigated the cause of newly reported losses of oysters. We found that the oyster reefs have deteriorated from north to south and that this deterioration was positively correlated with the abundance of carnivorous conchs and water salinity. In experiments across these gradients, oysters survived regardless of salinity if conchs were excluded. After determining that conchs were the proximal cause of oyster loss, we tested whether elevated water salinity was linked to conch abundance either by increasing conch growth and survivorship or by decreasing the abundance of a predator of conchs. In field experiments across a salinity gradient, we failed to detect spatial variation in predation on conchs or in conch growth and survivorship. A laboratory experiment, however, demonstrated the role of salinity by showing that conch larvae failed to survive at low salinities. Because this estuary’s salinity increased in 2006 in response to reduced inputs of freshwater, we concluded that the ultimate cause of oyster decline was an increase in salinity. According to records from 2002 to 2012, oyster harvests have remained steady in the northernmost estuaries of this ecoregion (characterized by high reef biomass, low salinity, and low conch abundance) but have declined in the southernmost estuaries (characterized by lower reef biomass, increases in salinity, and increases in conch abundance). Oyster conservation in this ecoregion, which is probably one of the few that still support viable oyster populations, may be undermined by drought-induced increases in salinity causing an increased abundance of carnivorous conchs. PMID:26275296

Alkaline phosphatase activity of water column fractions and seagrass in a tropical carbonate estuary, Florida Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koch, Marguerite S.; Kletou, Demetris C.; Tursi, Rosanna

2009-08-01

Few phosphorus-depleted coastal ecosystems have been examined for their ability to hydrolyze phosphomonoesters. We examined seasonal (August 2006-April 2007) alkaline phosphatase activity in Florida Bay, a phosphorus-limited shallow estuary, using fluorescent substrate at low concentrations (≤2.0 μM). In situ dissolved inorganic and organic phosphorus levels and phosphomonoester concentrations were also determined. Water column alkaline phosphatase activity was partitioned into two particulate size fractions (>1.2 and 0.2-1.2 μm) and freely dissolved enzymes (<0.2 μm). Water column alkaline phosphatase activity was also compared to leaf and epiphyte activity of the dominant tropical seagrass Thalassia testudinum. Our results indicate: (1) potential alkaline phosphatase activity in Florida Bay is high compared to other marine ecosystems, resulting in rapid phosphomonoester turnover times (˜2 h). (2) Water column alkaline phosphatase activity dominates, and is split equally between particulate and dissolved fractions. (3) Alkaline phosphatase activity was highest during cyanobacterial blooms, but not when normalized to chl a. These results suggest that dissolved, heterotrophic and autotrophic alkaline phosphatase activity is stimulated by phytoplankton blooms. (4) The dissolved alkaline phosphatase activity is relatively constant, while the particulate activity is seasonally and spatially dynamic, typically associated with phytoplankton blooms. (5) Phosphomonoester concentrations throughout the bay are low, even though potential hydrolysis rates are high. We propose that bioavailable dissolved organic P is hydrolyzed by dissolved and microbial alkaline phosphatase enzymes in Florida Bay. High alkaline phosphatase activity in the bay is also promoted by long hydraulic residence times. This background activity is primarily driven by carbon and phosphorus limitation of microorganisms, and regeneration of enzymes associated with cell lysis. Pulses of inorganic phosphorus and labile organic phosphorus and nitrogen may stimulate autotrophs, particularly cyanobacteria, which in turn promote biological activity that increase alkaline phosphatase activity of both autotrophs and heterotrophs in the bay.

Gulf of Mexico integrated science - Tampa Bay study, the impact of groundwater and contaminants on Tampa Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Swarzenski, Peter W.

2005-01-01

Despite the recreational and economic value of coastal bays and estuaries, these ecosystems are often among our most 'troubled' natural environments. Urbanization, agriculture, mining, and shipping are just a few activities that can have a profound and lasting impact on the coastal zone. In order to maintain a healthy coastal ecosystem, it is crucial to develop reasonable management practices around expert scientific information. We still have much to learn about the quantity and quality of groundwater being discharged into Tampa Bay, Florida. We also need to improve our knowledge of a wide range of contaminants entering the bay and must be able to determine where they accumulate in seafloor sediments. Such buried contaminants can potentially be harmful to biota if they are released to the water column. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists and research partners from the University of South Florida (USF), the University of Florida (UF), and the Florida Marine Research Institute (FMRI) are mapping sources of groundwater, measuring groundwater flow into Tampa Bay, and assessing the impact of contaminants and sediments on bay water quality and ecosystem health.

KSC-08pd4103

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-12-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Great white herons, roseate spoonbills and white ibis search the water for food at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs

KSC-08pd4102

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-12-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A great white heron joins roseate spoonbills and white ibis searching the water for food at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs

Water withdrawals, use, discharge, and trends in Florida, 1995

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marella, R.L.

1999-01-01

In 1995, the total amount of water withdrawn in Florida was nearly 18,200 million gallons per day (Mgal/d), of which 60 percent was saline and 40 percent was freshwater. Ground water accounted for 60 percent of freshwater withdrawals and surface water accounted for the remaining 40 percent. Ninety-three percent of the 14.15 million people in Florida relied on ground water for their drinking water needs in 1995. Almost all (99.9 percent) saline water withdrawals were from surface water. Public supply accounted for 43 percent of ground water withdrawn in 1995, followed by agricultural self-supplied (35 percent), commercial-industrial self-supplied (including mining) (10 percent), domestic self-supplied (7 percent), recreational irrigation (4.5 percent), and power generation (0.5 percent). Agricultural self-supplied accounted for 60 percent of fresh surface water withdrawn in 1995, followed by power generation (21 percent), commercial-industrial self-supplied (9 percent), public supply (7 percent), and recreational irrigation (3 percent). Almost all of saline water withdrawn was used for power generation. The largest amount of freshwater was withdrawn in Palm Beach County and the largest amount of saline water was withdrawn in Hillsborough County. Significant withdrawals (more than 200 Mgal/d) of fresh ground water occurred in Dade, Broward, Polk, Orange, and Palm Beach Counties. Significant withdrawals (more than 200 Mgal/d) of fresh surface water occurred in Palm Beach, Hendry, and St. Lucie Counties. The South Florida Water Management District accounted for the largest amount of freshwater withdrawn (nearly 50 percent). About 57 percent of the total ground water withdrawn was from the Floridan aquifer system; 20 percent was from the Biscayne aquifer. Most of the surface water used in Florida was from managed and maintained canal systems or large water bodies. Major sources of fresh surface water include the Caloosahatchee River, Deer Point Lake, Hillsborough River, Lake Apopka, Lake Okeechobee and associated canals, and the St. Johns River. Freshwater withdrawals increased nearly 29 percent in Florida between 1970 and 1995. Ground-water withdrawals increased 56 percent, and surface-water withdrawals increased 2 percent during this period. Between 1990 and 1995, freshwater withdrawals decreased 5 percent. Fresh ground-water withdrawals decreased 7 percent, and fresh surface-water withdrawals decreased 1 percent during this period. Saline water withdrawals increased 13 percent between 1970 and 1995, and increased 6 percent between 1990 and 1995. An estimated 39 percent of the freshwater withdrawn in Florida was consumed; the remaining 61 percent was returned for use again. Wastewater discharged from the 615 treatment facilities inventoried in 1995 totaled 1,836 Mgal/d, of which 84 percent was from domestic wastewater facilities and the remaining 16 percent was from industrial facilities. Domestic wastewater discharge increased 37 percent between 1985 and 1995, while industrial wastewater discharge increased 7 percent during this period.

KSC-08pd3160

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-10-14

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A water lily stretches above the water in a canal on NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island Wildlife Nature Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The Refuge provides a wide variety of habitats: coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks that provide habitat for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

KSC-08pd3163

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-10-14

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A water lily stretches above the water in a canal on NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island Wildlife Nature Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The Refuge provides a wide variety of habitats: coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks that provide habitat for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

Identification of contaminant trends and data gaps for terrestrial vertebrates residing in northeastern estuaries of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rattner, B.A.; Pearson, J.L.; Golden, N.H.; Erwin, R.M.; Ottinger, M.A.

1998-01-01

The Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) program of the Department of the Interior is focused to identify and understand effects of contaminant stressors on biological resources under their stewardship. One BEST program activity involves evaluation of retrospective data to assess and predict the condition of biota in Atlantic coast estuaries. A 'Contaminant Exposure and Effects--Terrestrial Vertebrates' database (CEE-TV) has been compiled through computerized literature searches of Fish and Wildlife Reviews, BIOSIS, AGRICOLA, and TOXLINE, review of existing databases (e.g., US EPA Ecological Incident Information System, USGS Diagnostic and Epizootic Databases), and solicitation of unpublished reports from conservation agencies, private groups, and universities. Summary information has been entered into the CEE-TV database, including species, collection date (1965-present), site coordinates, sample matrix, contaminant concentrations, biomarker and bioindicator responses, and reference source, utilizing a 96-field dBase format. Currently, the CEE-TV database contains 3500 georeferenced records representing >200 vertebrate species and > 100,000 individuals residing in estuaries from Maine through Florida. This relational database can be directly queried, imported into the ARC/INFO geographic information system (GIS) to examine spatial tendencies, and used to identify 'hot-spots', generate hypotheses, and focus ecotoxicological assessments. An overview of temporal, phylogenetic, and geographic contaminant exposure and effects information, trends, and data gaps will be presented for terrestrial vertebrates residing in estuaries in the northeast United States.

Temporal and spatial change in coastal ecosystems using remote sensing: Example with Florida Bay, USA, emphasizing AVHRR imagery

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stumpf, R.P.; Frayer, M.L.

1997-06-01

Florida Bay, at the southern tip of Florida, USA, has undergone dramatic changes in recent years. Following seagrass dieoffs starting in the late 1980`s, both algal blooms and high turbidity (the latter from resuspended sediments) have been reported as more common in the Bay. Remotely sensed data, particularly from the AVHRR (advanced very high resolution radiometer), can provide information on conditions prior to the start of monitoring programs as well as provide additional spatial detail on water clarity and particulate loads in this estuary . The AVHRR record currently available to us consists of over 600 usable scenes from December,more » 1989. Comparisons with field data have provided relationships with light attenuation, total suspended solids, and other turbidity measures. The imagery shows the seasonal change in turbidity resulting from high winds associated with winter cold fronts. Over the seven-year record, areas of clear water have decreased in the north-central Bay, while expanding in the southwestern Bay.« less

Manatees in the Gulf of Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bonde, Robert K.; Lefebvre, Lynn W.

2001-01-01

The endangered Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) inhabits rivers and estuaries along both coasts of Florida and, to a lesser extent, adjacent states (Figure 1). Since 1990, documented sightings of manatees outside of Florida have been increasing. This increase in sightings probably represents northward shifts in manatee distribution made possible by man-made sources of warm water (i.e., industrial effluents), as well as a decade of relatively warm winters. The most likely source of emigrants on the Gulf coast is the population of manatees that overwinter in the headwaters of the Crystal and Homosassa Rivers, Citrus County, FL. This group of manatees has undergone a steady increase in numbers, (approximately 7% per year from 1977-1991; Eberhardt and O’Shea 1995). Some emigrants may also come from the Tampa-Ft. Myers region, where human impacts on habitat are greater. Manatees are intelligent, long-lived mammals that appear to adapt readily to new environments and situations. However, manatees have relatively low metabolic rates, and cold winter temperatures restrict their northern distribution.

75 FR 28643 - Pine Island, Matlacha Pass, Island Bay, and Caloosahatchee National Wildlife Refuges, Lee and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-21

... would work with the partners to establish benchmarks to record sea level rise and beach profiles and... partners to establish benchmarks to record sea level rise and beach profiles and shoreline changes, which... establish benchmarks to record sea level rise and beach profiles and shoreline changes, which could...

VIEW OF UPSTREAM (EAST) SIDES OF UPPER (EAST) END OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

VIEW OF UPSTREAM (EAST) SIDES OF UPPER (EAST) END OF LOCK, SOUTHEAST AND NORTHEAST CONTROL HOUSES, LOCK UNDER REPAIR, BUILDING NOS. 51, 52 AND SOUTHWEST CONTROL HOUSE IN BACKGROUND, VIEW TOWARDS WEST-NORTHWEST - Ortona Lock, Lock No. 2, Machinery and Control Houses, Caloosahatchee River, Cross-State Canal, Okeechobee Intracoastal Waterway, Ortona, Glades County, FL

KSC-2011-8343

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A mud hen wades in the shallows of the water's edge at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2012-6253

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-11-15

Roseate spoonbills and other birds gather near the Central Instrumentation Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-2012-6251

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-11-15

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Roseate spoonbills and other birds gather near the Central Instrumentation Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-2012-6256

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-11-15

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Roseate spoonbills feed in an area near the Central Instrumentation Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-2012-6252

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-11-15

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Roseate spoonbills and other birds gather near the Central Instrumentation Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-2011-8330

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- An American wigeon cruises through the water in a pond at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2011-8334

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Male and female northern shovelers swim in a pond at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2011-8340

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a little blue heron wades in the shallows at water's edge. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2011-8331

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Male and female blue-wing teals walk along the water's edge at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Integrating science and resource management in Tampa Bay, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yates, Kimberly K.; Greening, Holly; Morrison, Gerold

2011-01-01

Tampa Bay is recognized internationally for its remarkable progress towards recovery since it was pronounced "dead" in the late 1970s. Due to significant efforts by local governments, industries and private citizens throughout the watershed, water clarity in Tampa Bay is now equal to what it was in 1950, when population in the watershed was less than one-quarter of what it is today. Seagrass extent has increased by more than 8,000 acres since the mid-1980s, and fish and wildlife populations are increasing. Central to this successful turn-around has been the Tampa Bay resource management community's long-term commitment to development and implementation of strong science-based management strategies. Research institutions and agencies, including Eckerd College, the Florida Wildlife Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Mote Marine Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, University of South Florida, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Geological Survey, local and State governments, and private companies contribute significantly to the scientific basis of our understanding of Tampa Bay's structure and ecological function. Resource management agencies, including the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council's Agency on Bay Management, the Southwest Florida Water Management District's Surface Water Improvement and Management Program, and the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, depend upon this scientific basis to develop and implement regional adaptive management programs. The importance of integrating science with management has become fully recognized by scientists and managers throughout the region, State and Nation. Scientific studies conducted in Tampa Bay over the past 10–15 years are increasingly diverse and complex, and resource management programs reflect our increased knowledge of geology, hydrology and hydrodynamics, ecology and restoration techniques. However, a synthesis of this research and its integration into resource management has not been prepared for Tampa Bay since the mid-1980s. The need for an up-to-date synthesis of Tampa Bay science and management has resulted in the production of this document. The U.S. Geological Survey recently completed a 5-year Tampa Bay Integrated Science Study, and the Tampa Bay Estuary Program updated the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for Tampa Bay in 2006. These efforts build upon results of the many research and management studies and programs summarized here.

Variations of iron flux and organic carbon remineralization in a subterranean estuary caused by inter-annual variations in recharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Moutusi; Martin, Jonathan B.; Cable, Jaye E.; Smith, Christopher G.

2013-02-01

We determine the inter-annual variations in diagenetic reaction rates of sedimentary iron (Fe) in an east Florida subterranean estuary and evaluate the connection between metal fluxes and recharge to the coastal aquifer. Over the three years study period (from 2004 to 2007), the amount of Fe-oxides reduced at the study site decreased from 192 to 153 g/yr and associated organic carbon (OC) remineralization decreased from 48 to 38 g/yr. These reductions occurred although the Fe-oxide reduction rates remained constant around 1 mg/cm2/yr. These results suggest that changes in flow rates of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) related to changes in precipitation may be important to fluxes of the diagenetic reaction products. Rainfall at a weather station approximately 5 km from the field area decreased from 12.6 to 8.4 cm/month from 2004 to 2007. Monthly potential evapotranspiration (PET) calculated from Thornthwaite's method indicated potential evapotranspiration cycled from about 3 cm/month in the winter to about 15 cm/month in the summer so that net annual recharge to the aquifer decreased from 40 cm in 2004 to -10 cm in 2007. Simultaneously with the decrease in recharge of groundwater, freshwater SGD decreased by around 20% and caused the originally 25 m wide freshwater seepage face to decrease in width by about 5 m. The smaller seepage face reduced the area under which Fe-oxides were undergoing reductive dissolution. Consequently, the observed decrease in Fe flux is controlled by hydrology of the subterranean estuary. These results point out the need to better understand linkages between temporal variations in diagenetic reactions and changes in flow within subterranean estuaries in order to accurately constrain their contribution to oceanic fluxes of solutes from subterranean estuaries.

Organic Carbon and Trace Element Cycling in a River-Dominated Tidal Coastal Wetland System (Tampa Bay, FL, USA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moyer, R. P.; Smoak, J. M.; Engelhart, S. E.; Powell, C. E.; Chappel, A. R.; Gerlach, M. J.; Kemp, A.; Breithaupt, J. L.

2016-02-01

Tampa Bay is the largest open water, river-fed estuary in Florida (USA), and is characterized by the presence of both mangrove and salt marsh ecosystems. Both coastal wetland systems, and small rivers such as the ones draining into Tampa Bay have historically been underestimated in terms of their role in the global carbon and elemental cycles. Climate change and sea-level rise (SLR) are major threats in Tampa Bay and stand to disrupt hydrologic cycles, compromising sediment accumulation and the rate of organic carbon (OC) burial. This study evaluates organic carbon content, sediment accumulation, and carbon burial rates in salt marsh and mangrove ecosystems, along with measurements of fluxes of dissolved OC (DOC) and trace elements in the water column of the Little Manatee River (LMR) in Tampa Bay. The characterization of OC and trace elements in tidal rivers and estuaries is critical for quantitatively constraining these systems in local-to-regional scale biogeochemical budgets, and provide insight into biogeochemical processes occurring with the estuary and adjacent tidal wetlands. Material fluxes of DOC and trace elements were tied to discharge irrespective of season, and the estuarine habitats removed 15-65% of DOC prior to export to Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Thus, material is available for cycling and burial within marsh and mangrove peats, however, LMR mangrove peats have higher OC content and burial rates than adjacent salt marsh peats. Sedimentary accretion rates in LMR marshes are not currently keeping pace with SLR, thus furthering the rapid marsh-to-mangrove conversions that have been seen in Tampa Bay over the past half-century. Additionally, wetlands in Tampa Bay tend to have a lower rate of carbon burial than other Florida tidal wetlands, demonstrating their high sensitivity to climate change and SLR.

Water Withdrawals, Use, and Trends in Florida, 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marella, Richard L.

2009-01-01

In 2005, the total amount of water withdrawals in Florida was estimated at 18,359 million gallons per day (Mgal/d). Saline water accounted for 11,486 Mgal/d (63 percent), and freshwater accounted for 6,873 Mgal/d (37 percent). Groundwater accounted for 4,247 Mgal/d (62 percent) of freshwater withdrawals, and surface water accounted for the remaining 2,626 Mgal/d (38 percent). Surface water accounted for nearly all (99.9 percent) saline-water withdrawals. An additional 660 Mgal/d of reclaimed wastewater was used in Florida during 2005. The largest amount of freshwater was withdrawn from Palm Beach County, and the largest amount of saline water was withdrawn from Pasco County. Fresh groundwater provided drinking water (public supplied and self-supplied) for 16.19 million people (90 percent of Florida's population), and fresh surface water provided drinking water for 1.73 million people (10 percent). The majority of groundwater withdrawals (nearly 60 percent) in 2005 was obtained from the Floridan aquifer system which is present throughout the entire State. The majority of fresh surface-water withdrawals (59 percent) came from the southern Florida hydrologic unit subregion and is associated with Lake Okeechobee and the canals in the Everglades Agricultural Area of Glades, Hendry, and Palm Beach Counties, as well as the Caloosahatchee River and its tributaries in the agricultural areas of Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee Counties. Overall, agricultural irrigation accounted for 40 percent of the total freshwater withdrawals (ground and surface), followed by public supply with 37 percent. Public supply accounted for 52 percent of groundwater withdrawals, followed by agricultural self-supplied (31 percent), ommercial-industrial-mining self-supplied (8.5 percent), recreational irrigation and domestic self-supplied (4 percent each), and power generation (0.5 percent). Agricultural self-supplied accounted for 56 percent of fresh surface-water withdrawals, followed by power generation (20.5 percent), public supply (13 percent), recreational irrigation (6 percent), and commercial-industrial self-supplied (4.5 percent). Power generation accounted for nearly all (99.9 percent) saline-water withdrawals. Of the 17.92 million people who resided in Florida during 2005, 41 percent (7.36 million people) resided in the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), followed by the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) and the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) with 25 percent each (4.46 and 4.44 million people, respectively), the Northwest Florida Water Management District (NWFWMD) with 7.5 percent (1.34 million people), and the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) with 1.5 percent (0.32 million people). The largest amount of freshwater withdrawals was from the SFWMD, which was one-half (50 percent) of the State's total freshwater withdrawals, followed by the SJRWMD (19 percent), SWFWMD (16 percent), NWFWMD (10 percent), and SRWMD (5 percent). Between 1950 and 2005, the population of Florida increased by 15.15 million (550 percent), and the total water withdrawals (fresh and saline) increased 15,700 Mgal/d (600 percent). More recently, total withdrawals decreased 1,790 Mgal/d (9 percent) between 2000 and 2005, but the total population increased by 1.94 million (12 percent). Between 1990 and 2005, saline-water withdrawals increased 1,120 Mgal/d (11 percent), whereas between 2000 and 2005, saline-water withdrawals decreased 470 Mgal/d (4 percent). Between 1990 and 2005, freshwater withdrawals decreased 710 Mgal/d (9 percent), whereas between 2000 and 2005, freshwater withdrawals decreased 1,320 Mgal/d (16 percent). The use of highly mineralized groundwater as a source of supply, primarily for public supply, also has increased in Florida. This water, referred as nonpotable water, increased from just less than 2 Mgal/d in 1970, to 142 Mgal/d in 2005. Nonpotable water is treated to meet drin

Water resources of southeastern Florida, with special reference to geology and ground water of the Miami area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parker, Garald G.; Ferguson, G.E.; Love, S.K.

1955-01-01

The circulation of water, in any form, from the surface of the earth to the atmosphere and back again is called the hydrologic cycle. A comprehensive study of the water resources of any area must, therefore, include data on the climate of the area. The humid subtropical climate of southeast Florida is characterized by relatively high temperatures, alternating semi-annual wet and dry season, and usually light put persistent winds. The recurrence of drought in an area having relatively large rainfall such as southeastern Florida indicates that the agencies that remove water are especially effective. Two of the most important of the agencies associated with climate are evaporation and transpiration, or 'evapotranspiraton'. Evaporation losses from permanent water areas are believed to average between 40 and 45 inches per year. Over land areas indirect methods much be used to determine losses by evapotranspiration; necessarily, there values are not precise. Because of their importance in the occurrence and movement of both surface and ground waters, detailed studies were made of the geology and geomorphology of southern Florida. As a result of widespread crustal movements, southern Florida emerged from the sea in later Pliocene time and probably was slightly tilted to the west. At the beginning of the Pleistocene the continent emerged still farther as a result of the lowering of sea level attending the first widespread glaciation. During this epoch, south Florida may have stood several hundred feet above sea level. During the interglacial ages the sea repeatedly flooded southern Florida. The marine members of the Fort Thompson formation in the Lake Okeechobee-Everglades depression and the Calossahatchee River Valley apparently are the deposits of the interglacial invasions by the sea. The fresh-water marls, sands, and organic deposits of the Fort Thompson formation appear to have accumulated during glacial ages when seas level was low and the area was a land surface partly occupied by fresh-water lakes and marshes. Elsewhere in southern Florida the deposits are mainly limestone and sandy terrace deposits. The Pliocene surface upon which there Pleistocene sediments were deposited was highest to the north and west of the present Everglades and Kissimmee River basin, and it sloped gently to the south, southeast, and east. On this slightly sloping floor, alternately submerged and emerged, the later materials were built; these materials, modified by wind, rain, and surface and ground waters. Have largely determined the present topographic and ecologic character of southern Florida. The most important aquifer in southern Florida, and the one in which most of the wells are developed, is the Biscayne aquifer. It is composed of parts of the Tamiami formation (Miocene), Caloosahatchee marl (Pliocene), fort Thompson formation, Anastasia formation, Key Largo limestone, Miami oolite, and Pamlico sand (Pleistoncene). In some parts of southern Florida, the Pamlico sand and the Anastasia formation are not a part of the Biscayne aquifer; however, they are utilized in the development of small water supplies. Most of the Calossahatchee marl and the Fort Thompson formation in the Lake Okeechobeee area is of very low permeability. In the northern Everglades their less permeable parts contain highly mineralized waters, which appear to have been trapped since the invasions by the Pleistocene seas. These waters have been modified by dilution with fresh ground water and by chemical reactions with surrounding materials. Sea-level fluctuations, starting at the close of the Pliocene with highest levels and progressing toward the Recent with successively lower levels. Have built a series of nearly flat marine terraces abutting against one another much like a series of broad stairsteps. Erosion and solution have deface and, in places, have obliterated the original surficial forms of these old sea bottoms, shores, and shoreline feathers,

KSC-2011-8344

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Two common gallinules swim through the algae-covered water of a pond at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2011-8342

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- An anhinga stretches its wings out to dry, taking advantage of the Florida sun at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2012-6257

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-11-15

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Roseate spoonbills and other birds leave an area near the Central Instrumentation Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-2009-2602

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A thick-bodied alligator moves through shallow water behind the NASA News Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A protected species, alligators can be spotted in the drainage canals and other waters surrounding Kennedy. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge that includes saltwater estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-2012-6254

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-11-15

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A Roseate spoonbill feeds in an area near the Central Instrumentation Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-2012-6255

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-11-15

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A Roseate spoonbill and another bird stand in an area near the Central Instrumentation Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-2009-2864

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-20

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. –– A great blue heron takes its familiar stance at the edge of the water, watching for fish or frogs, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A frequent sight around Kennedy, this large heron inhabits lakes, ponds, rivers and marshes in a range from Alaska south to Mexico and the West Indies. Kennedy shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

Naval Ocean Research and Development Activity Journal Index for 1976 thru 1984,

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-03-01

and Antibiotics. Venezuela Basin. Deep-Sea Research, v. 31, Botanica Marina, v. XXIV, p. 399-404. p. 403-414. Thompson, J. Dana (1978). Ocean Deserts...v. 29, n. 102, p. 286-295. Phytoplankton Extracellular Products. Botanica marina, v~. XXXVI, p. 375-381. Radl, C.J. and J.P. Welsh (1983). Inventory...Experiments tion and Antibiotics. Botanica Marina, v. XXIV, in the Indian River Estuary, Florida. Journal of p. 399-404. ?. Marine Research, v. 36, p, 569-593

KSC-2011-8381

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Several Florida chicken turtles line up to sun themselves atop a concrete structure at Black Point Wildlife Drive, part of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. NASA's Kennedy Space Center shares a boundary with the refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The Refuge provides a wide variety of habitats: coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks that provide habitat for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2011-8336

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A pied-billed grebe creates a small ring of ripples as it swims in a pond at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2011-8335

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a pond hosts a large group of birds including white ibises and bright-pink roseate spoonbills. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2011-8339

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- An American coot stands on a barely submerged branch in a pond at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2011-8333

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Two blue-wing teals rest in the grass beside one of the many bodies of water at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2011-8341

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Two white ibises stand in parallel at the edge of a pond at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2011-8338

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A Florida chicken turtle basks on a sunlit log in one of the many bodies of water at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Water budget and water quality of Ward Lake, flow and water-quality characteristics of the Braden River estuary, and the effects of Ward Lake on the hydrologic system, west-central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trommer, J.T.; DelCharco, M.J.; Lewelling, B.R.

1999-01-01

The Braden River is the largest tributary to the Manatee River. The river was dammed in 1936 to provide the city of Bradenton a source of freshwater supply. The resulting impoundment was called Ward Lake and had a storage capacity of about 585 million gallons. Reconstruction in 1985 increased the size of the reservoir to about 1,400 million gallons. The lake has been renamed the Bill Evers Reservoir and drains about 59 square miles. The Braden River watershed can be subdivided into three hydrologic reaches. The upper reach consists of a naturally incised free-flowing channel. The middle reach consists of a meandering channel affected by backwater as a result of the dam. The lower reach is a tidal estuary. Water budgets were calculated for the 1993 through 1997 water years. Mean surface-water inflow to Ward Lake for the 5-year period was 1,645 inches per year (equivalent depth over the surface of the lake), or about 81.8 percent of total inflow. Mean ground-water inflow was 311 inches per year, or about 15.5 percent. A mean of 55 inches of rain fell directly on the lake and accounted for only 2.7 percent. Mean surface-water outflow was 1,736 inches, or about 86.4 percent of total water leaving the lake. There was no net ground-water outflow from the lake. Mean surface-water withdrawal for public supply was 229 inches per year, or about 11.4 percent. Mean evaporation was 45 inches and accounted for only 2.2 percent of the mean outflow. Change in lake storage on the budget was negligible. Most chemical constituents contained in water flowing to Ward Lake meet the standards specified by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Phosphorus is the exception, exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency limits of 0.10 milligram per liter in most samples. However, the source of the phosphorus is naturally occurring phosphate deposits underlying the watershed. Organic nitrogen and orthophosphate are the dominant species of nutrients in the streams and the lake. A major source of water to the streams is the surficial aquifer system. Mineralized water pumped from the intermediate aquifer system and the Upper Floridan aquifer for irrigation of agricultural areas or golf courses has influenced the chemical composition of the surficial aquifer and surface-water systems. The Braden River estuary receives freshwater inflow from Ward Lake and from three major streams discharging downstream from the dam. Salinity levels in the estuary are affected by freshwater flow from these sources and by antecedent conditions in the estuary prior to flow events. The lowest salinity levels are often measured at the confluence with Williams and Gap Creeks rather than at the outfall from the lake. The chemical composition of water flowing from the tributaries to the estuary is similar to the chemical composition of water in the tributaries flowing to Ward Lake and does not appear to be affected by brackish water from high tides. Nitrogen concentrations in water from Glen Creek were greater than in water from all other tributaries in the watershed. Fertilizer from orange groves and stormwater runoff from urban and industrial areas affect the water quality in Glen Creek. The effects of the reservoir on the hydrology of the watershed were to change the middle reach of the river from a brackish water estuary ecosystem to a freshwater lake ecosystem, raise water levels in the surficial aquifer system adjacent to the river, change water quality, and reduce freshwater flow to the estuary during periods of low flow. The lake acts as a sink for total organic carbon, dissolved solids, calcium, chloride, and sulfate, thereby decreasing loads of these constituents to the estuary.

The American Crocodile in Biscayne Bay, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cherkiss, Michael S.; Romañach, Stephanie S.; Mazzotti, Frank J.

2011-01-01

Intensive crocodile monitoring programs conducted during the late 1970s and early 1980s in southern Florida resulted in an optimistic outlook for recovery of the protected species population. However, some areas with suitable crocodile habitat were not investigated, such as Biscayne Bay and the mainland shorelines of Barnes and Card Sounds. The objective of our study was to determine status and habitat use of crocodiles in the aforementioned areas. Spotlight and nesting surveys were conducted from September 1996 to December 2005. The results revealed annual increases in the number of crocodiles. Crocodiles preferred protected habitats such as canals and ponds. Fewer crocodiles were observed in higher salinity water. The distribution and abundance of crocodilians in estuaries is directly dependent on timing, amount, and location of freshwater delivery, providing an opportunity to integrate habitat enhancement with ongoing ecosystem restoration and management activities.

A regional waterway management system for balancing recreational boating and resource protection.

PubMed

Swett, Robert A; Listowski, Charles; Fry, Douglas; Boutelle, Stephen; Fann, David

2009-06-01

Florida's coasts have been transformed over the past three decades as population growth and unprecedented demand for individual shore access to bays and estuaries led to the creation of residential canal developments. Thousands of miles of channels and basins were dredged as a by-product of this urbanization process. The navigable waterways that resulted are now being stressed by increasing boat traffic and canal-side activities. Recognizing their common goal to preserve the recreational and ecological value of southwest Florida waterways, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the four-county West Coast Inland Navigation District, and the University of Florida Sea Grant College Program signed a Memorandum of Agreement. The signatories agreed to develop a science-based Regional Waterway Management System (RWMS), which is a new approach to waterway planning and permitting based on carefully mapped channel depths, a census of actual boat populations, and the spatial extent of natural resources. The RWMS provides a comprehensive, regional overview of channel conditions and the geographic distribution and severity of existing impediments to safe navigation and resource protection. RWMS information and analyses result in regional-scale permitting to accommodate water-dependent uses while minimizing environmental impacts and reducing public expenditures. Compared with traditional approaches to waterway management, the science-based RWMS is relatively unbiased, objective, transparent, ecologically sound, and fiscally prudent.

Difference in the crab fauna of mangrove areas at a southwest Florida and a northeast Australia location: Implications for leaf litter processing

USGS Publications Warehouse

McIvor, C.C.; Smith, T. J.

1995-01-01

Existing paradigms suggest that mangrove leaf litter is processed primarily via the detrital pathway in forests in the Caribbean biogeographic realm whereas herbivorous crabs are relatively more important litter processors in the Indo-West Pacific. To test this hypothesis, we used pitfall traps to collect intertidal crabs to characterize the crab fauna in a mangrove estuary in southwest Florida. We also tethered mangrove leaves to determine if herbivorous crabs are major leaf consumers there. We compared the results with previously published data collected in an analogous manner from forests in northeastern Australia. The crab fauna in Rookery Bay, Florida, is dominated by carnivorous xanthid and deposit-feeding ocypodid crabs whereas that of the Murray River in northeastern Australia is dominated by herbivorous grapsid crabs. No leaves tethered at five sites in the forests in Southwest Florida were taken by crabs. This contrasts greatly with reported values of leaf removal by crabs in Australian forests of 28-79% of the leaves reaching the forest floor. These differences in the faunal assemblages and in the fate of marked or tethered leaves provide preliminary support for the hypothesis that leaf litter is in fact processed in fundamentally different ways in the two biogeographic realms.

Development, evaluation, and application of sediment quality targets for assessing and managing contaminated sediments in Tampa Bay, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

MacDonald, D.D.; Carr, R.S.; Eckenrod, D.; Greening, H.; Grabe, S.; Ingersoll, C.G.; Janicki, S.; Janicki, T.; Lindskoog, R.A.; Long, E.R.; Pribble, R.; Sloane, G.; Smorong, D.E.

2004-01-01

Tampa Bay is a large, urban estuary that is located in west central Florida. Although water quality conditions represent an important concern in this estuary, information from numerous sources indicates that sediment contamination also has the potential to adversely affect aquatic organisms, aquatic-dependent wildlife, and human health. As such, protecting relatively uncontaminated areas of the bay from contamination and reducing the amount of toxic chemicals in contaminated sediments have been identified as high-priority sediment management objectives for Tampa Bay. To address concerns related to sediment contamination in the bay, an ecosystem-based framework for assessing and managing sediment quality conditions was developed that included identification of sediment quality issues and concerns, development of ecosystem goals and objectives, selection of ecosystem health indicators, establishment of metrics and targets for key indicators, and incorporation of key indicators, metrics, and targets into watershed management plans and decision-making processes. This paper describes the process that was used to select and evaluate numerical sediment quality targets (SQTs) for assessing and managing contaminated sediments. These SQTs included measures of sediment chemistry, whole-sediment and pore-water toxicity, and benthic invertebrate community structure. In addition, the paper describes how the SQTs were used to develop site-specific concentration-response models that describe how the frequency of adverse biological effects changes with increasing concentrations of chemicals of potential concern. Finally, a key application of the SQTs for defining sediment management areas is discussed.

Biogeochemical transport in the Loxahatchee River estuary, FL: The role of submarine groundwater discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swarzenski, P.; Orem, B.; McPherson, B.; Baskaran, M.; Wan, Y.

2005-05-01

The distributions of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), silica, select trace elements (Mn, Fe, Ba, Sr, Co, V,) and a suite of naturally-occurring radionuclides in the U/Th decay series (222Rn, 223,224,226,228Ra, 238U) were studied during high and low discharge conditions in the Loxahatchee River estuary, Florida. The zero-salinity endmember of this still relatively pristine estuary may reflect not only river-borne constituents, but also those advected during active groundwater/surface-water discharge. During low discharge conditions, with the notable exception of Co, trace metals indicate nearly conservative mixing from a salinity of ~12 through the estuary (This statement contracdicts with what is said in p. 7). In contrast, of the trace metals studied, only Sr, Fe, U and V exhibited conservative estuarine mixing during high discharge. Dissolved organic carbon and Si concentrations were highest at zero salinities, and generally decreased with an increase in salinity during both discharge regimes, indicating removal of land-derived dissolved organic matter and silica in the estuary. Suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentrations were generally lowest (< 5 mg L-1) close of zero salinity, and increased several-fold (~18 mg L-1; low discharge) towards the seaward endmember and this attributed dynamic resuspension the estuary. Surface water-column 222Rn activities were most elevated (> 28 dpm L-1) at the freshwater endmember of the estuary, and appear to identify regions of the river most influenced by active submarine groundwater discharge (where is the data that show this?). Activities of four naturally-occurring isotopes of Ra (223,224,226,228Ra) in this estuary and select adjacent shallow groundwater wells indicate mean estuarine water mass residence times of less than 1 day; values in close agreement to those calculated by tidal prism and tidal period. A radium-based model for estimating submarine groundwater discharge to the Loxahatchee River estuary yielded an average of 1.03 V 3.84 x 105 m3 day-1, depending on river discharge stage as well as slight variations in the particular Ra models used. Such calculated flux estimates are in close agreement with results obtained from a 2-day electromagnetic seepage meter (0.9 x 105 m3 d-1) deployment during high discharge at the confluence of Kitching Creek and the Loxahatchee River, as well as with surficial aquifer recharge estimates. Calculated submarine ground-water discharge rates yield NH4+ and PO4-3 flux estimates to the Loxahatchee River estuary that range from 63 - 1060 ?Ymol m-2 d-1 and 69 - 379 ?Ymol m-2 d-1, respectively.

Vibracore, Radiocarbon, Microfossil, and Grain-Size Data from Apalachicola Bay, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Twichell, D.C.; Pendleton, E.A.; Poore, R.Z.; Osterman, L.E.; Kelso, K.W.

2009-01-01

In 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey collected 24 vibracores within Apalachicola Bay, Florida. The vibracores were collected by using a Rossfelder electric percussive (P-3) vibracore system during a cruise on the Research Vessel (R/V) G.K. Gilbert. Selection of the core sites was based on a geophysical survey that was conducted during 2005 and 2006 in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Coastal Services Center (CSC) and the Apalachicola Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. This report contains the vibracore data logs, photographs, and core-derived data including grain-size analyses, radiocarbon ages, microfossil counts, and sedimentological interpretations. The long-term goal of this study is to provide maps, data, and assistance to the Apalachicola Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in their effort to monitor and understand the geology and ecology of Apalachicola Bay Estuary. These data will inform coastal managers charged with the responsibility for resource preservation.

KSC-2012-4861

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, is seen during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4863

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, is seen during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4852

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Launch Pad 39A is seen during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4867

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, is seen during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4846

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Launch Pad 39A is seen in the distance during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4857

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Operations Support Building II, or OSBII, is seen in the distance during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4849

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, is seen in the distance during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4848

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, is seen in the distance during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4862

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Launch Complex 39 is seen during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4853

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Launch Pad 39A is seen during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4851

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Launch Pad 39A is seen during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

Integrated Science: Florida Manatees and Everglades Hydrology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langtimm, Catherine A.; Swain, Eric D.; Stith, Bradley M.; Reid, James P.; Slone, Daniel H.; Decker, Jeremy; Butler, Susan M.; Doyle, Terry; Snow, R.W.

2009-01-01

Predicting and monitoring restoration effects on Florida manatees, which are known to make extended movements, will be incomplete if modeling and monitoring are limited to the smaller areas defined by the various res-toration components. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) efforts, thus far, have focused on (1) collecting manatee movement data throughout the Ten Thousand Islands (TTI) region, and (2) developing an individual-based model for manatees to illustrate manatee responses to changes in hydrology related to the Picayune Strand Restoration Project (PSRP). In 2006, new regional research was begun to extend an Everglades hydrology model into the TTI region; extend the manatee movement model into the southern estuaries of Everglades National Park (ENP); and integrate hydrology and manatee data, models, and monitoring across the TTI region and ENP. Currently (2008), three research tasks are underway to develop the necessary modeling components to assess restoration efforts across the Greater Everglades Ecosystem.

Water withdrawals, use, discharge, and trends in Florida, 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marella, Richard L.

2004-01-01

In 2000, the estimated amount of water withdrawn in Florida was 20,148 million gallons per day (Mgal/d), of which 59 percent was saline and 41 percent was fresh. Ground water accounted for 62 percent of freshwater withdrawals and surface water accounted for the remaining 38 percent. Ninety-two percent of the 15.98 million people in Florida relied on ground water for their drinking water needs in 2000. Almost all of the saline water withdrawals (99.9 percent) were from surface water. Public supply accounted for 43 percent of ground water withdrawn in 2000, followed by agricultural self-supplied (39 percent), commercial-industrial self-supplied (including mining) (8.5 percent), recreational irrigation (4.5 percent), domestic self-supplied (4 percent), and power generation (1 percent). Agricultural self-supplied accounted for 62 percent of fresh surface water withdrawn in 2000, followed by power generation (20 percent), public supply (8 percent), recreational irrigation (6 percent), and commercial-industrial self-supplied (4 percent). Almost all of saline water withdrawn was used for power generation. The largest amount of freshwater was withdrawn in Palm Beach County and the largest amount of saline water was withdrawn in Hillsborough County. Significant withdrawals (more than 200 Mgal/d) of fresh ground water occurred in Miami-Dade, Polk, Orange, Palm Beach, Broward, and Collier Counties. Significant withdrawals (more than 200 Mgal/d) of fresh surface water occurred in Palm Beach, Hendry, and Escambia Counties. The South Florida Water Management District accounted for the largest amount of freshwater withdrawn (49 percent). About 62 percent of the total ground water withdrawn was from the Floridan aquifer system; 17 percent was from the Biscayne aquifer. Most of the surface water used in Florida was from managed and maintained canal systems or large water bodies. Major sources of fresh surface water include the Caloosahatchee River, Deer Point Lake, Hillsborough River, Lake Okeechobee and associated canals, and the canals associated with the headwaters of the Upper St. Johns River. Freshwater withdrawals increased 46 percent and saline water withdrawals increased 25 percent in Florida between 1970 and 2000. Ground-water withdrawals increased 82 percent, and surface-water withdrawals increased 10 percent during this period. Between 1970 and 2000, total freshwater withdrawals increased for public supply by 176 percent and for agricultural self-supplied by 87 percent; withdrawals for commercial-industrial self-supplied decreased by 37 percent, and power generation (thermoelectric) decreased by 57 percent. Recreational irrigation withdrawals increased 127 percent between 1985 and 2000. Between 1995 and 2000, freshwater withdrawals increased 13 percent, and saline withdrawals increased 9 percent. An estimated 52 percent of the freshwater withdrawn in Florida was consumed; the remaining 48 percent was returned for further use. Domestic wastewater discharged in 2000 totaled 1,495 Mgal/d, of which 44 percent was discharged to surface waters, 34 percent to the ground through land application systems, and 22 percent to deep injection wells. Domestic wastewater discharge increased by 33 percent between 1985 and 2000, but decreased by 3 percent between 1995 and 2000. An estimated 11.21 million people were served by domestic wastewater systems in 2000, whereas the remaining 4.77 million people discharged wastewater to more than 1.95 million septic tanks. Discharge from the septic tanks was estimated to be 263 Mgal/d in 2000.

KSC-2011-8329

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A large alligator appears to smile as it rests in marsh grass at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Alligators can be spotted in the drainage canals and other waters surrounding Kennedy. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2009-2861

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-20

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. –– A black-necked stilt searches the shallow water for food at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The species inhabits salt marshes and coastal bays in the East, ranging along the Atlantic Coast from Delaware and the Carolinas to northern South America. Kennedy shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

KSC-2009-2599

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A black-necked stilt skims across the drainage canal behind the NASA News Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The species inhabits salt marshes and coastal bays in the East, ranging along the Atlantic Coast from Delaware and the Carolinas to northern South America. Kennedy shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-2009-2862

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-20

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. –– A black-necked stilt searches the shallow water for food at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The species inhabits salt marshes and coastal bays in the East, ranging along the Atlantic Coast from Delaware and the Carolinas to northern South America. Kennedy shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

KSC-2009-2863

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-20

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. –– A black-necked stilt finds food in the shallow water at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The species inhabits salt marshes and coastal bays in the East, ranging along the Atlantic Coast from Delaware and the Carolinas to northern South America. Kennedy shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

Final Environmental Assessment for Continued Personnel Recovery Training Operations Within the Gulf of Mexico WTA Moody Air Force Base, Georgia

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

when Caribbean oceanic water flows northward into the Gulf of Mexico via the Yucatan Channel. After penetrating the Gulf, the current turns east and...the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to the Yucatan . It inhabits most coastal shores and estuaries and offshore areas to a depth of 115 ft. Blue crabs... Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico (Garduno-Andrade et al. 1999). With respect to the United States, nesting occurs in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and

KSC-2011-8328

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A large alligator lounges at the water's edge at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Alligators can be spotted in the drainage canals and other waters surrounding Kennedy. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Contaminant concentrations, biochemical and hematological biomarkers in blood of West Indian manatees Trichechus manatus from Brazil.

PubMed

Anzolin, D G; Sarkis, J E S; Diaz, E; Soares, D G; Serrano, I L; Borges, J C G; Souto, A S; Taniguchi, S; Montone, R C; Bainy, A C D; Carvalho, P S M

2012-07-01

The West Indian manatee Trichechus manatus is threatened with extinction in Brazil, and this study focused on nondestructive blood samples analyzed for metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), as well as biochemical and hematological biomarkers. Studied manatees were kept at Projeto Peixe-Boi headquarters in Pernambuco State, and at two natural areas in estuaries where they are released to the wild. Manatees kept at the natural estuary in Paraiba State have blood concentrations of Al, Pb, Cd, Sn that are 11, 7, 8 and 23 times greater, respectively, than the concentrations found in blood of animals from the same species in Florida, USA. An inhibition of butyrylcholinesterase in manatees kept at the two reintroduction sites in Alagoas and Paraiba States indicated possible exposure of the animals to cholinesterase inhibitor insecticides. PCBs and OCPs were not detected. Results from this study will help delineate conservation efforts in the region. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Variations of iron flux and organic carbon remineralization in a subterranean estuary caused by interannual variations in recharge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roy, Moutusi; Martin, Jonathan B.; Cable, Jaye E.; Smith, Christopher G.

2013-01-01

We determine the inter-annual variations in diagenetic reaction rates of sedimentary iron (Fe ) in an east Florida subterranean estuary and evaluate the connection between metal fluxes and recharge to the coastal aquifer. Over the three-year study period (from 2004 to 2007), the amount of Fe-oxides reduced at the study site decreased from 192 g/yr to 153 g/yr and associated organic carbon (OC) remineralization decreased from 48 g/yr to 38 g/yr. These reductions occurred although the Fe-oxide reduction rates remained constant around 1 mg/cm2/yr. These results suggest that changes in flow rates of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) related to changes in precipitation may be important to fluxes of the diagenetic reaction products. Rainfall at a weather station approximately 5 km from the field area decreased from 12.6 cm/month to 8.4 cm/month from 2004 to 2007. Monthly potential evapotranspiration (PET) calculated from Thornthwaite’s method indicated potential evapotranspiration cycled from about 3 cm/month in the winter to about 15 cm/month in the summer so that net annual recharge to the aquifer decreased from 40 cm in 2004 to -10 cm in 2007. Simultaneously, with the decrease in recharge of groundwater, freshwater SGD decreased by around 20% and caused the originally 25 m wide freshwater seepage face to decrease in width by about 5 m. The smaller seepage face reduced the area under which Fe-oxides were undergoing reductive dissolution. Consequently, the observed decrease in Fe flux is controlled by hydrology of the subterranean estuary. These results point out the need to better understand linkages between temporal variations in diagenetic reactions and changes in flow within subterranean estuaries in order to accurately constrain their contribution to oceanic fluxes of solutes from subterranean estuaries.

The role of ocean tides on groundwater-surface water exchange in a mangrove-dominated estuary: Shark River Slough, Florida Coastal Everglades, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Christopher G.; Price, René M.; Swarzenski, Peter W.; Stalker, Jeremy C.

2016-01-01

Low-relief environments like the Florida Coastal Everglades (FCE) have complicated hydrologic systems where surface water and groundwater processes are intimately linked yet hard to separate. Fluid exchange within these lowhydraulic-gradient systems can occur across broad spatial and temporal scales, with variable contributions to material transport and transformation. Identifying and assessing the scales at which these processes operate is essential for accurate evaluations of how these systems contribute to global biogeochemical cycles. The distribution of 222Rn and 223,224,226Ra have complex spatial patterns along the Shark River Slough estuary (SRSE), Everglades, FL. High-resolution time-series measurements of 222Rn activity, salinity, and water level were used to quantify processes affecting radon fluxes out of the mangrove forest over a tidal cycle. Based on field data, tidal pumping through an extensive network of crab burrows in the lower FCE provides the best explanation for the high radon and fluid fluxes. Burrows are irrigated during rising tides when radon and other dissolved constituents are released from the mangrove soil. Flushing efficiency of the burrows—defined as the tidal volume divided by the volume of burrows— estimated for the creek drainage area vary seasonally from 25 (wet season) to 100 % (dry season) in this study. The tidal pumping of the mangrove forest soil acts as a significant vector for exchange between the forest and the estuary. Processes that enhance exchange of O2 and other materials across the sediment-water interface could have a profound impact on the environmental response to larger scale processes such as sea level rise and climate change. Compounding the material budgets of the SRSE are additional inputs from groundwater from the Biscayne Aquifer, which were identified using radium isotopes. Quantification of the deep groundwater component is not obtainable, but isotopic data suggest a more prevalent signal in the dry season. These findings highlight the important role that both tidal- and seasonal-scale forcings play on groundwater movement in low-gradient hydrologic systems.

Review of Methods and Approaches for Deriving Numeric ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA will propose numeric criteria for nitrogen/phosphorus pollution to protect estuaries, coastal areas and South Florida inland flowing waters that have been designated Class I, II and III , as well as downstream protective values (DPVs) to protect estuarine and marine waters. In accordance with the formal determination and pursuant to a subsequent consent decree, these numeric criteria are being developed to translate and implement Florida’s existing narrative nutrient criterion, to protect the designated use that Florida has previously set for these waters, at Rule 62-302.530(47)(b), F.A.C. which provides that “In no case shall nutrient concentrations of a body of water be altered so as to cause an imbalance in natural populations of aquatic flora or fauna.” Under the Clean Water Act and EPA’s implementing regulations, these numeric criteria must be based on sound scientific rationale and reflect the best available scientific knowledge. EPA has previously published a series of peer reviewed technical guidance documents to develop numeric criteria to address nitrogen/phosphorus pollution in different water body types. EPA recognizes that available and reliable data sources for use in numeric criteria development vary across estuarine and coastal waters in Florida and flowing waters in South Florida. In addition, scientifically defensible approaches for numeric criteria development have different requirements that must be taken into consider

Reactive-transport modeling of iron diagenesis and associated organic carbon remineralization in a Florida (USA) subterranean estuary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roy, Moutusi; Martin, Jonathan B.; Smith, Christopher G.; Cable, Jaye E.

2011-01-01

Iron oxides are important terminal electron acceptors for organic carbon (OC) remineralization in subterranean estuaries, particularly where oxygen and nitrate concentrations are low. In Indian River Lagoon, Florida, USA, terrestrial Fe-oxides dissolve at the seaward edge of the seepage face and flow upward into overlying marine sediments where they precipitate as Fe-sulfides. The dissolved Fe concentrations vary by over three orders of magnitude, but Fe-oxide dissolution rates are similar across the 25-m wide seepage face, averaging around 0.21 mg/cm2/yr. The constant dissolution rate, but differing concentrations, indicate Fe dissolution is controlled by a combination of increasing lability of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and slower porewater flow velocities with distance offshore. In contrast, the average rate constants of Fe-sulfide precipitation decrease from 21.9 × 10-8 s-1 to 0.64 × 10-8 s-1 from the shoreline to the seaward edge of the seepage face as more oxygenated surface water circulates through the sediment. The amount of OC remineralized by Fe-oxides varies little across the seepage face, averaging 5.34 × 10-2 mg/cm2/yr. These rates suggest about 3.4 kg of marine DOC was remineralized in a 1-m wide, shore-perpendicular strip of the seepage face as the terrestrial sediments were transgressed over the past 280 years. During this time, about 10 times more marine solid organic carbon (SOC) accumulated in marine sediments than were removed from the underlying terrestrial sediments. Indian River Lagoon thus appears to be a net sink for marine OC.

Epizootic ulcerative syndrome caused by Aphanomyces invadans in captive bullseye snakehead Channa marulius collected from south Florida, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saylor, Ryan K.; Miller, Debra L.; Vandersea, Mark W.; Bevelhimer, Mark S.; Schofield, Pamela J.; Bennett, Wayne A.

2010-01-01

Epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS) caused by the oomycete Aphanomyces invadans is an invasive, opportunistic disease of both freshwater and estuarine fishes. Originally documented as the cause of mycotic granulomatosis of ornamental fishes in Japan and as the cause of EUS of fishes in southeast Asia and Australia, this pathogen is also present in estuaries and freshwater bodies of the Atlantic and gulf coasts of the USA. We describe a mass mortality event of 343 captive juvenile bullseye snakehead Channa marulius collected from freshwater canals in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Clinical signs appeared within the first 2 d of captivity and included petechiae, ulceration, erratic swimming, and inappetence. Histological examination revealed hyphae invading from the skin lesions deep into the musculature and internal organs. Species identification was confirmed using a species-specific PCR assay. Despite therapeutic attempts, 100% mortality occurred. This represents the first documented case of EUS in bullseye snakehead fish collected from waters in the USA. Future investigation of the distribution and prevalence of A. invadans within the bullseye snakehead range in south Florida may give insight into this pathogen-host system.

Widespread sewage pollution of the Indian River Lagoon system, Florida (USA) resolved by spatial analyses of macroalgal biogeochemistry.

PubMed

Barile, Peter J

2018-03-01

The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) system, a poorly flushed 240 km long estuary in east-central Florida (USA), previously received 200 MLD of point source municipal wastewater that was largely mitigated by the mid-1990's. Since then, non-point source loads, including septic tank effluent, have become more important. Seventy sites were sampled for bloom-forming macroalgae and analyzed for δ 15 N, % nitrogen, % phosphorus, carbon:nitrogen, carbon:phosphorus, and nitrogen:phosphorus ratios. Data were fitted to geospatial models showing elevated δ 15 N values (>+5‰), matching human wastewater in most of the IRL system, with elevated enrichment (δ 15 N ≥ +7‰ to +10‰) in urbanized portions of the central IRL and Banana River Lagoon. Results suggest increased mobilization of OSDS NH 4 + during the wetter 2014 season. Resource managers must improve municipal wastewater treatment infrastructure and commence significant septic-to-sewer conversion to mitigate nitrogen over-enrichment, water quality decline and habitat loss as mandated in the Tampa and Sarasota Bays and the Florida Keys. Copyright © 2018 Marine Research & Consulting, Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

KSC-07pd1855

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-07-11

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A gopher tortoise searches for food at the edge of a road near Launch Pad 39A. Their primary food sources are low-growing grasses and herbs, with their favorite foods being gopher apple and saw palmetto berries. They will eat the pads, fruits, and flowers of prickly pear cactus as well. They will occasionally also eat bones from dead animals, presumably to get calcium. The gopher tortoise is a cold-blooded reptile that averages 10 inches in length and 9 pounds in weight. Wild tortoises may live from 40 - 60 years, while tortoises in captivity can live more than 100 years. Their range extends from southeastern Louisiana to southeastern South Carolina and throughout all 67 counties in Florida. The gopher tortoise is federally protected as a threatened species except in Florida, where it is listed as a Species of Special Concern by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Lands surrounding the Kennedy Space Center are part of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Approximately one half of the Refuge's 140,000 acres consists of brackish estuaries and marshes. The remaining lands consist of coastal dunes, scrub oaks, pine forests and flatwoods, and palm and oak hammocks. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley

KSC-07pd1856

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-07-11

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A gopher tortoise searches for food at the edge of a road near Launch Pad 39A. Their primary food sources are low-growing grasses and herbs, with their favorite foods being gopher apple and saw palmetto berries. They will eat the pads, fruits, and flowers of prickly pear cactus as well. They will occasionally also eat bones from dead animals, presumably to get calcium. The gopher tortoise is a cold-blooded reptile that averages 10 inches in length and 9 pounds in weight. Wild tortoises may live from 40 - 60 years, while tortoises in captivity can live more than 100 years. Their range extends from southeastern Louisiana to southeastern South Carolina and throughout all 67 counties in Florida. The gopher tortoise is federally protected as a threatened species except in Florida, where it is listed as a Species of Special Concern by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Lands surrounding the Kennedy Space Center are part of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Approximately one half of the Refuge's 140,000 acres consists of brackish estuaries and marshes. The remaining lands consist of coastal dunes, scrub oaks, pine forests and flatwoods, and palm and oak hammocks. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley

KSC-07pd1857

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-07-11

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A gopher tortoise searches for food at the edge of a road near Launch Pad 39A. Their primary food sources are low-growing grasses and herbs, with their favorite foods being gopher apple and saw palmetto berries. They will eat the pads, fruits, and flowers of prickly pear cactus as well. They will occasionally also eat bones from dead animals, presumably to get calcium. The gopher tortoise is a cold-blooded reptile that averages 10 inches in length and 9 pounds in weight. Wild tortoises may live from 40 - 60 years, while tortoises in captivity can live more than 100 years. Their range extends from southeastern Louisiana to southeastern South Carolina and throughout all 67 counties in Florida. The gopher tortoise is federally protected as a threatened species except in Florida, where it is listed as a Species of Special Concern by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Lands surrounding the Kennedy Space Center are part of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Approximately one half of the Refuge's 140,000 acres consists of brackish estuaries and marshes. The remaining lands consist of coastal dunes, scrub oaks, pine forests and flatwoods, and palm and oak hammocks. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley

Epizootic ulcerative syndrome caused by Aphanomyces invadans in captive bullseye snakehead Channa marulius collected from south Florida, USA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saylor, Ryan; Miller, Debra; Vandersea, Mark

2010-02-01

Epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS) caused by the oomycete Aphanomyces invadans is an invasive, opportunistic disease of both freshwater and estuarine fishes. Originally documented as the cause of mycotic granulomatosis of ornamental fishes in Japan and as the cause of EUS of fishes in southeast Asia and Australia, this pathogen is also present in estuaries and freshwater bodies of the Atlantic and gulf coasts of the USA. We describe a mass mortality event of 343 captive juvenile bullseye snakehead Channa marulius collected from freshwater canals in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Clinical signs appeared within the first 2 d of captivity and includedmore » petechiae, ulceration, erratic swimming, and inappetence. Histological examination revealed hyphae invading from the skin lesions deep into the musculature and internal organs. Species identification was confirmed using a species-specific PCR assay. Despite therapeutic attempts, 100% mortality occurred. This represents the first documented case of EUS in bullseye snakehead fish collected from waters in the USA. Future investigation of the distribution and prevalence of A. invadans within the bullseye snakehead range in south Florida may give insight into this pathogen-host system.« less

Florida's salt-marsh management issues: 1991-98.

PubMed

Carlson, D B; O'Bryan, P D; Rey, J R

1999-06-01

During the 1990s, Florida has continued to make important strides in managing salt marshes for both mosquito control and natural resource enhancement. The political mechanism for this progress continues to be interagency cooperation through the Florida Coordinating Council on Mosquito Control and its Subcommittee on Managed Marshes (SOMM). Continuing management experience and research has helped refine the most environmentally acceptable source reduction methods, which typically are Rotational Impoundment Management or Open Marsh Water Management. The development of regional marsh management plans for salt marshes within the Indian River Lagoon by the SOMM has helped direct the implementation of the best management practices for these marshes. Controversy occasionally occurs concerning what management technique is most appropriate for individual marshes. The most common disagreement is over the benefits of maintaining an impoundment in an "open" vs. "closed" condition, with the "closed" condition, allowing for summer mosquito control flooding or winter waterfowl management. New federal initiatives influencing salt-marsh management have included the Indian River Lagoon-National Estuary Program and the Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program. A new Florida initiative is the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Eco-system Management Program with continuing involvement by the Surface Water Improvement and Management program. A developing mitigation banking program has the potential to benefit marsh management but mosquito control interests may suffer if not handled properly. Larvicides remain as an important salt-marsh integrated pest management tool with the greatest acreage being treated with temephos, followed by Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis and methoprene. However, over the past 14 years, use of biorational larvicides has increased greatly.

KSC-2009-2601

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. –Black-necked stilts move onto the bank of the Turn Basin behind the NASA News Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The species inhabits salt marshes and coastal bays in the East, ranging along the Atlantic Coast from Delaware and the Carolinas to northern South America. Kennedy shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-99wl12

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-01-08

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A black skimmer proves its name as it flies low over the water in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which shares a boundary with Kennedy Space Center. They skim the surface of the water for fish, with the tip of their lower mandible cutting through the water. They also wade in shallow water, jabbing with their blade-like bills at the fish scattering before them. Skimmers breed chiefly on sandbars and beaches, feeding in shallow bays, inlets and estuaries, such as the Wildlife Refuge. They range from Massachusetts and Long Island to Florida and Texas, and from Mexico to southern South America

KSC-2014-2527

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Snowy egrets hide in the bramble along the water's edge off Schwartz Road at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center coexists with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses 140,000 acres. The refuge comprises a wide variety of habitats, including coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks. These habitats provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including more than 330 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles. For additional information about the refuge, visit http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland. Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

KSC-2014-2525

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A tricolored heron walks along the water's edge off Schwartz Road at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center coexists with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses 140,000 acres. The refuge comprises a wide variety of habitats, including coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks. These habitats provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including more than 330 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles. For additional information about the refuge, visit http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland. Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

Vegetation and other parameters in the Brevard County bar-built estuaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Down, C.; Withrow, R. (Editor)

1978-01-01

It is shown that low-altitude aerial photography, using specific interpretive techniques, can effectively delineate sea-grass beds, oyster beds, and other underwater features. Various techniques were used on several sets of aerial imagery. Imagery was tested using several data analysis methods, ground truth, and biological testing. Approximately 45,000 acres of grass beds, 2,500 acres of oyster beds, and 4,200 acres of dredged canals were mapped. This data represents selected sites only. Areas chosen have the highest quality water in Brevard County and are among the most highly recognized biologically productive waters in Florida.

KSC-08pd4125

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-12-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A yellowleg sandpiper wades in the shallow water of a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge, which borders NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They range through Alaska and Canada, wintering from the southern U.S. to southern South America. They inhabit marshy ponds, lake and river shores and mud flats. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-08pd4127

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-12-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A great egret preens its feathers while standing in the shallow water of a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge, which borders NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The breed feeds alone, stalking fish, frogs, snakes and crayfish in shallow water. They inhabit freshwater and salt marshes, marshy ponds and tidal flats. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2011-8337

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Several adult and baby wild pigs, in a variety of colors and patterns, graze in a grassy field at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The wild pigs have flourished in the environs around Kennedy. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Feasibility of Estimating Relative Nutrient Contributions of Agriculture and Forests Using MODIS Time Series

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, Kenton W.; Gasser, Gerald; Spiering, Bruce

2010-01-01

Around the Gulf of Mexico, high-input crops in several regions make a significant contribution to nutrient loading of small to medium estuaries and to the near-shore Gulf. Some crops cultivated near the coast include sorghum in Texas, rice in Texas and Louisiana, sugarcane in Florida and Louisiana, citrus orchards in Florida, pecan orchards in Mississippi and Alabama, and heavy sod and ornamental production around Mobile and Tampa Bay. In addition to crops, management of timberlands in proximity to the coasts also plays a role in nutrient loading. In the summer of 2008, a feasibility project is planned to explore the use of NASA data to enhance the spatial and temporal resolution of near-coast nutrient source information available to the coastal community. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the viability of nutrient source information products applicable to small to medium watersheds surrounding the Gulf of Mexico. Conceptually, these products are intended to complement estuarine nutrient monitoring.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zieman, J.C.; Zieman, R.T.

This report summarizes information on the ecology of seagrass meadows on the west coast of Florida, from south of Tampa Bay to Pensacola. This area contains more than 3500 ha of seagrass beds, dominated by three species, Thalasia testudinum (turtle grass), Syringodium filiforme (manatee grass), and Halodule wrightii (shoal grass). Beds occur both on the shallow, zero-energy Continental Shelf and in inshore bays and estuaries. Species ecology, distribution, biomass, and productivity of these dominant seagrass species are discussed. Seagrass beds support a very diverse and abundant algal flora and fauna, and these organisms, and seagrass detritus form the base ofmore » a productive food chain. Seagrass beds are important nursery areas providing both cover and food, for a number of commercial and sports fishery species. Along the west Florida coast, estuarine grass beds are noticeably more stressed and impacted by human activities than the more pristine nearshore beds. Urban development and dredging and filling are the major threates to seagrass beds in this region. 500 refs., 28 figs., 14 tabs.« less

Feasibility of Estimating Relative Nutrient Contributions of Agriculture using MODIS Time Series

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, Kenton W.; Gasser, Gerald; Spiering, Bruce

2008-01-01

Around the Gulf of Mexico, high-input crops in several regions make a significant contribution to nutrient loading of small to medium estuaries and to the near-shore Gulf. Some crops cultivated near the coast include sorghum in Texas, rice in Texas and Louisiana, sugarcane in Florida and Louisiana, citrus orchards in Florida, pecan orchards in Mississippi and Alabama, and heavy sod and ornamental production around Mobile and Tampa Bay. In addition to crops, management of timberlands in proximity to the coasts also plays a role in nutrient loading. In the summer of 2008, a feasibility project is planned to explore the use of NASA data to enhance the spatial and temporal resolution of near-coast nutrient source information available to the coastal community. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the viability of nutrient source information products applicable to small to medium watersheds surrounding the Gulf of Mexico. Conceptually, these products are intended to complement estuarine nutrient monitoring.

KSC-2012-4870

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Solid Motor Assembly Building, or SMAB, is seen in the distance during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4845

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Aquatic biologists Eric Reyier, left, and Doug Scheidt with Innovative Health Applications, or IHA, prepare for a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4858

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Operations Support Building II, or OSBII, left, and the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, are seen in the distance during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4873

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Solid Motor Assembly Building, or SMAB, and Launch Complex 37 are seen in the distance during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4869

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Aquatic biologists Doug Scheidt, left, and Eric Reyier with Innovative Health Applications, or IHA, lead a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4871

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A manatee splashes in the Banana River during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Manatees are one of the many threatened or endangered species that call the refuge home. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4875

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 37 and the Atlas V Operations Center, or ASOC, are seen in the distance during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4850

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Aquatic biologist Eric Reyier with Innovative Health Applications, or IHA, drives a skiff boat during a field-guided tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Aquatic biologist Doug Scheidt searches for landmarks and wildlife during the tour. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4866

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The NASA News Center and Operations Support Building II, or OSBII, in Launch Complex 39 are seen in the distance during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4856

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Launch Pads 39A, right, and 39B, left, are seen in the distance during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4872

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A manatee swims in the Banana River during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Manatees are one of the many threatened or endangered species that call the refuge home. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4854

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 41 and the Vertical Integration Facility, or VIF, are seen in the distance during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

Parameter estimation of anisotropic Manning's n coefficient for advanced circulation (ADCIRC) modeling of estuarine river currents (lower St. Johns River)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demissie, Henok K.; Bacopoulos, Peter

2017-05-01

A rich dataset of time- and space-varying velocity measurements for a macrotidal estuary was used in the development of a vector-based formulation of bottom roughness in the Advanced Circulation (ADCIRC) model. The updates to the parallel code of ADCIRC to include directionally based drag coefficient are briefly discussed in the paper, followed by an application of the data assimilation (nudging analysis) to the lower St. Johns River (northeastern Florida) for parameter estimation of anisotropic Manning's n coefficient. The method produced converging estimates of Manning's n values for ebb (0.0290) and flood (0.0219) when initialized with uniform and isotropic setting of 0.0200. Modeled currents, water levels and flows were improved at observation locations where data were assimilated as well as at monitoring locations where data were not assimilated, such that the method increases model skill locally and non-locally with regard to the data locations. The methodology is readily transferrable to other circulation/estuary models, given pre-developed quality mesh/grid and adequate data available for assimilation.

Air-water gas exchange and CO2 flux in a mangrove-dominated estuary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ho, David T.; Ferrón, Sara; Engel, Victor C.; Larsen, Laurel G.; Barr, Jordan G.

2014-01-01

Mangrove forests are highly productive ecosystems, but the fate of mangrove-derived carbon remains uncertain. Part of that uncertainty stems from the fact that gas transfer velocities in mangrove-surrounded waters are not well determined, leading to uncertainty in air-water CO2 fluxes. Two SF6 tracer release experiments were conducted to determine gas transfer velocities (k(600) = 8.3 ± 0.4 and 8.1 ± 0.6 cm h−1), along with simultaneous measurements of pCO2 to determine the air-water CO2 fluxes from Shark River, Florida (232.11 ± 23.69 and 171.13 ± 20.28 mmol C m−2 d−1), an estuary within the largest contiguous mangrove forest in North America. The gas transfer velocity results are consistent with turbulent kinetic energy dissipation measurements, indicating a higher rate of turbulence and gas exchange than predicted by commonly used wind speed/gas exchange parameterizations. The results have important implications for carbon fluxes in mangrove ecosystems.

Collapse of an oyster fishery during a historic drought may provide insight into future effects of climate change on estuaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Havens, K. E.; Kane, A.

2016-02-01

In 2012 the oyster population in Apalachicola Bay, Florida suddenly collapsed. The catastrophic event, which had severe impacts on the local economy, coincided with two years of record low rainfall over the watershed and the lowest river flows into the estuary in 89 years. Elevated salinity in the bay allowed marine predators, parasites and pathogens from the Gulf of Mexico to increase in abundance and impact the oyster population. Population modeling indicated that the proximal cause of the collapse was high juvenille mortality. Ecosystem modeling (using ECOSPACE) indicated that because the system also had considerably degraded habitat, recovery of oyster harvest to pre-impact levels would require both (a) substantially reduced harvest pressure for a period of two years and (b) restoration of at least 1,000 acres of oyster reef. Given that in the future climate change may result both in greater saltwater inputs (due to sea level rise) and increased frequency and/or intensity of droughts, the effects observed in Apalachicola Bay can provide a 'lens' into the future in regard to estuarine impacts.

Test of salt marsh as a site of production and export of fish biomass with implications for impoundment management and restoration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stevens, Philip W.

2002-01-01

Salt marshes are among the most productive ecosystems in the world, and although they are thought to enhance the productivity of open estuarine waters, the mechanism by which energy transfer occurs has been debated for decades. One possible mechanism is the transfer of saltmarsh production to estuarine waters by vagile fishes and invertebrates. Saltmarsh impoundments in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, that have been reconnected to the estuary by culverts provide unique opportunities for studying marsh systems with respect to aquatic communities. The boundaries between salt marshes and the estuary are clearly defined by a system of dikes that confine fishes into a known area, and the exchange of aquatic organisms are restricted to culverts where they may be easily sampled. A multi-gear approach was used monthly to estimate fish standing stock, fish ingress/egress, and predation. Changes in saltmarsh fish abundance, and exchange with the estuary reflected the seasonal pattern of marsh flooding in the xv northern Indian River Lagoon system. During a six month period of marsh flooding, saltmarsh fishes had continuous access to marsh food resources. Piscivorous fishes regularly entered the marsh via creeks and ditches to prey upon marsh fishes, and piscivorous birds aggregated following major fish migrations to the marsh surface or to deep habitats. As water levels receded in winter, saltmarsh fishes concentrated into deep habitats and migration to the estuary ensued. The monthly estimates of fish standing stock, net fish ingress, and predation were used to develop a biomass budget to estimate annual production of fishes and the relative yield to predatory fish, birds, and direct migration to the estuary. Annual production of saltmarsh fishes was estimated to be 17.7 g·m-2 salt marsh, which falls within the range of previously reported values for estuarine fish communities. The relative yields were at least 21% to piscivorous fishes, 14% to piscivorous birds, and 32% to export. Annual export of fish biomass was 5.6 g fish·m-2 salt marsh, representing about 2% of saltmarsh primary production. Saltmarsh fishes convert marsh production to high quality vagile biomass (fishes concentrate energy, protein, and nutrients as body mass) and move this readily useable production to the estuary, providing an efficient link between salt marshes and estuarine predators.

Life-history traits of the common snook Centropomus undecimalis in a Caribbean estuary and large-scale biogeographic patterns relevant to management.

PubMed

Andrade, H; Santos, J; Taylor, R

2013-06-01

The ecology of common snook Centropomus undecimalis in Amatique Bay, a tropical estuary in eastern Guatemala, was investigated and life-history traits were used to conduct a meta-analysis of the species from Florida to Brazil. The reproduction cycle of C. undecimalis in Amatique was strongly related to the precipitation cycle, with a lag of 2 months. Spawning occurred from April to November with a peak spawning after the onset of the summer rains. Protandric sex reversal occurred early in the dry season (December) before somatic recovery from spawning. The growth cycle preceded that of body condition by c. 1 month, and was out of phase with the reproductive cycle. Growth was fast, as many individuals reached >70% of the maximum observed total length (LT , 102 cm) after 3 years. Sex transition occurred within a relatively narrow LT range (70-79 cm), but over a wide range of ages, indicating plasticity in this respect. The meta-analysis indicated a latitudinal-temperature gradient in life-history traits, as well as different seasonal patterns relative to temperature and hydrographical cycles. Centropomus undecimalis from cooler winter waters (e.g. Florida) reach larger maximum LT and LT at sex change, as well as greater gonado-somatic indices and longer life spans. Further, increased fishing mortality results in younger age at sex reversal and male predominance in the populations compared. Recognition of large-scale biogeographic patterns in this important, but little studied, fish species helps in the formulation of management advice in other areas of its occurrence. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Fish Biology © 2013 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Nutrient Removal through Oyster Habitat Restoration in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallagher, S. M.; Schmidt, C. A.; Walters, L.; Blank, R.

2017-12-01

In 2016, an algae bloom in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) caused a state of emergency in Florida. As with many estuaries, nutrient loading in the IRL has led to periodic eutrophication. While previous studies have shown oyster bed restoration reduces suspended organic matter in estuaries, similar reductions to net nutrient loads are not well established. In addition, previous studies have focused on seasonal variation rather than ongoing yearly effects. Here, we determine the net nitrogen and phosphorus effects of oyster restoration in the IRL over seven years. Analysis of aerial images from 1943 and 2009 showed 14.7 ha of oyster beds were destroyed by boat traffic in the IRL (40% loss). According to our measurements of restored oyster bed sediment, this equates to a maximum of 1,580,000 kg•N•yr-1 of lost denitrification potential; this is equivalent to 150% of estimated current nitrogen loading in the IRL. Oyster restoration began in the IRL in 2007 and has recovered 7.7% of the lost beds and denitrification potential (1.13 ha and 107,000 kg•N•yr-1•ha-1). In all cases, denitrification reached a maximum within two years and remained significantly higher than open sediment for at least the seven years observed. Denitrification benefits came at the cost of mobilizing a maximum of 3450 kg ha-1 of recalcitrant phosphorus from restored bed sediment. This effect was limited to the two years following restoration, whereas increased denitrification was ongoing. Overall, our results show oyster restoration achieved maximum denitrification within two years and maintained significant denitrification benefits for at least seven years. In addition, our results are useful for future oyster restoration projects since they quantify nitrogen benefits in terms of phosphorus mobilization.

Surficial aquifer system in eastern Lee County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boggess, D.H.; Watkins, F.A.

1986-01-01

The surficial aquifer system in eastern Lee County consists of an upper water bearing unit, which is generally unconfined, and a lower water bearing unit, which is confined and is the major source tapped by most wells. The top of the lower unit, which is of primary interest in this report, ranges in depth from 40 to 60 ft below land surface in the east-central part of the county to more than 120 ft in the southern part. In the extreme southern part of the county, a middle water bearing unit also contains water under artesian pressure. Recharge to the lower unit occurs primarily by leakage from the overlying saturated section through the confining beds. Water levels in the lower unit fluctuate similarly to those in the upper (unconfined) unit. Groundwater in the lower unit moves from areas of highest water level in the south part of Lehigh acres, northward toward the Caloosahatchee River, and toward the coast. The lower unit contains freshwater throughout much of its extent and is the source of public water supply at Lehigh Acres and Green Meadows where an average of about 3 mil gal/day was withdrawn in 1980. In several areas, the concentrations of chlorides and dissolved solids exceed drinking water standards. Yields of wells that tap the lower unit range from 10 to 1,100 gal/min. Transmissivities ranging from about 17,700 to 7,750 sq ft/day were determined for different areas of the unit. Storage coefficients range from 0.0001 to 0.0003. (Author 's abstract)

Relationships between Molecular Composition and Optical Properties of Dissolved Organic Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, W. T.; Tfaily, M.; Osborne, D.; Paul, A.; Podgorski, D. C.; Corbett, J.; Chanton, J.

2009-12-01

Our focus is on the relationships between the optical properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and its molecular composition. For example, we demonstrated that changes in the absorption and fluorescence characteristics of DOM in outwelling from Brazilian mangrove forests correlated with decreases in highly unsaturated organic compounds as DOM was transported from mangrove porewaters to the continental shelf. In that work we combined ultrahigh resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) that provided detailed compositional information with absorption and Excitation/Emission Matrix (EEM) spectroscopy This presentation will highlight new results utilizing the combination of optical spectroscopy and FT-ICR mass spectrometry to illuminate the processes which control DOM cycling. Our focus will be on the contributions of the heteroatom components of DOM (i.e. organic sulfur and organic nitrogen) to its optical properties and how changes in optical properties correlate with important environmental processes like humification and bioavailability. Figure 1 below includes a narrow 0.20 Dalton window from a mass spectrum which demonstrates the ability of ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry to resolve and identify nitrogen heteroatom compounds in DOM. Our study sites include the Glacial Lake Agassiz Peatlands (GLAP) in northern Minnesota and wetlands in the Caloosahatchee River basin in South Florida. Figure 1. Isolated 0.20 Da window of an ESI-FT-ICR mass spectrum of DOM from a GLAP bog. Labels identify N1 (d,e,f) and N3 classes of nitrogen heteroatoms. The 0.0031 Da mass spacing is used to confirm the N3 class.

Phytoplankton biomass and composition in a well-flushed, sub-tropical estuary: The contrasting effects of hydrology, nutrient loads and allochthonous influences.

PubMed

Hart, J A; Phlips, E J; Badylak, S; Dix, N; Petrinec, K; Mathews, A L; Green, W; Srifa, A

2015-12-01

The primary objective of this study was to examine trends in phytoplankton biomass and species composition under varying nutrient load and hydrologic regimes in the Guana Tolomato Matanzas estuary (GTM), a well-flushed sub-tropical estuary located on the northeast coast of Florida. The GTM contains both regions of significant human influence and pristine areas with only modest development, providing a test case for comparing and contrasting phytoplankton community dynamics under varying degrees of nutrient load. Water temperature, salinity, Secchi disk depth, nutrient concentrations and chlorophyll concentrations were determined on a monthly basis from 2002 to 2012 at three representative sampling sites in the GTM. In addition, microscopic analyses of phytoplankton assemblages were carried out monthly for a five year period from 2005 through 2009 at all three sites. Results of this study indicate that phytoplankton biomass and composition in the GTM are strongly influenced by hydrologic factors, such as water residence times and tidal exchanges of coastal waters, which in turn are affected by shifts in climatic conditions, most prominently rainfall levels. These influences are exemplified by the observation that the region of the GTM with the longest water residence times but lowest nutrient loads exhibited the highest phytoplankton peaks of autochthonous origin. The incursion of a coastal bloom of the toxic dinoflagellate Karenia brevis into the GTM in 2007 demonstrates the potential importance of allochthonous influences on the ecosystem. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of Acoustic and Optic Methods for Estimating Suspended-Solids Concentrations in the St. Lucie River Estuary, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Patino, Eduardo; Byrne, Michael J.

2004-01-01

Acoustic and optic methods were applied to estimate suspended-solids concentrations in the St. Lucie River Estuary, southeastern Florida. Acoustic Doppler velocity meters were installed at the North Fork, Speedy Point, and Steele Point sites within the estuary. These sites provide varying flow, salinity, water-quality, and channel cross-sectional characteristics. The monitoring site at Steele Point was not used in the analyses because repeated instrument relocations (due to bridge construction) prevented a sufficient number of samples from being collected at the various locations. Acoustic and optic instruments were installed to collect water velocity, acoustic backscatter strength (ABS), and turbidity data that were used to assess the feasibility of estimating suspended-solids concentrations in the estuary. Other data collected at the monitoring sites include tidal stage, salinity, temperature, and periodic discharge measurements. Regression analyses were used to determine the relations of suspended-solids concentration to ABS and suspended-solids concentration to turbidity at the North Fork and Speedy Point sites. For samples used in regression analyses, measured suspended-solids concentrations at the North Fork and Speedy Point sites ranged from 3 to 37 milligrams per liter, and organic content ranged from 50 to 83 percent. Corresponding salinity for these samples ranged from 0.12 to 22.7 parts per thousand, and corresponding temperature ranged from 19.4 to 31.8 ?C. Relations determined using this technique are site specific and only describe suspended-solids concentrations at locations where data were collected. The suspended-solids concentration to ABS relation resulted in correlation coefficients of 0.78 and 0.63 at the North Fork and Speedy Point sites, respectively. The suspended-solids concentration to turbidity relation resulted in correlation coefficients of 0.73 and 0.89 at the North Fork and Speedy Point sites, respectively. The adequacy of the empirical equations seems to be limited by the number and distribution of suspended-solids samples collected throughout the expected concentration range at the North Fork and Speedy Point sites. Additionally, the ABS relations for both sites seem to overestimate at the low end and underestimate at the high end of the concentration range. Based on the sensitivity analysis, temperature had a greater effect than salinity on estimated suspended-solids concentrations. Temperature also appeared to affect ABS data, perhaps by changing the absorptive and reflective characteristics of the suspended material. Salinity and temperature had no observed effects on the turbidity relation at the North Fork and Speedy Point sites. Estimates of suspended-solids concentrations using ABS data were less 'erratic' than estimates using turbidity data. Combining ABS and turbidity data into one equation did not improve the accuracy of results, and therefore, was not considered.

KSC-99wl13

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-01-08

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Its newly grown, wispy feathers reflecting light like a halo, an unidentified baby bird waits, probably for its next meal, in its stick-assembled nest. The nest is in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which shares a boundary with KSC. Hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods share the 92,000-acre refuge with fresh-water impoundments, salt-water estuaries and brackish marshes. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles, including such endangered species as Southern bald eagles, wood storks, Florida scrub jays, Atlantic loggerhead and leatherback turtles, osprey, and nearly 5,000 alligators

KSC-2009-2600

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. –Black-necked stilts look as if they're doing handstands on their mirror images in the shallow water of the Turn Basin behind the NASA News Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The species inhabits salt marshes and coastal bays in the East, ranging along the Atlantic Coast from Delaware and the Carolinas to northern South America. Kennedy shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-08pd4121

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-12-22

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a pied-billed Grebe swims on a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge. The normal black band on its bill is lacking in winter. The most common grebe in eastern North America, the pied-billed Grebe inhabits marshes and ponds, eating small fish, crustaceans, especially crayfish, and aquatic insects. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-08pd4122

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-12-22

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Near NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a male Northern pintail duck swims on a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge. Pintails inhabit marshes, prairie ponds and tundra. Widely distributed across the U.S. and Canada, the breed winters south to Central America and the West Indies. It feeds largely on seeds of aquatic plants but may also take small aquatic animals. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2011-8332

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-12-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- From its perch atop a mangrove, this great blue heron appears to oversee the activities of the assortment of birds in the surrounding waters at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The birds gathered in this particular group include coots, shovelbills and pintails. The center shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of 140,000 acres. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats -- coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks -- that provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2014-2531

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-12

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A wild turkey tries to blend into the palmetto underbrush near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center coexists with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses 140,000 acres. The refuge comprises a wide variety of habitats, including coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks. These habitats provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including more than 330 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles. For additional information about the refuge, visit http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-2014-2530

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-12

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A wild turkey heads for the safety of the palmetto underbrush near the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center coexists with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses 140,000 acres. The refuge comprises a wide variety of habitats, including coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks. These habitats provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including more than 330 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles. For additional information about the refuge, visit http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

From research to management: A remote sensing based water quality decision matrix (WQDM) for Tampa Bay, Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, C.; Le, C.; English, D.; Cannizzaro, J.; Kovach, C.

2012-12-01

Significant advances have been made in ocean color remote sensing of water turbidity and water clarity of estuarine waters, yet accurate estimate of the water column chlorophyll-a concentrations (Chla in mg m-3) has been problematic. Here, a novel empirical Chla algorithm was developed and validated for MODIS and SeaWiFS observations between 1998 and 2011 for Tampa Bay, the largest estuary (~1000 km2) in the state of Florida, USA. The algorithm showed robust performance with two independent datasets, with relative mean uncertainties of ~30% and ~50% and RMS uncertainties of ~40% and ~65%,respectively, for Chla ranging between 1.0 and > 30.0 mg m-3. Together with other bio-optical parameters measured from this moderately turbid estuary, these data showed that although the total light absorption in the blue-green wavelengths is dominated by dissolved organic matter, the variability in light penetration (or water clarity) is mainly determined by particulate absorption rather than CDOM absorption. Thus, nutrient reduction management actions that reduce phytoplankton blooms can effectively increase the light availability on the bottom. Long-term Chla time series from SeaWiFS and MODIS observations showed both seasonal and inter-annual variations. On average, river discharge could explain ~60% of the seasonal changes and ~90% of the inter-annual changes, with the latter mainly driven by climate variability (e.g. El Niño and La Niño years) and anomaly events (e.g. tropical cyclones). Significant correlation was found between monthly mean Chla anomalies and monthly Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI) (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.43, p<0.01, N=147), with high Chla associated with El Niño and lower Chla associated with La Niño. Further, a Water Quality Decision Matrix (WQDM) has been established from the satellite-based Chla and water clarity estimates. The WQDM provides complementary and more reliable information to the existing WQDM based on less synoptic and less frequent field measurements. These results support the decision making efforts of the management agencies that regulate nutrient discharge to the bay, and similar approaches may be established for other estuaries where field data are much more limited than for TampaBay.

Platforms for hyperspectral imaging, in-situ optical and acoustical imaging in urbanized regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bostater, Charles R.; Oney, Taylor

2016-10-01

Hyperspectral measurements of the water surface of urban coastal waters are presented. Oblique bidirectional reflectance factor imagery was acquired made in a turbid coastal sub estuary of the Indian River Lagoon, Florida and along coastal surf zone waters of the nearby Atlantic Ocean. Imagery was also collected using a pushbroom hyperspectral imager mounted on a fixed platform with a calibrated circular mechatronic rotation stage. Oblique imagery of the shoreline and subsurface features clearly shows subsurface bottom features and rip current features within the surf zone water column. In-situ hyperspectral optical signatures were acquired from a vessel as a function of depth to determine the attenuation spectrum in Palm Bay. A unique stationary platform methodology to acquire subsurface acoustic images showing the presence of moving bottom boundary nephelometric layers passing through the acoustic fan beam. The acoustic fan beam imagery indicated the presence of oscillatory subsurface waves in the urbanized coastal estuary. Hyperspectral imaging using the fixed platform techniques are being used to collect hyperspectral bidirectional reflectance factor (BRF) measurements from locations at buildings and bridges in order to provide new opportunities to advance our scientific understanding of aquatic environments in urbanized regions.

Environmental management of a highly impacted, urbanized tropical estuary: rehabilitation and restoration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thorhaug, A.

1980-03-01

The principles of the dynamics and interrelationships within the dominant subtropical and tropical Caribbean seagrass community have been studied previously before, during, and after impact. From these and scores of observations of damage and recovery patterns in Thalassia ecosystems, a sense of management recovery strategy has emerged. Artificial restoring of Thalassia testudinum seeds into areas cut off from stock (fruit, seeds) appeared feasible on a large scale after the Turkey Point (Biscayne Bay, Miami, Florida) restoration and test sampling throughout North Biscayne Bay. Two large-scale seeding attempts were made; after 11 months they compared favorably with Turkey Point specimens with regard to growth parameters, despite the turbidity and other persistent pollution. Thus, the possible areas in which Thalassia seed restoration can be used has increased to include estuaries of multiple impact still in various stages of recovery after physical and sewage pollution. This technique should be especially useful to “developing” nations where important nearshore fisheries nurseries based on Thalassia ecosystems have been heavily damaged and now lie barren. Man's impact on the estuary where seed restoration was attempted includes the following activities: 50% of the bay bottom directly dredged or filled (leaving much unconsolidated sediment); 50 million gallons of domestic waste dumped directly into a low flushing part of the bay for 20 years; seven major causeways transecting the bay, restricting circulation and flushing; two artificial inlets made into navigational channels; freshwater sheet flow drastically changed due to channelization by flood-control canals; urban runoff from a million people entering the bay. Most of the impacts have now abated; however, their long-term effects remain.

Uranium and barium cycling in a salt wedge subterranean estuary: The influence of tidal pumping

USGS Publications Warehouse

Santos, I.R.; Burnett, W.C.; Misra, S.; Suryaputra, I.G.N.A.; Chanton, J.P.; Dittmar, T.; Peterson, R.N.; Swarzenski, P.W.

2011-01-01

The contribution of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) to oceanic metal budgets is only beginning to be explored. Here, we demonstrate that biogeochemical processes in a northern Florida subterranean estuary (STE) significantly alter U and Ba concentrations entering the coastal ocean via SGD. Tidal pumping controlled the distribution of dissolved metals in shallow beach groundwater. Hourly observations of intertidal groundwaters revealed high U and low Ba concentrations at high tide as a result of seawater infiltration into the coastal aquifer. During ebb tide, U decreased and Ba increased due to freshwater dilution and, more importantly, biogeochemical reactions that removed U and added Ba to solution. U removal was apparently a result of precipitation following the reduction of U(VI) to U(IV). A significant correlation between Ba and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in shallow beach groundwaters implied a common source, likely the mineralization of marine particulate organic matter driven into the beach face by tidal pumping. In deeper groundwaters, where the labile organic matter had been depleted, Ba correlated with Mn. We estimate that net SGD fluxes were − 163 and + 1660 μmol m− 1 d− 1 for U and Ba, respectively (or − 1 and + 8 μmol m− 2 d− 1 if a 200-m wide seepage area is considered). Our results support the emerging concept that subterranean estuaries are natural biogeochemical reactors where metal concentrations are altered relative to conservative mixing between terrestrial and marine endmembers. These deviations from conservative mixing significantly influence SGD-derived trace metal fluxes.

Surface water discharge and salinity monitoring of coastal estuaries in Everglades National Park, USA, in support of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Woods, Jeff

2010-01-01

Discharge and salinity were measured along the southwest and the southeast coast of Florida in Everglades National Park (ENP) within several rivers and creeks from 1996 through 2008. Data were collected using hydro-acoustic instruments and continuous water-quality monitors at fixed monitoring stations. Water flowed through ENP within two distinct drainage basins; specifically, Shark Slough and Taylor Slough. Discharge to the southwest coast through Shark Slough was substantially larger than discharge to the southeast coast through Taylor Slough. Correlation analysis between coastal flows and regulated flows at water-management structures upstream from ENP suggests rainfall has a larger impact on discharge through Shark Slough than releases from the S-12 water management structures. In contrast, flow releases from water management structures upstream from Taylor Slough appear to be more closely related to discharge along the southeast coast. Salinity varied within a wide range (0 to 50 parts per thousand) along both coastlines. Periods of hypersalinity were greater along the southeast coast due to shallow compartmentalized basins within Florida Bay, which restrict circulation.

KSC-2012-4868

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Aquatic biologist Eric Reyier with Innovative Health Applications, or IHA, talks about the work that goes into protecting the natural habitat at a launch operations center during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. In the background is Kennedy's Launch Complex 39. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4847

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Solid Motor Assembly and Readiness Facility, or SMARF, Space Launch Complex 40, Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, facility, and Solid Motor Assembly Building, or SMAB, are seen in the distance during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4874

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Solid Motor Assembly and Readiness Facility, or SMARF, Space Launch Complex 40, and Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, facility, is seen in the distance during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

Attitudes toward issues affecting Sarasota Bay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rayburn, J.D.; Heald, G.R.

1995-06-20

The Sarasota Bay National Estuary Program (SBNEP) contracted with the Communication Research Center (CRC) of the Florida State University to conduct a public opinion survey of residents of Sarasota and Manatee, Florida counties to ascertain residents` attitudes toward issues of interest to the SBNEP. The survey was conducted in the final year (1995) of the SBNEP planning phase to determine changes in the public`s perception of bay issues, awareness of restoration efforts, and as a comparison tool to the initial survey conducted in 1990. The survey also provided information necessary for development and implementation of the Comprehensive Conservation and Managementmore » Plan (CCMP). Five hundred, seventy-eight respondents, chosen at random, were interviewed by telephone during February 1995. The survey had a maximum estimated sampling error of approximately plus or minus four percent (4%) at the 95% level of confidence. Survey results include: just 41% of the respondents were aware of some type of clean up activities going on in the community. This information points to the need for continued assertive public education and outreach efforts to support Sarasota Bay restoration.« less

Canaveral National Seashore Water Quality and Aquatic Resource Inventory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, C. R.; Provancha, J. A.; Oddy, D. M.; Lowers, R. L.; Drese, J. D.

2001-01-01

Mosquito Lagoon is a shallow, bar-built estuary located on the east central Florida Coast, primarily within the KSC boundary. The lagoon and watershed cover approximately 327 sq km (79422 acres) .The Lagoon occupies 159 sq km (37853 acres). Water depths average approximately 1m. The lagoon volume is approximately 1.6 x 10(exp 8)cu m. Water quality in Mosquito Lagoon is good. Salinity data typically range between 20 ppt and 35 ppt. The lowest value recorded was 4.5 ppt and the highest value was 37 ppt. Water temperatures fluctuate 2 - 3 C over a 24 h period. Cold front passage can rapidly alter water temperatures by 5 - 10 C or more in a short period of time. The highest temperature was 33.4 C and the lowest temperature was 8.8 C after a winter storm. Dissolved oxygen concentrations ranged from a low of 0.4 mg/l to a high of 15.3 mg/l. Extended periods of measurements below the Florida Department of Environmental Protection criteria of 4.0 mg/l were observed in fall and spring months suggesting high system respiration and oxygen demand. Metals such as antimony, arsenic, molybdenum and mercury were report as below detection limits for all samples. Cadmium, copper, chromium, silver, and zinc were found to be periodically above the Florida Department of Environmental Protection criteria for Class II and Class III surface waters.

Distribution of total mercury and methyl mercury in water, sediment, and fish from South Florida estuaries

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kannan, K.; Smith, R.G.; Lee, R.F.; Windom, H.L.; Heitmuller, P.T.; Macauley, J.M.; Summers, J.K.

1998-01-01

Concentrations of total mercury and methyl mercury were determined in sediment and fish collected from estuarine waters of Florida to understand their distribution and partitioning. Total mercury concentrations in sediments ranged from 1 to 219 ng/g dry wt. Methyl mercury accounted for, on average, 0.77% of total mercury in sediment. Methyl mercury concentrations were not correlated with total mercury or organic carbon content in sediments. The concentrations of total mercury in fish muscle were between 0.03 and 2.22 (mean: 0.31) ??g/g, wet wt, with methyl mercury contributing 83% of total mercury. Methyl mercury concentrations in fish muscle were directly proportional to total mercury concentrations. The relationship of total and methyl mercury concentrations in fish to those of sediments from corresponding locations was fish-species dependent, in addition to several abiotic factors. Among fish species analyzed, hardhead catfish, gafftopsail catfish, and sand seatrout contained the highest concentrations of mercury. Filtered water samples from canals and creeks that discharge into the Florida Bay showed mercury concentrations of 3-7.4 ng/L, with methyl mercury accounting for <0.03-52% of the total mercury. Consumption of fish containing 0.31 ??g mercury/g wet wt, the mean concentration found in this study, at rates greater than 70 g/day, was estimated to be hazardous to human health.

Effect of temperature and salinity on phosphate sorption on marine sediments.

PubMed

Zhang, Jia-Zhong; Huang, Xiao-Lan

2011-08-15

Our previous studies on the phosphate sorption on sediments in Florida Bay at 25 °C in salinity 36 seawater revealed that the sorption capacity varies considerably within the bay but can be attributed to the content of sedimentary P and Fe. It is known that both temperature and salinity influence the sorption process and their natural variations are the greatest in estuaries. To provide useful sorption parameters for modeling phosphate cycle in Florida Bay, a systematic study was carried out to quantify the effects of salinity and temperature on phosphate sorption on sediments. For a given sample, the zero equilibrium phosphate concentration and the distribution coefficient were measured over a range of salinity (2-72) and temperature (15-35 °C) conditions. Such a suite of experiments with combinations of different temperature and salinity were performed for 14 selected stations that cover a range of sediment characteristics and geographic locations of the bay. Phosphate sorption was found to increase with increasing temperature or decreasing salinity and their effects depended upon sediment's exchangeable P content. This study provided the first estimate of the phosphate sorption parameters as a function of salinity and temperature in marine sediments. Incorporation of these parameters in water quality models will enable them to predict the effect of increasing freshwater input, as proposed by the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, on the seasonal cycle of phosphate in Florida Bay.

Assessment of groundwater input and water quality changes impacting natural vegetation in the Loxahatchee River and floodplain ecosystem, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Orem, William H.; Swarzenski, Peter W.; McPherson, Benjamin F.; Hedgepath, Marion; Lerch, Harry E.; Reich, Christopher; Torres, Arturo E.; Corum, Margo D.; Roberts, Richard E.

2007-01-01

The Loxahatchee River and Estuary are small, shallow, water bodies located in southeastern Florida. Historically, the Northwest Branch (Fork) of the Loxahatchee River was primarily a freshwater system. In 1947, the river inlet at Jupiter was dredged for navigation and has remained permanently open since that time. Drainage patterns within the basin have also been altered significantly due to land development, road construction (e.g., Florida Turnpike), and construction of the C-18 and other canals. These anthropogenic activities along with sea level rise have resulted in significant adverse impacts on the ecosystem over the last several decades, including increased saltwater encroachment and undesired vegetation changes in the floodplain. The problem of saltwater intrusion and vegetation degradation in the Loxahatchee River may be partly induced by diminished freshwater input, from both surface water and ground water into the River system. The overall objective of this project was to assess the seasonal surface water and groundwater interaction and the influence of the biogeochemical characteristics of shallow groundwater and porewater on vegetation health in the Loxahatchee floodplain. The hypothesis tested are: (1) groundwater influx constitutes a significant component of the overall flow of water into the Loxahatchee River; (2) salinity and other chemical constituents in shallow groundwater and porewater of the river floodplain may affect the distribution and health of the floodplain vegetation.

A Regional Waterway Management System for Balancing Recreational Boating and Resource Protection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swett, Robert A.; Listowski, Charles; Fry, Douglas; Boutelle, Stephen; Fann, David

2009-06-01

Florida’s coasts have been transformed over the past three decades as population growth and unprecedented demand for individual shore access to bays and estuaries led to the creation of residential canal developments. Thousands of miles of channels and basins were dredged as a by-product of this urbanization process. The navigable waterways that resulted are now being stressed by increasing boat traffic and canal-side activities. Recognizing their common goal to preserve the recreational and ecological value of southwest Florida waterways, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the four-county West Coast Inland Navigation District, and the University of Florida Sea Grant College Program signed a Memorandum of Agreement. The signatories agreed to develop a science-based Regional Waterway Management System (RWMS), which is a new approach to waterway planning and permitting based on carefully mapped channel depths, a census of actual boat populations, and the spatial extent of natural resources. The RWMS provides a comprehensive, regional overview of channel conditions and the geographic distribution and severity of existing impediments to safe navigation and resource protection. RWMS information and analyses result in regional-scale permitting to accommodate water-dependent uses while minimizing environmental impacts and reducing public expenditures. Compared with traditional approaches to waterway management, the science-based RWMS is relatively unbiased, objective, transparent, ecologically sound, and fiscally prudent.

Tests for injecting, storing, and recovering freshwater in a saline artesian aquifer, Lee County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fitzpatrick, D.J.

1986-01-01

An investigation was made of the suitability of a saline, artesian limestone aquifer for the injection, storage, and recovery of freshwater from the Caloosahatchee River. The tests were conducted on a well tapping a leaky artesian system that has a transmissivity of 800 square feet per day, a storage of 1 x 10-4, and a leakance of 0.01 per day. The specific capacity of the injection well was increased through acidizing and was decreased as a result of well clogging during injection. Three injection tests were made wherein the amounts of freshwater injected, the storage duration, and the quality of water injected varied. Analysis of the test data showed that freshwater recoverability ranged from 9.7 to 38.7 percent of the total injected. Differences were attributed principally to differences in the quality of water injected and storage duration. Repeated injection-recovery cycles probably would result in greater recoverability. Head buildup, nearly 200 feet in one test, was a prime problem related chiefly to clogging from suspended material in the injected water and to bacterial growth at the wellbore-limestone interface. Regular backflushing was required. Total head buildup decreased as a result of acidizing the injection well. No coliforms or fecal streptococcus were noted in the recovered water. Growth of anaerobic bacteria occurred. Changes in the quality of the recovered water included decreases in concentration of dissolved organic carbon by as much as 15 mg/L (milligrams per liter), organic nitrogen by as much as 0.80 mg/L, and nitrate by as much as 0.50 mg/L. Increases were noted in ammonia by 0.40 mg/L, and iron by as much as 0.60 mg/L. These changes are consistent with the presence of an anaerobic bacterial ecosystem.

KSC-2014-2524

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- An alligator lounges in the water off Schwartz Road at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Alligators can be spotted in the drainage canals and other waterways surrounding the space center. The center coexists with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses 140,000 acres. The refuge comprises a wide variety of habitats, including coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks. These habitats provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including more than 330 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles. For additional information about the refuge, visit http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland. Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

KSC-2012-4541

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-17

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Two fish swim near the Banana River shoreline at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Kennedy is located on Merritt Island, a barrier island, about 34 miles long and varying in width from five to 10 miles. Only 6,000 acres are actually used for operational activities. The Kennedy Space Center is also a National Wildlife Refuge. Consisting of 140,000 acres, the refuge provides a wide variety of habitats: coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods and hardwood hammocks providing habitat for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals. For more information, visit: http://ipv6.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/alligators/kscovrv.html Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-08pd4126

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-12-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A snowy egret stands in the shallow water of a pond in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge, which borders NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A type of heron, the snowy egret inhabits salt marshes, ponds, rice fields and shallow coastal bays ranging from Maine to southern South America on the east coast. It can also be found in California and Oklahoma to the Gulf of Mexico. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Gulf of Mexico Integrated Science - Tampa Bay Study - Characterization of Tidal Wetlands

USGS Publications Warehouse

McIvor, Carole

2005-01-01

Tidal wetlands in Tampa Bay, Florida, consist of mangrove forests and salt marshes. Wetlands buffer storm surges, provide fish and wildlife habitat, and enhance water quality through the removal of water-borne nutrients and contaminants. Substantial areas of both mangroves and salt marshes have been lost to agricultural, residential, and industrial development in this urban estuary. Wetlands researchers are characterizing the biological components of tidal wetlands and examining the physical factors such as salinity, tidal flushing, and sediment deposition that control the composition of tidal wetland habitats. Wetlands restoration is a priority of resource managers in Tampa Bay. Baseline studies such as these are needed for successful restoration planning and evaluation.

Gulf of Mexico Integrated Science - Tampa Bay Study: Watershed and Estuary Mapping

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hansen, Mark

2005-01-01

Tampa Bay, Florida, and its environs have experienced phenomenal urban growth and significant changes in land-use practices over the past 50 years. This trend is expected to continue, with human activity intensifying and affecting a wider geographic region. Urbanization creates impervious surfaces, which increase stormwater runoff and contribute to greater amounts of chemicals flowing into coastal waters. Man-made structures including bridges, a gas pipeline, desalination plant, ports, navigation channels, and extensive sea walls have been built and will continue to be maintained and modified. This task of the Tampa Bay Study aims to provide a better understanding of these and other man-made impacts on the Tampa Bay region.

Use of MODIS Terra Imagery to Estimate Surface Water Quality Standards, Using Lake Thonotosassa, Florida, as a Case Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moreno, Max J.; Al-Hamdan, Mohammad Z.; Estes, Maurice G., Jr.; Rickman, Douglas L.

2010-01-01

Lake Thonotosassa is a highly eutrophied lake located in an area with rapidly growing population in the Tampa Bay watershed, Florida. The Florida Administrative Code has designated its use for "recreation, propagation and maintenance of a healthy, well-balanced population of fish and wildlife." Although this lake has been the subject of efforts to improve water quality since 1970, overall water quality has remained below the acceptable state standards, and has a high concentration of nutrients. This condition is of great concern to public health since it has favored episodic blooms of Cyanobacteria. Some Cyanobacterial species release toxins that can reach humans through drinking water, fish consumption, and direct contact with contaminated water. The lake has been historically popular for fishing and water sports, and its overflow water drains into the Hillsborough River, the main supply of municipal water for the City of Tampa, this explains why it has being constantly monitored in situ for water quality by the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County (EPC). Advances in remote sensing technology, however, open the possibility of facilitating similar types of monitoring in this and similar lakes, further contributing to the implementation of surveillance systems that would benefit not just public health, but also tourism and ecosystems. Although traditional application of this technology to water quality has been focused on much larger coastal water bodies like bays and estuaries, this study evaluates the feasibility of its application on a 46.6 km2 freshwater lake. Using surface reflectance products from Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Terra, this study evaluates associations between remotely sensed data and in situ data from the EPC. The parameters analyzed are the surface water quality standards used by the State of Florida and general indicators of trophic status.

Modeled Sea Level Rise Impacts on Coastal Ecosystems at Six Major Estuaries on Florida's Gulf Coast: Implications for Adaptation Planning.

PubMed

Geselbracht, Laura L; Freeman, Kathleen; Birch, Anne P; Brenner, Jorge; Gordon, Doria R

2015-01-01

The Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM) was applied at six major estuaries along Florida's Gulf Coast (Pensacola Bay, St. Andrews/Choctawhatchee Bays, Apalachicola Bay, Southern Big Bend, Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor) to provide quantitative and spatial information on how coastal ecosystems may change with sea level rise (SLR) and to identify how this information can be used to inform adaption planning. High resolution LiDAR-derived elevation data was utilized under three SLR scenarios: 0.7 m, 1 m and 2 m through the year 2100 and uncertainty analyses were conducted on selected input parameters at three sites. Results indicate that the extent, spatial orientation and relative composition of coastal ecosystems at the study areas may substantially change with SLR. Under the 1 m SLR scenario, total predicted impacts for all study areas indicate that coastal forest (-69,308 ha; -18%), undeveloped dry land (-28,444 ha; -2%) and tidal flat (-25,556 ha; -47%) will likely face the greatest loss in cover by the year 2100. The largest potential gains in cover were predicted for saltmarsh (+32,922 ha; +88%), transitional saltmarsh (+23,645 ha; na) and mangrove forest (+12,583 ha; +40%). The Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay study areas were predicted to experience the greatest net loss in coastal wetlands The uncertainty analyses revealed low to moderate changes in results when some numerical SLAMM input parameters were varied highlighting the value of collecting long-term sedimentation, accretion and erosion data to improve SLAMM precision. The changes predicted by SLAMM will affect exposure of adjacent human communities to coastal hazards and ecosystem functions potentially resulting in impacts to property values, infrastructure investment and insurance rates. The results and process presented here can be used as a guide for communities vulnerable to SLR to identify and prioritize adaptation strategies that slow and/or accommodate the changes underway.

Tidal-flow, circulation, and flushing characteristics of Kings Bay, Citrus County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hammett, K.M.; Goodwin, C.R.; Sanders, G.L.

1996-01-01

Kings Bay is an estuary on the gulf coast of peninsular Florida with a surface area of less than one square mile. It is a unique estuarine system with no significant inflowing rivers or streams. As much as 99 percent of the freshwater entering the bay originates from multiple spring vents at the bottom of the estuary. The circulation and flushing characteristics of Kings Bay were evaluated by applying SIMSYS2D, a two-dimensional numerical model. Field data were used to calibrate and verify the model. Lagrangian particle simulations were used to determine the circulation characteristics for three hydrologic conditions: low inflow, typical inflow, and low inflow with reduced friction from aquatic vegetation. Spring discharge transported the particles from Kings Bay through Crystal River and out of the model domain. Tidal effects added an oscillatory component to the particle paths. The mean particle residence time was 59 hours for low inflow with reduced friction; therefore, particle residence time is affected more by spring discharge than by bottom friction. Circulation patterns were virtually identical for the three simulated hydroloigc conditions. Simulated particles introduced in the southern part of Kings Bay traveled along the eastern side of Buzzard Island before entering Crystal River and existing the model domain. The flushing characteristics of Kings Bay for the three hydrodynamic conditions were determined by simulating the injection of conservative dye constituents. The average concentration of dye initially injected in Kings Bay decreased asymptotically because of spring discharge, and the tide caused some oscillation in the average dye concentration. Ninety-five percent of the injected dye exited Kings Bay and Crystal River with 94 hours for low inflow, 71 hours for typical inflow, and 94 hours for low inflow with reduced bottom friction. Simulation results indicate that all of the open waters of Kings Bay are flushed by the spring discharge. Reduced bottom friction has little effect on flushing.

Monitoring Drought along the Gulf of Mexico and the Southeastern Atlantic Ocean Using the Coastal Salinity Index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conrads, P. A.; Rouen, L.; Lackstrom, K.; McCloskey, B.

2017-12-01

Coastal droughts have a different dynamic than upland droughts, which are typically characterized by agricultural, hydrologic, meteorological, and (or) socio-economic impacts. Drought uniquely affects coastal ecosystems due to changes in salinity conditions of estuarine creeks and rivers. The location of the freshwater-saltwater interface in surface-water bodies is an important factor in the ecological and socio-economic dynamics of coastal communities. The location of the interface determines the freshwater and saltwater aquatic communities, fisheries spawning habitat, and the freshwater availability for municipal and industrial water intakes. The severity of coastal drought may explain changes in Vibrio bacteria impacts on shellfish harvesting and occurrence of wound infection, fish kills, harmful algal blooms, hypoxia, and beach closures. To address the data and information gap for characterizing coastal drought, a coastal salinity index (CSI) was developed using salinity data. The CSI uses a computational approach similar to the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). The CSI is computed for unique time intervals (for example 1-, 6-, 12-, and 24-month) that can characterize the onset and recovery of short- and long-term drought. Evaluation of the CSI indicates that the index can be used for different estuary types (for example: brackish, oligohaline, or mesohaline), for regional comparison between estuaries, and as an index of wet conditions (high freshwater inflow) in addition to drought (saline) conditions. In 2017, three activities in 2017 will be presented that enhance the use and application of the CSI. One, a software package was developed for the consistent computation of the CSI that includes preprocessing of salinity data, filling missing data, computing the CSI, post-processing, and generating the supporting metadata. Two, the CSI has been computed at sites along the Gulf of Mexico (Texas to Florida) and the Southeastern Atlantic Ocean (Florida to North Carolina), and three, using telemetered salinity data, the real-time computation of the CSI has been prototyped and disseminated on the web.

Diurnal variation in rates of calcification and carbonate sediment dissolution in Florida Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yates, K.K.; Halley, R.B.

2006-01-01

Water quality and circulation in Florida Bay (a shallow, subtropical estuary in south Florida) are highly dependent upon the development and evolution of carbonate mud banks distributed throughout the Bay. Predicting the effect of natural and anthropogenic perturbations on carbonate sedimentation requires an understanding of annual, seasonal, and daily variations in the biogenic and inorganic processes affecting carbonate sediment precipitation and dissolution. In this study, net calcification rates were measured over diurnal cycles on 27 d during summer and winter from 1999 to 2003 on mud banks and four representative substrate types located within basins between mud banks. Substrate types that were measured in basins include seagrass beds of sparse and intermediate density Thalassia sp., mud bottom, and hard bottom communities. Changes in total alkalinity were used as a proxy for calcification and dissolution. On 22 d (81%), diurnal variation in rates of net calcification was observed. The highest rates of net carbonate sediment production (or lowest rates of net dissolution) generally occurred during daylight hours and ranged from 2.900 to -0.410 g CaCO3 m-2 d-1. The lowest rates of carbonate sediment production (or net sediment dissolution) occurred at night and ranged from 0.210 to -1.900 g CaCO3 m -2 night-1. During typical diurnal cycles, dissolution during the night consumed an average of 29% of sediment produced during the day on banks and 68% of sediment produced during the day in basins. Net sediment dissolution also occurred during daylight, but only when there was total cloud cover, high turbidity, or hypersalinity. Diurnal variation in calcification and dissolution in surface waters and surface sediments of Florida Bay is linked to cycling of carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and respiration. Estimation of long-term sediment accumulation rates from diurnal rates of carbonate sediment production measured in this study indicates an overall average accumulation rate for Florida Bay of 8.7 cm 1000 yr-1 and suggests that sediment dissolution plays a more important role than sediment transport in loss of sediment from Florida Bay. ?? 2006 Estuarine Research Federation.

Modelling Wind Effects on Subtidal Salinity in Apalachicola Bay, Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, W.; Jones, W. K.; Wu, T. S.

2002-07-01

Salinity is an important factor for oyster and estuarine productivity in Apalachicola Bay. Observations of salinity at oyster reefs have indicated a high correlation between subtidal salinity variations and the surface winds along the bay axis in an approximately east-west direction. In this paper, we applied a calibrated hydrodynamic model to examine the surface wind effects on the volume fluxes in the tidal inlets and the subtidal salinity variations in the bay. Model simulations show that, due to the large size of inlets located at the east and west ends of this long estuary, surface winds have significant effects on the volume fluxes in the estuary inlets for the water exchanges between the estuary and ocean. In general, eastward winds cause the inflow from the inlets at the western end and the outflow from inlets at the eastern end of the bay. Winds at 15 mph speed in the east-west direction can induce a 2000 m3 s-1 inflow of saline seawater into the bay from the inlets, a rate which is about 2·6 times that of the annual average freshwater inflow from the river. Due to the varied wind-induced volume fluxes in the inlets and the circulation in the bay, the time series of subtidal salinity at oyster reefs considerably increases during strong east-west wind conditions in comparison to salinity during windless conditions. In order to have a better understanding of the characteristics of the wind-induced subtidal circulation and salinity variations, the researchers also connected model simulations under constant east-west wind conditions. Results show that the volume fluxes are linearly proportional to the east-west wind stresses. Spatial distributions of daily average salinity and currents clearly show the significant effects of winds on the bay.

KSC-2014-2533

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-12

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A baby alligator suns himself on the bank of a canal near the north gate on NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A typical, adult American alligator will reach a weight of 790 pounds and 13 feet in length. The center coexists with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses 140,000 acres. The refuge comprises a wide variety of habitats, including coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks. These habitats provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including more than 330 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles. For additional information about the refuge, visit http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-2014-2532

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-12

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A baby alligator takes a dip in a canal near the north gate on NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A typical, adult American alligator will reach a weight of 790 pounds and 13 feet in length. The center coexists with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses 140,000 acres. The refuge comprises a wide variety of habitats, including coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks. These habitats provide sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including more than 330 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles. For additional information about the refuge, visit http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-07pd0728

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-29

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A glossy ibis is waiting for prey to swim by in this pond near Kennedy Space Center. This species inhabits marshes, swamps, flooded fields, coastal bays and estuaries, ranging along the coast from Maine to Florida and Texas. Along the coast it feeds mostly on fiddler crabs, but also may eat insects and snakes, including the poisonous water moccasin. KSC shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which surrounds it. The refuge is a habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. In addition, the refuge supports 19 endangered or threatened wildlife species on Federal or State lists, more than any other single refuge in the U.S. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley

KSC-2012-2570

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-04-20

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A bobcat strolls across the causeway between NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, oblivious to everything but the hunt for its next meal. The cat is seldom observed during the day unless scared from its daytime shelter. It is the last large mammalian predator remaining on the center. Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge mutually reside on 140,000 acres on central Florida’s east coast. The area’s coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2012-1808

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-03-14

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Gotcha! A raccoon triggers a motion-activated remote camera set up for this purpose at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. These nocturnal creatures are abundant in the area and usually do not venture out in the daytime except when breeding or caring for their young. In the background are the lights on Launch Pad 39A. Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge mutually reside on 140,000 acres on central Florida’s east coast. The area’s coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks provide habitats for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Gray

KSC-2014-2679

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A bobcat prowls through the grass near the Press Site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center, the only launch site for crewed missions from U.S. soil, coexists with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses 140,000 acres. The cat is the last large mammalian predator remaining on the center. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats, including coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks, and is a sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including more than 330 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles. For additional information about the refuge, visit http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-2678

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A bobcat is startled to be discovered near the Press Site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center, the only launch site for crewed missions from U.S. soil, coexists with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses 140,000 acres. The cat is the last large mammalian predator remaining on the center. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats, including coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks, and is a sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including more than 330 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles. For additional information about the refuge, visit http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-2681

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A bobcat continues on its way past the Press Site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center, the only launch site for crewed missions from U.S. soil, coexists with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses 140,000 acres. The cat is the last large mammalian predator remaining on the center. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats, including coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks, and is a sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including more than 330 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles. For additional information about the refuge, visit http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-2680

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A bobcat retreats from the limelight near the Press Site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center, the only launch site for crewed missions from U.S. soil, coexists with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses 140,000 acres. The cat is the last large mammalian predator remaining on the center. The refuge provides a wide variety of habitats, including coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks, and is a sanctuary for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including more than 330 species of birds, 31 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles. For additional information about the refuge, visit http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-4540

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-08-17

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Two manatees swim near the Banana River shoreline a few miles from the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Kennedy is located on Merritt Island, a barrier island, about 34 miles long and varying in width from five to 10 miles. Only 6,000 acres are actually used for operational activities. The Kennedy Space Center is also a National Wildlife Refuge. Consisting of 140,000 acres, the refuge provides a wide variety of habitats: coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods and hardwood hammocks providing habitat for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals. For more information, visit: http://ipv6.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/alligators/kscovrv.html Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Thermal Pollution Mathematical Model. Volume 6; Verification of Three-Dimensional Free-Surface Model at Anclote Anchorage; [environment impact of thermal discharges from power plants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, S. S.; Sengupta, S.; Tuann, S. Y.; Lee, C. R.

1980-01-01

The free-surface model presented is for tidal estuaries and coastal regions where ambient tidal forces play an important role in the dispersal of heated water. The model is time dependent, three dimensional, and can handle irregular bottom topography. The vertical stretching coordinate is adopted for better treatment of kinematic condition at the water surface. The results include surface elevation, velocity, and temperature. The model was verified at the Anclote Anchorage site of Florida Power Company. Two data bases at four tidal stages for winter and summer conditions were used to verify the model. Differences between measured and predicted temperatures are on an average of less than 1 C.

KSC-2009-2603

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A tall Great Blue Heron warily eyes its surroundings while standing in the shallow water behind the NASA News Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A frequent sight around Kennedy, this large heron inhabits lakes, ponds, rivers and marshes in a range from Alaska south to Mexico and the West Indies. It is frequently found standing at the edge of a pond or pool, watching for fish or frogs, its principal food. Kennedy shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-2009-2604

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A Great Blue Heron majestically takes to the air as it leaves the shallow water behind the NASA News Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A frequent sight around Kennedy, this large heron inhabits lakes, ponds, rivers and marshes in a range from Alaska south to Mexico and the West Indies. It is frequently found standing at the edge of a pond or pool, watching for fish or frogs, its principal food. Kennedy shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Hydrobiological characteristics of Shark River estuary, Everglades National Park, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

McPherson, B.F.

1970-01-01

Water quality in the Shark River estuary was strongly influenced by seasonal patterns of rainfall, water level and temperature. During the rainy season (summer and early fall) the salinity in the 20-mile long estuary ranged from that of fresh water to half that of sea water while concentrations of dissolved oxygen were low, 2-5 milligrams per liter (mg/l) presumably because, among other factors, microbial activity and respiration were accelerated by high temperatures (30-33 degrees C). During the dry season (late fall through spring) the salinity ranged from 18 grams per liter (g/l) in the headwaters to 36 g/l at the Gulf during a dry year such as 1967 and from 1 to 25 g/l during a wet year such as 1969. Concentrations of dissolved oxygen increased from 2-3 mg/l in the summer of 1967 to 4-7 mg/l in the winter of 1968, and temperature decreased from an average of about 30 degrees C in summer to 20 degrees C in winter. Water level declined 5 to 10 decimeters in the headwaters during the dry season, and salinity and tidal action increased. Large amounts of submerged vegetation died in some headwater creeks at the end of the dry season, presumably killed by salinities above 3 g/l. The decaying organic matter and the decrease in photosynthesis resulted in low dissolved oxygen (1-2 mg/l). Fish died at this time probably as a result of the low dissolved oxygen. Trace elements, heavy metals and insecticides occurred in the waters of the estuary in concentrations below those indicated as harmful for aquatic life by current standards established by the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration (1968). The insecticides detected were concentrated in sediment and in various organisms. The patterns of distribution of planktonic and small nektonic animals in the estuary were related to salinity. Copepods (Arcatia tonsa, Labidocera aestiva, Pseudodiaptomus coronatus), cumaceans (Cyclaspis sp.), chaetognaths (Sagitta hispida), bay anchovies (Anchoa mitchilli), and scaled sardines (Harengula pensacolae) were the dominant animals collected in the higher salinities (10-25 g/l) near the mouth of the estuary. Amphipods (Corophium sp. and Grandidierella sp.), mysids (Mysidopsis almyra and Gastrosaccus dissimilis), crab larvae, and the young anchovies, sardines, and related fish were the dominant forms in the brackish water (1-10 g/l) of the mid-estuary. The presence of large numbers of juvenile and young animals and young animals indicated the importance of these brackish waters as nursery grounds. Aquatic insects, cyclopoid copepods (Macrocyclops sp.), cladocerans, mysids (Taphromysis bowmani), ostracods (Cypridopsis sp. ), fresh-water prawns (Palaemonetes paludosus), and various marshfish were dominant in the ?fresh? headwaters. The amount of plant detritus collected in the estuary averaged about ten times that of the zooplankton. The estimated mean wet-weight of the zooplankton was 65 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m?) and ranged from 1 to 173 mg/m?, with the smallest amounts occurring in the ?fresh? headwaters. Nekton, consisting of small fish and prawns, ranged from 3 to 214 mg/m? in weight and had a mean of 30 mg/m?. Largest catches were made in the headwaters at the end of the dry season, where the weight of the standing crop increased more than 15 times during the sampling period. The small fish and prawns, which were concentrated in the headwaters at the water level dropped, served as a rich source of food for predatory marine fish and birds.

Water withdrawals, use, and trends in Florida, 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marella, Richard L.

2014-01-01

In 2010, the total amount of water withdrawn in Florida was estimated to be 14,988 million gallons per day (Mgal/d). Saline water accounted for 8,589 Mgal/d (57 percent) and freshwater accounted for 6,399 Mgal/d (43 percent). Groundwater accounted for 4,166 Mgal/d (65 percent) of freshwater withdrawals, and surface water accounted for the remaining 2,233 Mgal/d (35 percent). Surface water accounted for nearly all (99.9 percent) saline-water withdrawals. An additional 659 Mgal/d of reclaimed wastewater was used in Florida during 2010. Freshwater withdrawals were greatest in Palm Beach County (707 Mgal/d), and saline-water withdrawals were greatest in Hillsborough County (1,715 Mgal/d). Fresh groundwater provided drinking water (public supplied and self-supplied) for 17.33 million people (92 percent of Florida’s population), and fresh surface water provided drinking water for 1.47 million people (8 percent). The statewide public-supply gross per capita use for 2010 was 134 gallons per day, whereas the statewide public-supply domestic per capita use was 85 gallons per day. The majority of groundwater withdrawals (almost 62 percent) in 2010 were obtained from the Floridan aquifer system, which is present throughout most of the State. The majority of fresh surface-water withdrawals (56 percent) came from the southern Florida hydrologic unit subregion and is associated with Lake Okeechobee and the canals in the Everglades Agricultural Area of Glades, Hendry, and Palm Beach Counties, as well as the Caloosahatchee River and its tributaries in the agricultural areas of Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee Counties. Overall, agricultural irrigation accounted for 40 percent of the total freshwater withdrawals (ground and surface), followed by public supply with 35 percent. Public supply accounted for 48 percent of groundwater withdrawals, followed by agricultural self-supplied (34 percent), commercial-industrial-mining self-supplied (7 percent), recreational-landscape irrigation and domestic self-supplied (5 percent each), and power generation (less than 1 percent). Agricultural self-supplied accounted for 51 percent of fresh surface-water withdrawals, followed by power generation (25 percent), public supply (11 percent), recreational-landscape irrigation (9 percent), and commercial-industrial-mining self-supplied (4 percent). Power generation accounted for nearly all (99.8 percent) saline-water withdrawals. Of the 18.80 million people who resided in Florida during 2010, 41 percent (7.68 million people) resided in the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), 25 percent each resided in the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) and the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) (4.73 and 4.70 million people, respectively), 7 percent (1.36 million people) resided in the Northwest Florida Water Management District (NWFWMD), and 2 percent (0.33 million people) resided in the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD). The largest percentage of freshwater withdrawals was from the SFWMD (47 percent), followed by the SJRWMD (21 percent), SWFWMD (18 percent), NWFWMD (9 percent), and SRWMD (5 percent). Between 1950 and 2010, the population of Florida increased by 16.03 million (580 percent), and the total water withdrawals (fresh and saline) increased by 12,334 Mgal/d (465 percent). More recently, total freshwater withdrawals decreased by more than 1,792 Mgal/d (22 percent) between 2000 and 2010, while the population increased by 2.82 million (18 percent), and total freshwater withdrawals decreased by more than 474 Mgal/d (7 percent) between 2005 and 2010, while the population increased by 0.88 million (8 percent). The recent trend of decreases in freshwater withdrawals is a result of increased rainfall during this period, the development and use of alternative water sources, water conservation efforts, more conservative regulations and mandates, changes in economic conditions, and losses of irrigated lands. Fresh-water withdrawals for public supply, agricultural self-supplied use, and commercial-industrial-mining self-supplied use all decreased between 2000 and 2010 and between 2005 and 2010, whereas freshwater withdrawals for domestic self-supplied use, recreational-landscape irrigation use, and power generation use either remained the same or changed slightly during the decade. The use of highly mineralized groundwater (referred to as nonpotable water) as a source of drinking water has increased in Florida. Nonpotable water use for public supply has increased from nearly 2 Mgal/d in 1970 to about 165 Mgal/d in 2010. Nonpotable water is either blended or treated to meet drinking-water standards and is mostly used along the east and west coasts of central and southern Florida. The use of reclaimed wastewater increased from about 206 Mgal/d in 1986 to nearly 659 Mgal/d in 2010. More than three-quarters (79 percent) of reclaimed wastewater in 2010 was used to supplement potable-quality water withdrawals for urban irrigation, agricultural irrigation, and industrial use.

Flow monitoring along the western Tamiami Trail between County Road 92 and State Road 29 in support of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, 2007-2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Booth, Amanda C.; Soderqvist, Lars E.; Berry, Marcia C.

2014-01-01

The construction of U.S. Highway 41 (Tamiami Trail), the Southern Golden Gate Estates development, and the Barron River Canal has altered the flow of freshwater to the Ten Thousand Islands estuary of Southwest Florida. Two restoration projects, the Picayune Strand Restoration Project and the Tamiami Trail Culverts Project, both associated with the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, were initiated to address this issue. Quantifying the flow of freshwater to the estuary is essential to assessing the effectiveness of these projects. The U.S. Geological Survey conducted a study between March 2006 and September 2010 to quantify the freshwater flowing under theTamiami Trail between County Road 92 and State Road 29 in southwest Florida, excluding the Faka Union Canal (which is monitored by South Florida Water Management District). The study period was after the completion of the Tamiami Trail Culverts Project and prior to most of the construction related to the Picayune Restoration Project. The section of the Tamiami Trail that was studied contains too many structures (35 bridges and 16 culverts) to cost-effectively measure each structure on a continuous basis, so the area was divided into seven subbasins. One bridge within each of the subbasins was instrumented with an acoustic Doppler velocity meter. The index velocity method was used to compute discharge at the seven instrumented bridges. Periodic discharge measurements were made at all structures, using acoustic Doppler current profilers at bridges and acoustic Doppler velocity meters at culverts. Continuous daily mean values of discharge for the uninstrumented structures were calculated on the basis of relations between the measured discharge at the uninstrumented stations and the discharge and stage at the instrumented bridge. Estimates of daily mean discharge are available beginning in 2006 or 2007 through September 2010 for all structures. Subbasin comparison is limited to water years 2008–2010. The Faka Union Canal contributed more than half (on average 60 percent) of the flow under the Tamiami Trail between State Road 29 and County Road 92 during water years 2008–2010. During water years 2008–2010, an average 9 percent of the flow through the study area came from west of the Faka Union Canal and an average 31 percent came from east of the Faka Union Canal. Flow data provided by this study serve as baseline information about the seasonal and spatial distribution of freshwater flow under the Tamiami Trail between County Road 92 and State Road 29, and study results provide data to evaluate restoration efforts.

KSC-2012-1806

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-03-14

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Out on a nocturnal stroll, a bobcat triggers a motion-activated remote camera set up for this purpose at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The cat is seldom observed during the day unless scared from its daytime shelter. It is the last large mammalian predator remaining on the center. In the background are the lights on Launch Pad 39A. Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge mutually reside on 140,000 acres on central Florida’s east coast. The area’s coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks provide habitats for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Gray

KSC-2012-1807

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-03-14

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Gotcha! A bobcat out on a nocturnal stroll triggers a motion-activated remote camera set up for this purpose at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The cat is seldom observed during the day unless scared from its daytime shelter. It is the last large mammalian predator remaining on the center. In the background are the lights on Launch Pad 39A. Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge mutually reside on 140,000 acres on central Florida’s east coast. The area’s coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks provide habitats for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Gray

KSC-2012-2571

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-04-20

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A bobcat on the causeway between NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida pauses to check out the photographer who chanced upon it during the hunt for its next meal. The cat is seldom observed during the day unless scared from its daytime shelter. It is the last large mammalian predator remaining on the center. Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge mutually reside on 140,000 acres on central Florida’s east coast. The area’s coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals, including about 331 species of birds. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-08pd4124

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-12-22

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A male Anhinga perches in a shrub in the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge, which borders NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Anhingas inhabit freshwater ponds and swamps with thick vegetation. They range from the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from North Carolina to Texas, the Mississippi Valley north to Arkansas and Tennessee, and south to southern South America. They are also referred to as snakebirds because their body is submerged when swimming, showing only the head and long, slender neck above water. The center shares a boundary with the refuge that includes salt-water estuaries, brackish marshes, hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Distribution of heavy metals and foraminiferal assemblages in sediments of Biscayne Bay, Florida, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carnahan, E.A.; Hoare, A.M.; Hallock, P.; Lidz, B.H.; Reich, C.D.

2008-01-01

Heavy-metal pollution is an issue of concern in estuaries influenced by agriculture, urban, and harbor activities. Foraminiferal assemblages have been shown to be effective indicators of pollution. Sediment samples (n = 110) from Biscayne Bay were analyzed for heavy metals, foraminiferal assemblages, and grain-size distribution. Highest Cu, Zn, Cr, Hg, Pb, and Ni concentrations were found closest to Miami and near the mouths of several canals along the western margin of the bay. Few samples exceeded limits of possible biological effects as defined by previous studies. Ammonia and Cribroelphidium, two known stress-tolerant genera, correlated positively with Cu, Zn, Hg, and Ni (r ??? 0.43). Symbiont-bearing foraminifers, Archaias, Laevipeneroplis, and Androsina, correlated negatively with Cu, Zn, Hg, and Ni (r ??? -0.26).

Climate extremes drive changes in functional community structure.

PubMed

Boucek, Ross E; Rehage, Jennifer S

2014-06-01

The response of communities to climate extremes can be quite variable. Much of this variation has been attributed to differences in community-specific functional trait diversity, as well as community composition. Yet, few if any studies have explicitly tested the response of the functional trait structure of communities following climate extremes (CEs). Recently in South Florida, two independent, but sequential potential CEs took place, a 2010 cold front, followed by a 2011 drought, both of which had profound impacts on a subtropical estuarine fish community. These CEs provided an opportunity to test whether the structure of South Florida fish communities following each extreme was a result of species-specific differences in functional traits. From historical temperature (1927-2012) and freshwater inflows records into the estuary (1955-2012), we determined that the cold front was a statistically extreme disturbance, while the drought was not, but rather a decadal rare disturbance. The two disturbances predictably affected different parts of functional community structure and thus different component species. The cold front virtually eliminated tropical species, including large-bodied snook, mojarra species, nonnative cichlids, and striped mullet, while having little affect on temperate fishes. Likewise, the drought severely impacted freshwater fishes including Florida gar, bowfin, and two centrarchids, with little effect on euryhaline species. Our findings illustrate the ability of this approach to predict and detect both the filtering effects of different types of disturbances and the implications of the resulting changes in community structure. Further, we highlight the value of this approach to developing predictive frameworks for better understanding community responses to global change. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Quantifying Cyanobacteria and High Biomass Bloms from Satellite to Support Environmental Management and Public Use of U.S. Lakes and Estuaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomlinson, Michelle C.; Stumpf, Richard P.; Dupuy, Danielle; Wynne, Timothy T.; Briggs, Travis

2015-12-01

Algal blooms of high biomass and cyanobacteria are on the rise, occurring both nationally and internationally. These blooms can foul beaches, clog water intakes, produce toxins that contaminate drinking water, and pose a threat to human and domestic animal health. A quantitative tool can aid in the management needs to respond to these issues. These blooms can affect many lakes within a state management district, pointing to the need for a synoptic and timely assessment. The 300 m Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) satellite imagery provided by the European Space Agency from 2002 to 2012 has led to advances in our ability to monitor these systems. Algorithms specific to quantifying high biomass blooms have been developed for use by state managers through a comparison of field radiometry, water quality and cell enumeration measurements, and remotely-sensed satellite data. These algorithms are designed to detect blooms even with atmospheric interference and suspended sediments. Initial evaluations were conducted for Florida lakes and the St. Johns River, Florida, USA and showed that cyanobacteria blooms, especially of Microcystis, can be identified and their biomass can be estimated (as chlorophyll concentration and other metrics). Forecasts and monitoring have been demonstrated for Lake Erie and for Florida. A multi-agency (NASA, EPA, NOAA, and USGS) project, “Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CyAN)” intends to apply these methods to Sentinel-3 data in near real-time on a U.S. national scale, in order to support state management agencies in protecting public health and the environment.

Use of retrospective data to assess ecotoxicological monitoring needs for terrestrial vertebrates residing in Atlantic coast estuaries

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cohen, J.B.; Rattner, B.A.; Golden, N.H.

2003-01-01

The 'Contaminant Exposure and Effects--Terrestrial Vertebrates' (CEE-TV) database contains 4,336 records of ecotoxicological information for free-ranging amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals residing in Atlantic and Florida Gulf coast estuaries and their drainages. To identify spatial data gaps, those CEE-TV records for which the specific study location were known (n=2,740) were combined with watershed and wildlife management unit boundaries using Geographic Information Systems software. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Index of Watershed Indicators (IWI), which classifies watersheds based on water quality and their vulnerability to pollution, was used to prioritize these data gaps. Of 136 watersheds in the study area, 15 that are classified by the IWI as having water quality problems or high vulnerability to pollution lacked terrestrial vertebrate ecotoxicological monitoring or research in the past decade. Older studies within some of these watersheds documented high levels of contaminants in wildlife tissues. Of 90 National Wildlife Refuge units, 42 without current data fall within watersheds of concern. Of 40 National Park units larger than 1 km2, 17 without current data fall within watersheds of concern. Issues encountered in this analysis highlighted the need for spatially and temporally replicated field monitoring programs that utilize random sampling. Without data from such studies, it will be difficult to perform unbiased assessments of regional trends in contaminant exposure and effects in terrestrial vertebrates.

Tidally driven export of dissolved organic carbon, total mercury, and methylmercury from a mangrove-dominated estuary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bergamaschi, B.A.; Krabbenhoft, D.P.; Aiken, G.R.; Patino, E.; Rumbold, D.G.; Orem, W.H.

2012-01-01

The flux of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from mangrove swamps accounts for 10% of the global terrestrial flux of DOC to coastal oceans. Recent findings of high concentrations of mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in mangroves, in conjunction with the common co-occurrence of DOC and Hg species, have raised concerns that mercury fluxes may also be large. We used a novel approach to estimate export of DOC, Hg, and MeHg to coastal waters from a mangrove-dominated estuary in Everglades National Park (Florida, USA). Using in situ measurements of fluorescent dissolved organic matter as a proxy for DOC, filtered total Hg, and filtered MeHg, we estimated the DOC yield to be 180 (??12.6) g C m -2 yr -1, which is in the range of previously reported values. Although Hg and MeHg yields from tidal mangrove swamps have not been previously measured, our estimated yields of Hg species (28 ?? 4.5 ??g total Hg m -2 yr -1 and 3.1 ?? 0.4 ??g methyl Hg m -2 yr -1) were five times greater than is typically reported for terrestrial wetlands. These results indicate that in addition to the well documented contributions of DOC, tidally driven export from mangroves represents a significant potential source of Hg and MeHg to nearby coastal waters. ?? 2011 American Chemical Society.

Use of retrospective data to assess ecotoxicological monitoring needs for terrestrial vertebrates residing in Atlantic coast estuaries.

PubMed

Cohen, Jonathan B; Rattner, Barnett A; Golden, Nancy H

2003-01-01

The "Contaminant Exposure and Effects-Terrestrial Vertebrates" (CEE-TV) database contains 4,336 records of ecotoxicological information for free-ranging amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals residing in Atlantic and Florida Gulf coast estuaries and their drainages. To identify spatial data gaps, those CEE-TV records for which the specific study location were known (n = 2,740) were combined with watershed and wildlife management unit boundaries using Geographic Information Systems software. The US Environmental Protection Agency's Index of Watershed Indicators (IWI), which classifies watersheds based on water quality and their vulnerability to pollution, was used to prioritize these data gaps. Of 136 watersheds in the study area, 15 that are classified by the IWI as having water quality problems or high vulnerability to pollution lacked terrestrial vertebrate ecotoxicological monitoring or research in the past decade. Older studies within some of these watersheds documented high levels of contaminants in wildlife tissues. Of 90 National Wildlife Refuge units, 42 without current data fall within watersheds of concern. Of 40 National Park units larger than 1 km2, 17 without current data fall within watersheds of concern. Issues encountered in this analysis highlighted the need for spatially and temporally replicated field monitoring programs that utilize random sampling. Without data from such studies, it will be difficult to perform unbiased assessments of regional trends in contaminant exposure and effects in terrestrial vertebrates.

Associations between degraded benthic communities and contaminated sediments: Sabine Lake, Lake Pontchartrain, and Choctawhatchee Bay

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Engle, V.D.; Summers, J.K.; Macauley, J.M.

1994-12-31

The Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program for Estuaries (EMAP-E) in the Gulf of Mexico supplements its base sampling effort each year with localized, intensive spatial sampling in selected large estuarine systems. By selecting random locations within 70 km{sup 2} hexagonal areas, individual estuaries were sampled using EMAP methods but at four times the density as base sampling. In 1992, 19 sites were sampled in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana. In 1 993, 18 sites were sampled in Sabine Lake, Texas and 12 sites were sampled in Choctawhatchee Bay, Florida. At all sites, sediment grabs were taken and analyzed for benthic species compositionmore » and abundance, for toxicity to Ampelisca, and for organic and inorganic sediment contaminants. An indicator of biotic integrity, the benthic index, was calculated to represent the status of benthic communities. A series of statistical techniques, such as stepwise regression analysis, were employed to determine whether the variation in the benthic index could be associated with variation in sediment contaminants, sediment toxicity, or levels of dissolved oxygen. Spatial distributions of these parameters were examined to determine the geographical co-occurrence of degraded benthic communities and environmental stressors. In Lake Pontchartrain, for example, 85% of the variation in the benthic index was associated with decreased levels of dissolved oxygen, and increased concentrations of PCBs, alkanes, copper, tin, and zinc in the sediments.« less

Tidally Driven Export of Dissolved Organic Carbon, Total Mercury, and Methylmercury from a Mangrove-Dominated Estuary

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

The flux of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from mangrove swamps accounts for 10% of the global terrestrial flux of DOC to coastal oceans. Recent findings of high concentrations of mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in mangroves, in conjunction with the common co-occurrence of DOC and Hg species, have raised concerns that mercury fluxes may also be large. We used a novel approach to estimate export of DOC, Hg, and MeHg to coastal waters from a mangrove-dominated estuary in Everglades National Park (Florida, USA). Using in situ measurements of fluorescent dissolved organic matter as a proxy for DOC, filtered total Hg, and filtered MeHg, we estimated the DOC yield to be 180 (±12.6) g C m–2 yr–1, which is in the range of previously reported values. Although Hg and MeHg yields from tidal mangrove swamps have not been previously measured, our estimated yields of Hg species (28 ± 4.5 μg total Hg m–2 yr–1 and 3.1 ± 0.4 μg methyl Hg m–2 yr–1) were five times greater than is typically reported for terrestrial wetlands. These results indicate that in addition to the well documented contributions of DOC, tidally driven export from mangroves represents a significant potential source of Hg and MeHg to nearby coastal waters. PMID:22206226

Spatial and temporal variations in silver contamination and toxicity in San Francisco Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flegal, A.R.; Brown, C.L.; Squire, S.; Ross, J.R.M.; Scelfo, G.M.; Hibdon, S.

2007-01-01

Although San Francisco Bay has a "Golden Gate", it may be argued that it is the "Silver Estuary". For at one time the Bay was reported to have the highest levels of silver in its sediments and biota, along with the only accurately measured values of silver in solution, of any estuarine system. Since then others have argued that silver contamination is higher elsewhere (e.g., New York Bight, Florida Bay, Galveston Bay) in a peculiar form of pollution machismo, while silver contamination has measurably declined in sediments, biota, and surface waters of the Bay over the past two to three decades. Documentation of those systemic temporal declines has been possible because of long-term, ongoing monitoring programs, using rigorous trace metal clean sampling and analytical techniques, of the United States Geological Survey and San Francisco Bay Regional Monitoring Program that are summarized in this report. However, recent toxicity studies with macro-invertebrates in the Bay have indicated that silver may still be adversely affecting the health of the estuarine system, and other studies have indicated that silver concentrations in the Bay may be increasing due to new industrial inputs and/or the diagenetic remobilization of silver from historically contaminated sediments being re-exposed to overlying surface waters and benthos. Consequently, the Bay may not be ready to relinquish its title as the "Silver Estuary". ?? 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of net freshwater supply on salinity in Florida Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nuttle, William K.; Fourqurean, James W.; Cosby, Bernard J.; Zieman, Joseph C.; Robblee, Michael B.

2000-01-01

An annual water budget for Florida Bay, the large, seasonally hypersaline estuary in the Everglades National Park, was constructed using physically based models and long‐term (31 years) data on salinity, hydrology, and climate. Effects of seasonal and interannual variations of the net freshwater supply (runoff plus rainfall minus evaporation) on salinity variation within the bay were also examined. Particular attention was paid to the effects of runoff, which are the focus of ambitious plans to restore and conserve the Florida Bay ecosystem. From 1965 to 1995 the annual runoff from the Everglades into the bay was less than one tenth of the annual direct rainfall onto the bay, while estimated annual evaporation slightly exceeded annual rainfall. The average net freshwater supply to the bay over a year was thus approximately zero, and interannual variations in salinity appeared to be affected primarily by interannual fluctuations in rainfall. At the annual scale, runoff apparently had little effect on the bay as a whole during this period. On a seasonal basis, variations in rainfall, evaporation, and runoff were not in phase, and the net freshwater supply to the bay varied between positive and negative values, contributing to a strong seasonal pattern in salinity, especially in regions of the bay relatively isolated from exchanges with the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. Changes in runoff could have a greater effect on salinity in the bay if the seasonal patterns of rainfall and evaporation and the timing of the runoff are considered. One model was also used to simulate spatial and temporal patterns of salinity responses expected to result from changes in net freshwater supply. Simulations in which runoff was increased by a factor of 2 (but with no change in spatial pattern) indicated that increased runoff will lower salinity values in eastern Florida Bay, increase the variability of salinity in the South Region, but have little effect on salinity in the Central and West Regions.

Using GIS with real-time water quality assessment to guide scientific inquiry and learning in a community college environmental studies program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, M. C.; Beauregard, A.

2011-12-01

The overarching goal of this project is to introduce community college students to the use of environmental analytical technology and geographical information systems (GIS) through the development of a new course in Aquatic Environmental Science at Northwest Florida State College (NWFSC), a community college in Niceville, FL. During the new course, NWFSC students are guided by an instructor from NWFSC and one from the local university, the University of West Florida (UWF), as well as a UWF graduate student. Students learn to use field instruments to measure water quality variables (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and nutrients) during several field trips on a local estuary. While still in the field, students on multiple boats in different parts of the estuary use a wireless broadband interface to upload field data to a web-based GIS system interface developed by commissioned GIS professionals. This GIS system compiles the data and generates maps to show a whole-basin view of variations in water quality parameters that students access from the field. The capstone of each field trip is a "floating classroom" during which students and instructors discuss summary results, test field hypotheses, and compare results with historical data collected during previous field trips. Our continuing assessment of the impact on student learning of this real-time geospatial assessment suggests that student interest in environmental science and technology has been positively affected by the use of these methods. Furthermore, students show considerable improvement in their use of the technology and their understanding of the related scientific concepts (e.g., aquatic biogeochemistry). While the primary goal of this course is the academic benefit provided to NWFSC students, the in-class sampling also provides access to important data that can be used to support ongoing research by both authors. We are currently assessing the precision of the data collected by NWFSC students in hopes that it can support data collected in the same area as part of biogeochemical research projects.

Hyperspectral Imaging Sensors and the Marine Coastal Zone

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richardson, Laurie L.

2000-01-01

Hyperspectral imaging sensors greatly expand the potential of remote sensing to assess, map, and monitor marine coastal zones. Each pixel in a hyperspectral image contains an entire spectrum of information. As a result, hyperspectral image data can be processed in two very different ways: by image classification techniques, to produce mapped outputs of features in the image on a regional scale; and by use of spectral analysis of the spectral data embedded within each pixel of the image. The latter is particularly useful in marine coastal zones because of the spectral complexity of suspended as well as benthic features found in these environments. Spectral-based analysis of hyperspectral (AVIRIS) imagery was carried out to investigate a marine coastal zone of South Florida, USA. Florida Bay is a phytoplankton-rich estuary characterized by taxonomically distinct phytoplankton assemblages and extensive seagrass beds. End-member spectra were extracted from AVIRIS image data corresponding to ground-truth sample stations and well-known field sites. Spectral libraries were constructed from the AVIRIS end-member spectra and used to classify images using the Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) algorithm, a spectral-based approach that compares the spectrum, in each pixel of an image with each spectrum in a spectral library. Using this approach different phytoplankton assemblages containing diatoms, cyanobacteria, and green microalgae, as well as benthic community (seagrasses), were mapped.

KSC-2012-4855

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, and NASA's new mobile launcher, or ML, are seen in the distance during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The 355-foot-tall ML structure, which took about two years to construct, will be modified by NASA’s Ground Systems Development and Operations, or GSDO, Program to support NASA’s Space Launch System, the heavy-lift rocket that will launch astronauts into deep space on future exploration missions. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4865

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, and NASA's new mobile launcher, or ML, are seen during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The 355-foot-tall ML structure, which took about two years to construct, will be modified by NASA’s Ground Systems Development and Operations, or GSDO, Program to support NASA’s Space Launch System, the heavy-lift rocket that will launch astronauts into deep space on future exploration missions. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4860

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, and NASA's new mobile launcher, or ML, are seen in the distance during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The 355-foot-tall ML structure, which took about two years to construct, will be modified by NASA’s Ground Systems Development and Operations, or GSDO, Program to support NASA’s Space Launch System, the heavy-lift rocket that will launch astronauts into deep space on future exploration missions. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4864

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, and NASA's new mobile launcher, or ML, are seen during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The 355-foot-tall ML structure, which took about two years to construct, will be modified by NASA’s Ground Systems Development and Operations, or GSDO, Program to support NASA’s Space Launch System, the heavy-lift rocket that will launch astronauts into deep space on future exploration missions. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4859

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, and NASA's new mobile launcher, or ML, are seen in the distance during a field-guided boat tour of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the center's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of Kennedy and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The 355-foot-tall ML structure, which took about two years to construct, will be modified by NASA’s Ground Systems Development and Operations, or GSDO, Program to support NASA’s Space Launch System, the heavy-lift rocket that will launch astronauts into deep space on future exploration missions. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

Probability analysis of the relation of salinity to freshwater discharge in the St. Sebastian River, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wicklein, S.M.; Gain, W.S.

1999-01-01

The St. Sebastian River lies in the southern part of the Indian River basin on the east coast of Florida. Increases in freshwater discharge due to urbanization and changes in land use have reduced salinity in the St. Sebastian River and, consequently, salinity in the Indian River, affecting the commercial fishing industry. Wind, water temperature, tidal flux, freshwater discharge, and downstream salinity all affect salinity in the St. Sebastian River estuary, but freshwater discharge is the only one of these hydrologic factors which might be affected by water-management practices. A probability analysis of salinity conditions in the St. Sebastian River estuary, taking into account the effects of freshwater discharge over a period from May 1992 to March 1996, was used to determine the likelihood (probability) that salinities, as represented by daily mean specific- conductance values, will fall below a given threshold. The effects of freshwater discharge on salinities were evaluated with a simple volumetric model fitted to time series of measured specific conductance, by using nonlinear optimization techniques. Specific-conductance values for two depths at monitored sites represent stratified flow which results from differences in salt concentration between freshwater and saltwater. Layering of freshwater and saltwater is assumed, and the model is applied independently to each layer with the assumption that the water within the layer is well mixed. The model of specific conductance as a function of discharge (a salinity response model) was combined with a model of residual variation to produce a total probability model. Flow distributions and model residuals were integrated to produce a salinity distribution and determine differences in salinity probabilities as a result of changes in water-management practices. Two possible management alternatives were analyzed: stormwater detention (reducing the peak rate of discharge but not reducing the overall flow volume) and stormwater retention (reducing peak discharges without later release). Detention of freshwater discharges increased the probability of specific- conductance values falling below a given limit (20,000 microsiemens per centimeter) for all sites but one. The retention of freshwater input to the system decreased the likelihood of falling below a selected limit of specific conductance at all sites. For limits of specific conductance (1,000 microsiemens per centimeter or 20,000 microsiemens per centimeter, depending on the site), the predicted days of occurrence below a limit decreased ranging from 17 to 68 percent of the predicted days of occurrence for unregulated flow. The primary finding to be drawn from the discharge-salinity analysis is that an empirical-response model alone does not provide adequate information to assess the response of the system to changes in flow regime. Whether a given level of discharge can produce a given response on a given day is not as important as the probability of that response on a given day and over a period of many days. A deterministic model of the St. Sebastian River estuary based only on discharge would predict that retention of discharge peaks should increase the average salinity conditions in the St. Sebastian River estuary. The probabilistic model produces a very different response indicating that salinity can decrease by a power of three as discharges increase, and that random factors can predominate and control salinity until discharges increase sufficiently to flush the entire system of saltwater.

U.S. Geological Survey second national symposium on Water quality; abstracts of the technical sessions, Orlando, Florida, November 12-17, 1989

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pederson, G. L.; Smith, M.M.

1989-01-01

The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) compiled and analyzed existing hydrologic and water-quality data from over 200 stream and estuary stations of the Abemarle-Pamlico estuarine system (A/P) to identify long-term temporal and spatial trends. The dataset included seven stations of the USGS National Stream Quality Accounting Network, two stations of the National Atmospheric Precipitation Deposition monitoring network, stations of the N.C. Department of Natural Resources and Community Development, and stations from 25 reports by individual investigators. Regression-residuals analysis, the seasonal Kendall's Tau test for trends, and graphical analysis using annual box plots were employed to determine trends. Profound change has occurred in the water quality of the A/P area over the last 30 years. Analysis of water-quality data upstream from the estuaries indicates increases of discharge-adjusted values of specific conductance, alkalinity, phosphorous, hardness, chloride, and dissolved solids. In the estuaries, pH is increasing except in the Pamlico River, where it is decreasing. There is a generalized decrease in suspended inorganic material in the system. Salinities are decreasing for sections of the Pamlico River, and increasing for parts of Albemarle Sound. Nitrogen concentrations are decreasing except in the Pamlico River, where they are increasing. Phosphorus concentrations are increasing in the Pamlico River and decreasing elsewhere. Annual average data show that nitrogen is the limiting nutrient in the Neuse and Pamlico Rivers. Phosphorus is limiting in the rest of the area. Chlorophyll-a levels are increasing in parts of the Neuse and Pamlico Rivers and decreasing in parts of the Chowan River. To evaluate the effect of basin characteristics on water quality, linear correlation was used. Agricultural crop variables produced the most correlations with water-quality data. Fertilizer usage had little detectable relation to water quality in the study area. In the section of the Pamlico River near Aurora, relations between employment, road mileages, and water quality indicated effects of development in the area.

Lithology and base of the surficial aquifer system, Palm Beach County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Wesley L.

1987-01-01

The surficial aquifer system is a major source of freshwater in Palm Beach County. In 1982, public supply withdrawals from the aquifer system totaled 33,543 million gallons, 77.5% of total public supply withdrawals. To evaluate the aquifer system and its geologic framework, a cooperative study with Palm Beach County was begun in 1982 by the U.S. Geological Survey. The surficial aquifer system in Palm Beach County is composed primarily of sand, sandstone, shell, silt, calcareous clay (marl), and limestone deposited during the Pleistocene and Pliocene epochs. In the western two-thirds of Palm Beach County, sediments in the aquifer system are poorly consolidated sand, shell, and sandy limestone. Owing to interspersed calcareous clays and silt and very poorly sorted materials, permeabilities in this zone of the aquifer system are relatively low. Two other zones of the aquifer system are found in the eastern one-third of the county where the sediments are appreciably more permeable than in the west due to better sorting and less silt and clay content. The location of more detailed lithologic logs for wells in these sections, along with data from nearby wells, allowed enhanced interpretation and depiction of the lithology which had previously been generalized. The most permeable zone of the aquifer system in this area is characterized by highly developed secondary porosity where infiltrating rainwater and solution by groundwater have removed calcitic-cementing materials from the sediments to produce interconnected cavities. Increased permeability in the aquifer system is generally coincident with the eastern boundary of the overlying organic soils and Lake Flirt Marl. Lithologic logs of wells in Palm Beach County indicate that sediments forming the aquifer system were deposited directly on the erosional surface of the Hawthorn Formation in some areas. In other locations in the county, lithologic logs indicate that the base of the aquifer system was formed by fluvial deposits containing erosional materials from the Tamiami and Hawthorn Formations and Caloosahatchee Marl. (Lantz-PTT)

Benthic herbivores are not deterred by brevetoxins produced by the red tide dinoflagellate Karenia brevis.

PubMed

Sotka, Erik E; McCarty, Amanda; Monroe, Emily A; Oakman, Nicole; Van Dolah, Frances M

2009-07-01

Gulf of Mexico blooms of the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis produce neurotoxic cyclic polyethers called brevetoxins. During and after a red tide bloom in southwestern Florida, K. brevis cells lyse and release brevetoxins, which then sink to the benthos and coat the surfaces of seagrasses and their epiphytes. We tested the possibility that these brevetoxin-laden foods alter the feeding behavior and fitness of a common benthic herbivore within Floridean seagrass beds, the amphipod Ampithoe longimana. We demonstrated that coating foods with K. brevis extracts that contain brevetoxins at post-bloom concentrations (1 microg g(-1) drymass) does not alter the feeding rates of Florida nor North Carolina populations of A. longimana, although a slight deterrent effect was found at eight and ten-fold greater concentrations. During a series of feeding choice assays, A. longimana tended not to be deterred by foods coated with K. brevis extracts nor with the purified brevetoxins PbTx-2 and PbTx-3. Florida juveniles isolated with either extract-coated or control foods for 10 days did not differ in survivorship nor growth. A similar lack of feeding response to brevetoxin-laden foods also was exhibited by two other generalist herbivores of the southeastern United States, the amphipod A. valida and the urchin Arbacia punctulata. Given that benthic mesograzers constitute a significant portion of the diet for the juvenile stage of many nearshore fishes, we hypothesize that the ability of some mesograzers to feed on and retain brevetoxins in their bodies indicates that mesograzers may represent an important route of vertical transmission of brevetoxins through higher trophic levels within Gulf of Mexico estuaries.

Distribution of heavy metals and environmental assessment of surface sediment of typical estuaries in eastern China.

PubMed

Bi, Shipu; Yang, Yuan; Xu, Chengfen; Zhang, Yong; Zhang, Xiaobo; Zhang, Xianrong

2017-08-15

Estuary sediment is a major pollutant enrichment medium and is an important biological habitat. This sediment has attracted the attention of the marine environmental scientists because it is a more stable and effective medium than water for monitoring regional environmental quality conditions and trends. Based on a large amount of measurement data, we analyzed the concentrations, distribution, and sources of seven heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn) in the surface sediment of typical estuaries that empty into the sea in eastern China: the Liaohe River Estuary, Yellow River Estuary, Yangtze River Estuary, Minjiang River Estuary, and Pearl River Estuary. The heavy metal concentrations in the sediments vary considerably from one estuary to the next. The Liaohe River Estuary sediment contains elevated levels of Cd, Hg, and Zn. The Yellow River Estuary sediment contains elevated levels of As. The sediments in the Yangtze River and Minjiang River estuaries contain elevated levels of Cd and Cu and of Pb and Zn, respectively. The sediment in the Pearl River Estuary contains elevated levels of all seven heavy metals. We used the Nemerow index method to assess the environment quality. The heavy metal pollution in the Liaohe River and Pearl River estuaries is more severe than that in the other estuaries. Additional work indicates that the heavy metal pollution in the Liaohe River and Pearl River estuaries is caused mainly by human activity. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Dissolved oxygen in two Oregon estuaries: Importance of the ocean-estuary connection

EPA Science Inventory

We examined the role of the ocean –estuary connection in influencing periodic reductions in dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in Yaquina and Yachats estuaries, Oregon, USA. In the Yaquina Estuary, there is close coupling between the coastal ocean and the estuary. As a result, low DO ...

Dissolved oxygen in two Oregon estuaries: The importance of the ocean-estuary connection

EPA Science Inventory

We examined the role of the ocean –estuary connection in influencing periodic reductions in dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in Yaquina and Yachats estuaries, Oregon, USA. In the Yaquina Estuary, there is close coupling between the coastal ocean and the estuary. As a result, low DO ...

75 FR 34975 - Notice of Estuary Habitat Restoration Council's Intent to Revise its Estuary Habitat Restoration...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-21

... Estuary Habitat Restoration Council's Intent to Revise its Estuary Habitat Restoration Strategy; Request... interagency Estuary Habitat Restoration Council, is providing notice of the Council's intent to revise the ''Estuary Habitat Restoration Strategy'' and requesting public comments to guide its revision. DATES...

Spatiotemporal change of phosphorous speciation and concentration in stormwater in the St. Lucie Estuary watershed, South Florida.

PubMed

Li, Liguang; He, Zhenli; Li, Zhigang; Li, Suli; Wan, Yongshan; Stoffella, Peter J

2017-04-01

Phosphorous (P) concentration in stormwater runoff varies at different spatial and temporal scales. Excessive P loading from agriculture system into the St. Lucie Estuary (SLE) contributed to water quality deterioration in southern Indian River Lagoon. This study examines the spatial and temporal shifts of different P forms in runoff and storm water under different land use, water management, and rainfall conditions. Storm water samplings were conducted monthly between April 2013 and December 2014 in typical farmland and along the waterway (Canal C-24) that connects lands to the SLE. Concentrations of different P forms and related water quality variables were measured. Approximately 89% of the collected water samples contained total P (TP) concentrations exceeding the total maximum daily load (TMDL) level (0.081 mg L -1 ). Concentrations of different P forms declined from agricultural field furrows to the canal and then increased from the upstream to the downstream in the canal where urban activities dominated land use. Total dissolved P (TDP) was the predominant form of TP, followed by PO 4 -P. Speciation and concentrations of P varied with sites and sampling times, but were significantly higher in the summer months (from June to September) than in the winter. Water pH explained ∼20% of TP variation. Spatiotemporal variations of P concentrations and compositions provide a data-based guide for development of best management practices (BMPs) to minimize P export from the SLE watershed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seasonal estimates of DOC standing stocks in Apalachicola Bay estuary: Towards a better understanding using field, ocean color and model data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Sa, E. J.; Joshi, I.; Osburn, C. L.; Bianchi, T. S.; Ko, D. S.; Oviedo-Vargas, D.; Arellano, A.; Ward, N.

2016-12-01

Apalachicola Bay, a semi-enclosed estuary located in Florida's panhandle, is well known for its water quality and oyster yields. We present the use of combined field and ocean color satellite observations and the outputs of a high-resolution hydrodynamic model to study the influence of physical processes on the distribution and the transport of terrestrially derived CDOM and DOC to shelf waters during the spring and fall of 2015. Determination of DOC stocks were based on the development of a CDOM algorithm (R2 = 0.87, N = 9) for the VIIRS ocean color sensor, and the assessment of CDOM - DOC relationships (R2 = 0.88, N = 13 in March; R2 = 0.83, N = 24 in November) for the Apalachicola Bay. Satellite-derived CDOM and DOC maps together with model-based salinity distributions revealed their spatial extent, sources and transport to the shelf water. Furthermore, strong seasonal influence on DOM distribution in the bay was associated with inputs from Apalachicola and Carrabelle Rivers and the surrounding marshes. Estimates of DOC standing stocks in the bay obtained using ocean color data and high-resolution bathymetry showed relatively higher stocks in November ( 3.71 × 106 kg C, 560 km2) than in March ( 4.07 × 106 kg C, 560 km2) despite lower river discharge in dry season. Results of DOC flux estimates from the bay to coastal waters will also be presented.

Comparisons between the characteristics of ichthyofaunas in nearshore waters of five estuaries with varying degrees of connectivity with the ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoeksema, S. D.; Chuwen, B. M.; Potter, I. C.

2009-10-01

The characteristics of the fish faunas in nearshore, shallow (<1.2 m) waters of the basins of estuaries along the same coastline, but which were open to the ocean for varying periods, have been determined and compared. The fish faunas of the permanently-open Oyster Harbour, the seasonally-open Broke, Irwin and Wilson inlets and the normally-closed Wellstead Estuary on the south coast of Western Australia were sampled by seine net seasonally for 2 years. Irrespective of the frequency and duration that the estuary mouth was open, the ichthyofauna of each estuary was numerically dominated by three atherinid species and three gobiid species (92.9-99.7%), each of which completes its life cycle within these estuaries. The ichthyofaunal compositions of each estuary differed significantly, however, from that of each other estuary. These differences were largely attributable to the relative abundances of the above six species varying between estuaries, which, in turn, reflected differences in such factors as estuary mouth status, macrophyte cover and salinity. For example, Favonigobius lateralis and Leptatherina presbyteroides, which are also represented by marine populations, were most abundant in the permanently-open estuary (Oyster Harbour), which, in terms of substrate and salinity, most closely resembled the nearshore marine environment. In contrast, Leptatherina wallacei made its greatest contribution in the only estuary to exhibit a protracted period of greatly reduced salinities, which is consistent with its distribution in permanently-open estuaries on the lower west coast of Australia, while Atherinosoma elongata and Pseudogobius olorum were particularly numerous in estuaries containing dense stands of the seagrass Ruppia megacarpa. Marine species made the greatest contribution to species richness in the permanently-open estuary and least in the normally-closed estuary. Species richness was greatest in summer and least in winter in each estuary, but differed markedly between years only in Wilson Inlet. Density of fishes was greatest in the most eutrophic estuary (Wellstead Estuary) and least in the most oligotrophic estuary (Broke Inlet) and only underwent marked seasonal variations in Wilson Inlet and Wellstead Estuary, in which densities fell to their minima in winter. Ichthyofaunal composition varied between years in the Broke and Wilson inlets and Wellstead Estuary, in which there was little or no connection with the ocean in one of those years. Species composition underwent progressive seasonal changes throughout the year in Wellstead Estuary, due to the abundance of certain species peaking at different times of the year.

Dissolved oxygen in two Oregon estuaries: Importance of the ocean-estuary connection - March 2011

EPA Science Inventory

We examined the role of the ocean–estuary connection in influencing periodic reductions in dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in Yaquina and Yachats estuaries, Oregon, USA. In the Yaquina Estuary, there is close coupling between the coastal ocean and the estuary. As a result, low DO w...

Dissolved oxygen in two Oregon estuaries: The importance of the ocean-estuary connection - May 16, 2011

EPA Science Inventory

We examined the role of the ocean –estuary connection in influencing periodic reductions in dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in Yaquina and Yachats estuaries, Oregon, USA. In the Yaquina Estuary, there is close coupling between the coastal ocean and the estuary. As a result, low DO ...

A comparison of CO2 dynamics and air-water fluxes in a river-dominated estuary and a mangrove-dominated marine estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akhand, Anirban; Chanda, Abhra; Manna, Sudip; Das, Sourav; Hazra, Sugata; Roy, Rajdeep; Choudhury, S. B.; Rao, K. H.; Dadhwal, V. K.; Chakraborty, Kunal; Mostofa, K. M. G.; Tokoro, T.; Kuwae, Tomohiro; Wanninkhof, Rik

2016-11-01

The fugacity of CO2 (fCO2 (water)) and air-water CO2 flux were compared between a river-dominated anthropogenically disturbed open estuary, the Hugli, and a comparatively pristine mangrove-dominated semiclosed marine estuary, the Matla, on the east coast of India. Annual mean salinity of the Hugli Estuary (≈7.1) was much less compared to the Matla Estuary (≈20.0). All the stations of the Hugli Estuary were highly supersaturated with CO2 (annual mean 2200 µatm), whereas the Matla was marginally oversaturated (annual mean 530 µatm). During the postmonsoon season, the outer station of the Matla Estuary was under saturated with respect to CO2 and acted as a sink. The annual mean CO2 emission from the Hugli Estuary (32.4 mol C m-2 yr-1) was 14 times higher than the Matla Estuary (2.3 mol C m-2 yr-1). CO2 efflux rate from the Hugli Estuary has increased drastically in the last decade, which is attributed to increased runoff from the river-dominated estuary.

Distribution and assessment of sediment toxicity in Tamaki Estuary, Auckland, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abrahim, G. M. S.; Parker, R. J.; Nichol, S. L.

2007-07-01

Heavy metal levels in surface sediments from Tamaki Estuary demonstrate significant up estuary increases in Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd and mud concentrations. Increased metal levels towards the head of the estuary are linked to local catchment sources reflecting the historical development, industrialisation and urbanisation of catchment areas surrounding the upper estuary. The relatively narrow constriction in the middle estuary (Panmure area), makes it susceptible to accumulation of upper estuary pollutants, since the constriction reduces circulation and extends the time required for fine waterborne sediments in the upper estuary to exchange with fresh coastal water. As a result fine fraction sediments trapped in the upper estuary facilitate capture and retention of pollutants at the head of the estuary. The increase in sandy mud poor sediments towards the mouth of the estuary is associated with generally low metal concentrations. The estuary’s geomorphic shape with a mid estuary constriction, sediment texture and mineralogy and catchment history are significant factors in understanding the overall spatial distribution of contaminants in the estuary. Bulk concentration values for Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd in all the studied surface samples occur below ANZECC ISQG-H toxicity values. Cd and Cu concentrations are also below the ISQG-L toxicity levels for these elements. However, Pb and Zn concentrations do exceed the ISQG-L values in some of the surface bulk samples in the upper estuary proximal to long established sources of catchment pollution.

Estuarine environments as rearing habitats for juvenile Coho Salmon in contrasting south-central Alaska watersheds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoem Neher, Tammy D.; Rosenberger, Amanda E.; Zimmerman, Christian E.; Walker, Coowe M.; Baird, Steven J.

2013-01-01

For Pacific salmon, estuaries are typically considered transitional staging areas between freshwater and marine environments, but their potential as rearing habitat has only recently been recognized. The objectives of this study were two-fold: (1) to determine if Coho Salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch were rearing in estuarine habitats, and (2) to characterize and compare the body length, age, condition, and duration and timing of estuarine occupancy of juvenile Coho Salmon between the two contrasting estuaries. We examined use of estuary habitats with analysis of microchemistry and microstructure of sagittal otoliths in two watersheds of south-central Alaska. Juvenile Coho Salmon were classified as estuary residents or nonresidents (recent estuary immigrants) based on otolith Sr : Ca ratios and counts of daily growth increments on otoliths. The estuaries differed in water source (glacial versus snowmelt hydrographs) and in relative estuarine and watershed area. Juvenile Coho Salmon with evidence of estuary rearing were greater in body length and condition than individuals lacking evidence of estuarine rearing. Coho Salmon captured in the glacial estuary had greater variability in body length and condition, and younger age-classes predominated the catch compared with the nearby snowmelt-fed, smaller estuary. Estuary-rearing fish in the glacial estuary arrived later and remained longer (39 versus 24 d of summer growth) during the summer than did fish using the snowmelt estuary. Finally, we observed definitive patterns of overwintering in estuarine and near shore environments in both estuaries. Evidence of estuary rearing and overwintering with differences in fish traits among contrasting estuary types refute the notion that estuaries function as only staging or transitional habitats in the early life history of Coho Salmon.

Tampa Bay as a model estuary for examining the impact of human activities on biogeochemical processes: an introduction

USGS Publications Warehouse

Swarzenski, Peter W.; Baskaran, Mark; Henderson, Carl S.; Yates, Kim

2007-01-01

Tampa Bay is a shallow, Y-shaped coastal embayment that is located along the center of the Florida Platform – an expansive accumulation of Cretaceous–Tertiary shallow-water carbonates and evaporites that were periodically exposed during glacio–eustatic sea level fluctuations. As a consequence, extensive karstification likely had a controlling impact on the geologic evolution of Tampa Bay. Despite its large aerial size (∼ 1000 km2), Tampa Bay is relatively shallow (mean depth = 4 m) and its watershed (6700 km2) is among the smallest in the Gulf of Mexico. About 85% of all freshwater inflow (mean = 63 m3 s-1) to the bay is carried by four principal tributaries (Orlando et al., 1993). Groundwater makes up an important component of baseflow of these coastal streams and may also be important in delivering nutrients and other constituents to the bay proper by submarine groundwater discharge.

The effects of two different water management regimes on flooding and mosquito production in a salt marsh impoundment.

PubMed

Carlson, D B; Vigliano, R R

1985-06-01

Over two years, the management regimes of: 1) opening a southeast Florida salt marsh impoundment to the adjacent estuary with culverts through the dike, then, 2) passively retaining water with flapgate risers was studied to determine the effects on marsh flooding and resultant mosquito production. Larval dipping demonstrated that all broods occurred at elevations of 0.25-0.90 ft (= 0.08-0.27 m) NGVD. Mosquito production differed significantly between some sampling quadrats and 65 (out of 75) broods were produced in the spring and summer from rainfall. Without artificial pumping, trapping of rainfall with flapgate risers aided in eliminating oviposition sites but still allowed mosquito production in some marsh locations. Even though tidal flooding permitted larvivorous fish access to mosquito larvae, they were not able to provide adequate control to eliminate larviciding.

KSC-99pc64

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-01-14

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A sandpiper wades the water in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which shares a boundary with the space center. Sandpipers are usually seen foraging on the beach or margins of lakes, ponds, marshes or streams. The open waters of the Wildlife Refuge provide wintering areas for 23 species of migratory waterfowl as well as a year-round home for great blue herons, great egrets, wood storks, cormorants, brown pelicans and other species of marsh and shore birds. The refuge comprises 92,000 acres, ranging from fresh-water impoundments, salt-water estuaries and brackish marshes to hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles, including such endangered species as Southern bald eagles, wood storks, Florida scrub jays, Atlantic loggerhead and leatherback turtles, osprey, and nearly 5,000 alligators

Ecological study of the effects of power plants on benthic macroplant microcosms in subtropical and tropical estuaries. Annual progress report, 1977-1978

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thorhaug, A.; Schroeder, P.

1978-01-01

The major efforts have been to examine the effects of energy-related problems on nearshore environments in the subtropics and tropics of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico regions of the United States and the Caribbean. Two fossil fuel and two nuclear plants were examined as the their effects on a nearshore seagrass community at Turkey Point in south Biscayne Bay, Dade County, Florida. The effects of heat toxicity, trace (heavy) metals and high salinities, the community processes and dynamics of nearshore subtropical and tropical seagrass ecosystems, and primary productivity and physiology of the dominant food chain organisms in these ecosystemsmore » have been studied in detail in both field and laboratory studies. A model for future prediction of pollutants emanating from energy-related resources and their effect on seagrass ecosystems has been included.« less

Magnetic properties of sediments in cores from the Mandovi estuary, western India: Inferences on provenance and pollution.

PubMed

Prajith, A; Rao, V Purnachandra; Kessarkar, Pratima M

2015-10-15

Magnetic properties of sediments were investigated in 7 gravity cores recovered along a transect of the Mandovi estuary, western India to understand their provenance and pollution. The maximum magnetic susceptibility of sediments was at least 6 times higher in the upper/middle estuary than in lower estuary/bay. The χfd% and χARM/SIRM of sediments indicated coarse, multi-domain and pseudo-single domain magnetic grains, resembling ore material in the upper/middle estuary and coarse stable single domain (SSD) to fine SSD grains in the lower estuary/bay. Mineralogy parameters indicated hematite and goethite-dominated sediments in the upper/middle estuary and magnetite-dominated sediments in the lower estuary/bay. Two sediment types were discernible because of deposition of abundant ore material in the upper/middle estuary and detrital sediment in the lower estuary/bay. The enrichment factor and Index of geo-accumulation of metals indicated significant to strong pollution with respect to Fe and Mn in sediments from the upper/middle estuary. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A comparative study of Northern Ireland's estuaries based on the results of beam trawl fish surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrison, Trevor D.; Armour, Neil D.; McNeill, Michael T.; Moorehead, Peter W.

2017-11-01

The fish communities of Northern Ireland's estuaries were described and compared using data collected with a modified beam trawl over a six year period from 2009 to 2014. Multivariate analyses identified four estuary groups based on variations in their physico-chemical attributes. These groups broadly corresponded with the distribution and variation of estuary geomorphic types identified around the Irish coast. The dominant fish species captured were also among the main species reported in other North East Atlantic estuaries. A significant link between the estuary types and their fish communities was found; each estuary group contained a somewhat distinctive fish community. The fish communities also showed a significant relationship with the physico-chemical characteristics of the estuaries. Differences in fish species composition are attributed to habitat and environmental preferences of key estuary-associated species.

Coast-wide recruitment dynamics of Olympia oysters reveal limited synchrony and multiple predictors of failure.

PubMed

Wasson, Kerstin; Hughes, Brent B; Berriman, John S; Chang, Andrew L; Deck, Anna K; Dinnel, Paul A; Endris, Charlie; Espinoza, Michael; Dudas, Sarah; Ferner, Matthew C; Grosholz, Edwin D; Kimbro, David; Ruesink, Jennifer L; Trimble, Alan C; Vander Schaaf, Dick; Zabin, Chela J; Zacherl, Danielle C

2016-12-01

Recruitment of new propagules into a population can be a critical determinant of adult density. We examined recruitment dynamics in the Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida), a species occurring almost entirely in estuaries. We investigated spatial scales of interannual synchrony across 37 sites in eight estuaries along 2,500 km of Pacific North American coastline, predicting that high vs. low recruitment years would coincide among neighboring estuaries due to shared exposure to regional oceanographic factors. Such synchrony in recruitment has been found for many marine species and some migratory estuarine species, but has never been examined across estuaries in a species that can complete its entire life cycle within the same estuary. To inform ongoing restoration efforts for Olympia oysters, which have declined in abundance in many estuaries, we also investigated predictors of recruitment failure. We found striking contrasts in absolute recruitment rate and frequency of recruitment failure among sites, estuaries, and years. Although we found a positive relationship between upwelling and recruitment, there was little evidence of synchrony in recruitment among estuaries along the coast, and only limited synchrony of sites within estuaries, suggesting recruitment rates are affected more strongly by local dynamics within estuaries than by regional oceanographic factors operating at scales encompassing multiple estuaries. This highlights the importance of local wetland and watershed management for the demography of oysters, and perhaps other species that can complete their entire life cycle within estuaries. Estuaries with more homogeneous environmental conditions had greater synchrony among sites, and this led to the potential for estuary-wide failure when all sites had no recruitment in the same year. Environmental heterogeneity within estuaries may thus buffer against estuary-wide recruitment failure, analogous to the portfolio effect for diversity. Recruitment failure was correlated with lower summer water temperature, higher winter salinity, and shorter residence time: all indicators of stronger marine influence on estuaries. Recruitment failure was also more common in estuaries with limited networks of nearby adult oysters. Large existing oyster networks are thus of high conservation value, while estuaries that lack them would benefit from restoration efforts to increase the extent and connectivity of sites supporting oysters. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Ra and Rn isotopes as natural tracers of submarine groundwater discharge in Tampa Bay, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Swarzenski, P.W.; Reich, C.; Kroeger, K.D.; Baskaran, M.

2007-01-01

A suite of naturally occurring radionuclides in the U/Th decay series (222Rn, 223,224,226,228Ra) were studied during wet and dry conditions in Tampa Bay, Florida, to evaluate their utility as groundwater discharge tracers, both within the bay proper and within the Alafia River/estuary — a prominent free-flowing river that empties into the bay. In Tampa Bay, almost 30% of the combined riverine inputs still remain ungauged. Consequently, groundwater/surface water (hyporheic) exchange in the discharging coastal rivers, as well as submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) within the bay, are still unresolved components of this system's water and material budgets. Based on known inputs and sinks, there exists an excess of 226Ra in the water column of Tampa Bay, which can be evaluated in terms of a submarine groundwater contribution to the bay proper. Submarine groundwater discharge rates calculated using a mass balance of excess 226Ra ranged from 2.2 to 14.5 L m− 2 day− 1, depending on whether the estuarine residence time was calculated using 224Ra/xs228Ra isotope ratios, or whether a long term, averaged model-derived estuarine residence time was used. When extrapolated to the total shoreline length of the bay, such SGD rates ranged from 1.6 to 10.3 m3 m− 1 day− 1. Activities of 222Rn were also elevated in surface water and shallow groundwater of the bay, as well as in the Alafia River estuary, where upstream activities as high as 250 dpm L− 1 indicate enhanced groundwater/surface water exchange, facilitated by an active spring vent. From average nutrient concentrations of 39 shallow, brackish, groundwater samples, rates of nutrient loading into Tampa Bay by SGD rates were estimated, and these ranged from 0.2 to 1.4 × 105 mol day− 1 (PO43−), 0.9–6.2 × 105 mol day− 1 (SiO4−), 0.7–5.0 × 105 mol day− 1 (dissolved organic nitrogen, DON), and 0.2–1.4 × 106 mol day− 1 (total dissolved nitrogen, TDN). Such nutrient loading estimates, when compared to average river discharge estimates (e.g., TDN = 6.9 × 105 mol day− 1), suggest that SGD-derived nutrient fluxes to Tampa Bay are indeed important components to the overall nutrient economy of these coastal waters.

Building Regional Threat-Based Networks for Estuaries in the Western United States

PubMed Central

Merrifield, Matthew S.; Hines, Ellen; Liu, Xiaohang; Beck, Michael W.

2011-01-01

Estuaries are ecologically and economically valuable and have been highly degraded from both land and sea. Estuarine habitats in the coastal zone are under pressure from a range of human activities. In the United States and elsewhere, very few conservation plans focused on estuaries are regional in scope; fewer still address threats to estuary long term viability.We have compiled basic information about the spatial extent of threats to identify commonalities. To do this we classify estuaries into hierarchical networks that share similar threat characteristics using a spatial database (geodatabase) of threats to estuaries from land and sea in the western U.S.Our results show that very few estuaries in this region (16%) have no or minimal stresses from anthropogenic activity. Additionally, one quarter (25%) of all estuaries in this study have moderate levels of all threats. The small number of un-threatened estuaries is likely not representative of the ecological variability in the region and will require working to abate threats at others. We think the identification of these estuary groups can foster sharing best practices and coordination of conservation activities amongst estuaries in any geography. PMID:21387006

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, Gary E.; Diefenderfer, Heida L.

The purpose of this document is to describe research, monitoring, and evaluation (RME) for the Federal Columbia River Estuary Program, hereafter called 'the Estuary Program'. The intent of this RME effort is to provide data and information to evaluate progress toward meeting program goals and objectives and support decision making in the Estuary Program. The goal of the Estuary Program is to understand, conserve, and restore the estuary ecosystem to improve the performance of listed salmonid populations. The Estuary Program has five general objectives, designed to fulfill the program goal, as follows: (1) Understand the primary stressors affecting ecosystem controllingmore » factors, such as ocean conditions and invasive species. (2) Conserve and restore factors controlling ecosystem structures and processes, such as hydrodynamics and water quality. (3) Increase the quantity and quality of ecosystem structures, i.e., habitats, juvenile salmonids use during migration through the estuary. (4) Maintain the food web to benefit salmonid performance. (5) Improve salmonid performance in terms of life history diversity, foraging success, growth, and survival. The goal of estuary RME is to provide pertinent and timely research and monitoring information to planners, implementers, and managers of the Estuary Program. The goal leads to three primary management questions pertaining to the main focus of the Estuary Program: estuary habitat conservation and restoration. (1) Are the estuary habitat actions achieving the expected biological and environmental performance targets? (2) Are the offsite habitat actions in the estuary improving juvenile salmonid performance and which actions are most effective at addressing the limiting factors preventing achievement of habitat, fish, or wildlife performance objectives? (3) What are the limiting factors or threats in the estuary/ocean preventing the achievement of desired habitat or fish performance objectives? Performance measures for the estuary are monitored indicators that reflect the status of habitat conditions and fish performance, e.g., habitat connectivity, survival, and life history diversity. Performance measures also pertain to implementation and compliance. Such measures are part of the monitoring, research, and action plans in this estuary RME document. Performance targets specific to the estuary were not included in the 2007 draft Biological Opinion.« less

The risk of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the oyster-growing estuaries of New South Wales, Australia.

PubMed

Ajani, Penelope; Brett, Steve; Krogh, Martin; Scanes, Peter; Webster, Grant; Armand, Leanne

2013-06-01

The spatial and temporal variability of potentially harmful phytoplankton was examined in the oyster-growing estuaries of New South Wales. Forty-five taxa from 31 estuaries were identified from 2005 to 2009. Harmful species richness was latitudinally graded for rivers, with increasing number of taxa southward. There were significant differences (within an estuary) in harmful species abundance and richness for 11 of 21 estuaries tested. Where differences were observed, these were predominately due to species belonging to the Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima group, Dinophysis acuminata, Dictyocha octonaria and Prorocentrum cordatum with a consistent upstream versus downstream pattern emerging. Temporal (seasonal or interannual) patterns in harmful phytoplankton within and among estuaries were highly variable. Examination of harmful phytoplankton in relation to recognised estuary disturbance measures revealed species abundance correlated to estuary modification levels and flushing time, with modified, slow flushing estuaries having higher abundance. Harmful species richness correlated with bioregion, estuary modification levels and estuary class, with southern, unmodified lakes demonstrating greater species density. Predicting how these risk taxa and risk zones may change with further estuary disturbance and projected climate warming will require more focused, smaller scale studies aimed at a deeper understanding of species-specific ecology and bloom mechanisms. Coupled with this consideration, there is an imperative for further taxonomic, ecological and toxicological investigations into poorly understood taxa (e.g. Pseudo-nitzschia).

The Suwannee River Hydrologic Observatory: A Subtropical Coastal Plain Watershed in Transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graham, W. D.

2004-12-01

The Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Sciences (CUAHSI) proposed to establish a network of 5-15 hydrologic observatories (HO's) across North America is to support fundamental research for the hydrologic science community into the next century. These HO's are projected to be 10,000 to 50,000 km2 and will include a broad range of hydrologic, climatic, bio-geochemical and ecosystem processes, including the critical linkages and couplings. This network is envisioned as the natural laboratory for experimental hydrology in support of scientific investigations focused on predictive understanding at a scale that will include both atmospheric- and ecosystem-hydrologic interaction, as well as the hydrologic response to larger-scale climate variation and change. A group of researchers from Florida and Georgia plan to propose the Suwannee River watershed as a Hydrologic Observatory. The Suwannee River flows through a diverse watershed relatively unimpacted by urbanization but in transition to more intense land-use practices. It thus provides excellent opportunities to study the effects of ongoing changes in land use and water supply on varied hydrological processes. Much background information is available on the hydrology, hydrogeology, geology, chemistry, and biology of the watershed. Several major on-going monitoring programs are supported by state and federal agencies. Four characteristics, discussed in greater detail below, make the Suwannee River watershed ideal for a Hydrologic Observatory: Unregulated and rural - The Suwannee River is one of few major rivers in the United States with largely unregulated flow through rural areas and is relatively unimpaired with regard to water quality, leading to its designation as one of twelve National Showcase Watersheds. At Risk and in Transition - Land use is trending toward increased urbanization and intensive agriculture with an apparent coupled increase in nutrient loads and decline in water quality. In addition, population growth is fueling increased groundwater withdrawals from the Floridan aquifer for local consumption affecting water supply. Inter-basin transfers from the lower Suwannee River to south Florida have been suggested as one solution to south Florida's growing water crisis. Three Distinct Hydrologic Regimes - The Suwannee River watershed comprises three distinct but linked hydrologic landscape units. The upper Suwannee River interacts with the surficial aquifer but is largely separated from the Floridan aquifer by a confining unit. The middle Suwannee River interacts with both surficial aquifers and the unconfined karstic Floridan aquifer. The lower Suwannee River discharges to a deltaic estuary as surface water along with diffuse submarine groundwater discharge. Extensive Existing Data Infrastructure - Some discharge data exists from the turn of the 19th century to the present. More recently, the USDA Agricultural Research Service through the Southeast Watershed Research Laboratory (SEWRL) has monitored the Little River watershed in Georgia at the headwaters of the Suwannee River since 1965, and the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) has monitored the Suwannee River watershed in Florida since 1972. Other groups (USGS, Suwannee River Partnership, and individual university investigators) have long worked on specific, local geological, hydrological, and biological problems within the watershed. Contributing Organizations: University of Florida, Florida State University, University of South Florida, University of Central Florida, University of Georgia, USGS, USDA, and SRWMD

Predicting fish community properties within estuaries: Influence of habitat type and other environmental features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

França, Susana; Vasconcelos, Rita P.; Fonseca, Vanessa F.; Tanner, Susanne E.; Reis-Santos, Patrick; Costa, Maria José; Cabral, Henrique N.

2012-07-01

Statistical models predicting species distributions are essential not only to increase knowledge on species but for their application in conservation and ecologically-based management. The variation of fish species richness and abundance in the most representative habitats (saltmarsh, mudflat and subtidal) in five estuaries along the Portuguese coast was analysed through seasonal sampling surveys in 2009. Generalized additive models (GAM) were developed to describe the variation of species richness and abundances with a set of geomorphologic, hydrologic and environmental characteristics from the sampled estuaries and habitats. GAM were chosen as the complex interactions dominating these ecosystems and species distribution are non-linear. Final models built for each estuary and for all estuaries together performed well during the calibration phase and also during the validation phase, where an unused data sub-set from each estuary was used. There was not a similar combination of variables retained by the models for the studied estuaries but factors such as the area of the habitat, the distance to estuary mouth, percentage of mud in the sediment and depth were commonly retained. The partial effect of these predictor variables on the variation of species richness and abundance in the estuaries varied markedly and the importance of preserving the heterogeneity of habitats within estuaries was highlighted. Models for each individual estuary performed better than models for estuaries combined. Predictive models could be useful as a preliminary tool to prepare long-term conservation plans at different scales.

The geographic concentration of blue carbon in the continental US

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feagin, R. A.; Hinson, A.

2014-12-01

Salt water wetlands have the potential to be bought and sold as relatively rich reservoirs of carbon in the context of sequestration projects. However, little is known about the geographic distribution of this potential, and no coarse scale investigation has addressed this ecosystem service at the continental scale. Our objective was to determine blue carbon stocks and flux in coastal wetland soils in the United States and categorize the potential for projects by estuarine basin, state, and wetland type. We linked National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) data with the Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO) through spatial analysis within a Geographic Information System (GIS). We then calculated and mapped soil organic carbon across the continental US. Results were filtered by state, estuarine basin, wetland type, and accumulation rate, and ranking lists for each categorization were produced. The results showed that belowground carbon accumulation is concentrated in specific regions, with the richest and largest reservoirs in the Gulf and Atlantic southeastern estuaries, for example mangrove zones in Florida. Salt marshes on the southern Pacific Coast were relatively low in carbon due to small areas of coverage and the presence of sandy and inorganic soil. The geomorphic position of a wetland within a given estuary, for example on an exposed barrier island versus recessed towards inflowing headwaters, accounted for a greater degree of soil carbon variation than the wetland type, for example woody mangroves versus herbaceous marshes. The potential of a blue carbon sequestration project in relation to its location could be influential in determining wetland policy, conservation, and restoration in the coming decades.

Inherent and apparent optical properties of the complex estuarine waters of Tampa Bay: What controls light?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le, Chengfeng; Hu, Chuanmin; English, David; Cannizzaro, Jennifer; Chen, Zhiqiang; Kovach, Charles; Anastasiou, Christopher J.; Zhao, Jun; Carder, Kendall L.

2013-01-01

Inherent and apparent optical properties (IOPs and AOPs) of Tampa Bay (Florida, USA) were measured during fourteen cruises between February 1998 and October 2010 to understand how these properties relate to one another and what controls light absorption and diffuse attenuation in this moderately sized (˜1000 km2), shallow estuary (average depth ˜4 m). The IOPs and AOPs included: 1) absorption coefficients of three optically significant constituents: phytoplankton pigments, detrital particles, and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM); 2) particulate backscattering coefficients; 3) chlorophyll-a concentrations; 4) above-water remote sensing reflectance; 5) downwelling diffuse attenuation coefficients (Kd) at eight wavelengths and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Results showed substantial variability in all IOPs and AOPs in both space and time, with most IOPs spanning more than two orders of magnitude and showing strong co-variations. Of all four bay segments, Old Tampa Bay showed unique optical characteristics. During the wet season, the magnitude of blue-green-light absorption was dominated by CDOM, while during the dry season all three constituents contributed significantly. However, the variability in Kd (PAR, 490 nm, 555 nm) was driven mainly by the variability of detrital particles and phytoplankton as opposed to CDOM. This observation explained, at least to first order, why a nutrient reduction management strategy used by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program since the 1990s led to improved water clarity in most of Tampa Bay. The findings of this study provided the optical basis to fine tune existing or develop new algorithms to estimate the various optical water quality parameters from space.

Responses of bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli) larvae under lethal and sublethal scenarios of crude oil exposure.

PubMed

Duffy, Tara A; Childress, William; Portier, Ralph; Chesney, Edward J

2016-12-01

Bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli) is an ecologically important zooplanktivorous fish inhabiting estuaries of the Gulf of Mexico and eastern North America from Maine to Florida. Because they have a protracted spawning season (spring through fall) and are abundant at all life stages in coastal estuaries, their eggs and larvae likely encountered oil that reached the coast during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. We compared responses to oil exposure at different life stages and at lethal and sublethal conditions using acute, 24h exposures. In a series of experiments, bay anchovy larvae were exposed to high energy water accommodated fractions (HEWAF) and chemically-enhanced WAF (CEWAF) at two stages of larval development (5 and 21 days post hatch, dph). HEWAF oil exposures induced significantly greater life stage dependent sensitivity at 5 dph than at 21 dph but chemically dispersed (CEWAF) exposure mortality was more variable and LC 50s were not significantly different between 5 and 21dph larvae. Acute exposure to two low-level concentrations of CEWAF did not result in significant mortality over 24h, but resulted in a 25-77% reduction in larval survival and a 12-34% reduction in weight specific growth after six days of post-exposure growth following the initial 24h exposure. These results show that younger (5 dph) bay anchovy larvae are more vulnerable to acute oil exposure than older (21 dph) larvae, and that acute responses do not accurately reflect potential population level mortality and impacts to growth and development. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Geophysical and Thermal Methods for Detecting Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD) in the Suwannee River Estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, M.; Kruse, S.; Burnett, W. C.; Chanton, J.; Greenwood, W.; Murray, M.; Peterson, R.; Swarzenski, P.

2005-12-01

In an effort to evaluate geophysical and thermal methods for detecting submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) on the Florida Gulf coast, a suite of water-borne surveys were run in conjunction with aerial thermal imagery over the lower Suwannee estuary in March 2005. Marine resistivity streaming data were collected alongside continuous radon and methane sampling from surface waters. Resistivity measurements were collected with dipole-dipole geometries. Readings were inverted for terrain resistivity assuming two-dimensional structure and constraining uppermost layers to conform to measured water depths and surface water conductivities. Thermal images were collected at the end of winter and at night to maximize temperatures between warmer discharging groundwater and colder surface waters. For the preliminary data analysis presented here, we assume high radon and methane concentrations coincide with zones of high SGD, and look at relationships between radon and methane concentrations and terrain resistivity and thermal imagery intensity values. For a limited set of coincident thermal intensity and radon readings, thermal intensities are higher at sites with the highest radon readings. These preliminary results suggest that in this environment, thermal imagery may be effective for identifying the "hottest" spots for SGD, but not for zones of diffuse discharge. The thermal imagery shows high intensity features at the heads of tidal streams, but shallow water depths precluded boat-based resistivity and sampling at these sites. Shallow terrain resistivities generally show a positive correlation with methane concentrations, as would be expected over zones of discharging groundwater that is fresher than Gulf surface water.

A Tale of Two Inlets: Tidal Currents at Two Adjacent Inlets in the Indian River Lagoon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webb, B. M.; Weaver, R. J.

2012-12-01

The tidal currents and hydrography at two adjacent inlets of the Indian River Lagoon estuary (Florida) were recently measured using a personal watercraft-based coastal profiling system. Although the two inlets—Sebastian Inlet and Port Canaveral Inlet—are separated by only 60 km, their characteristics and dynamics are quite unique. While Sebastian Inlet is a shallow (~4 m), curved inlet with a free connection to the estuary, Port Canaveral Inlet is dominated by a deep (~13 m), straight ship channel and has limited connectivity to the Banana River through a sector gate lock. Underway measurements of tidal currents were obtained using a bottom tracking acoustic Doppler current profiler; vertical casts of hydrography were obtained with a conductivity-temperature-depth profiling instrument; and continuous underway measurements of surface water hydrography were made using a Portable SeaKeeper system. Survey transects were performed to elucidate the along-channel variability of tidal flows, which appears to be significant in the presence of channel curvature. Ebb and flood tidal currents in Sebastian Inlet routinely exceeded 2.5 m/s from the surface to the bed, and an appreciable phase lag exists between tidal stage and current magnitude. The tidal currents at Port Canaveral Inlet were much smaller (~0.2 m/s) and appeared to be sensitive to meteorological forcing during the study period. Although the lagoon has free connections to the ocean 145 km to the north and 45 km to the south, Sebastian Inlet likely drains much of the lagoon to its north, an area of ~550 sq. km.

Chemical and physical characteristics of water in estuaries of Texas, October 1976-September 1978

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fisher, J.C.

1982-01-01

The coastal waters of Texas are not classical estuaries, but are similar to them in ecosystems and mixing phenomena. A description of various types of estuaries is presented in "Estuaries" edited by Lauff (1967, p. 3-11). The term estuary as used in this report, refers to concomitant water bodies in which streamflow mixes with seawater.

Linking behavior, physiology, and survival of Atlantic Salmon smolts during estuary migration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stich, Daniel S.; Zydlewski, Gayle B.; Kocik, John F.; Zydlewski, Joseph D.

2015-01-01

Decreased marine survival is identified as a component driver of continued declines of Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar. However, estimates of marine mortality often incorporate loss incurred during estuary migration that may be mechanistically distinct from factors affecting marine mortality. We examined movements and survival of 941 smolts (141 wild and 800 hatchery-reared fish) released in freshwater during passage through the Penobscot River estuary, Maine, from 2005 to 2013. We related trends in estuary arrival date, movement rate, and survival to fish characteristics, migratory history, and environmental conditions in the estuary. Fish that experienced the warmest thermal history arrived in the estuary 8 d earlier than those experiencing the coolest thermal history during development. Estuary arrival date was 10 d later for fish experiencing high flow than for fish experiencing low flow. Fish released furthest upstream arrived in the estuary 3 d later than those stocked further downstream but moved 0.5 km/h faster through the estuary. Temporally, movement rate and survival in the estuary both peaked in mid-May. Spatially, movement rate and survival both decreased from freshwater to the ocean. Wild smolts arrived in the estuary later than hatchery fish, but we observed no change in movement rate or survival attributable to rearing history. Fish with the highest gill Na+, K+-ATPase activity incurred 25% lower mortality through the estuary than fish with the lowest gill Na+, K+-ATPase activity. Smolt survival decreased (by up to 40%) with the increasing number of dams passed (ranging from two to nine) during freshwater migration. These results underscore the importance of physiological preparedness on performance and the delayed, indirect effects of dams on survival of Atlantic Salmon smolts during estuary migration, ultimately affecting marine survival estimates.

Subtidal sea level variability in a shallow Mississippi River deltaic estuary, Louisiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Snedden, G.A.; Cable, J.E.; Wiseman, W.J.

2007-01-01

The relative roles of river, atmospheric, and tidal forcings on estuarine sea level variability are examined in Breton Sound, a shallow (0.7 m) deltaic estuary situated in an interdistributary basin on the Mississippi River deltaic plain. The deltaic landscape contains vegetated marshes, tidal flats, circuitous channels, and other features that frictionally dissipate waves propagating through the system. Direct forcing by local wind stress over the surface of the estuary is minimal, owing to the lack of significant fetch due to landscape features of the estuary. Atmospheric forcing occurs almost entirely through remote forcing, where alongshore winds facilitate estuary-shelf exchange through coastal Ekman convergence. The highly frictional nature of the deltaic landscape causes the estuary to act as a low-pass filter to remote atmospheric forcing, where high-frequency, coastally-induced fluctuations are significantly damped, and the damping increases with distance from the estuary mouth. During spring, when substantial quantities of controlled Mississippi River inputs (q?? = 62 m3 s-1) are discharged into the estuary, upper estuary subtidal sea levels are forced by a combination of river and remote atmospheric forcings, while river effects are less clear downestuary. During autumn (q?? = 7 m3 s-1) sea level variability throughout the estuary is governed entirely by coastal variations at the marine boundary. A frequency-dependent analytical model, previously used to describe sea level dynamics forced by local wind stress and coastal forcing in deeper, less frictional systems, is applied in the shallow Breton Sound estuary. In contrast to deeper systems where coastally-induced fluctuations exhibit little or no frictional attenuation inside the estuary, these fluctuations in the shallow Breton Sound estuary show strong frequency-dependent amplitude reductions that extend well into the subtidal frequency spectrum. ?? 2007 Estuarine Research Federation.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, Gary E.; Diefenderfer, Heida L.; Ebberts, Blaine D.

The purpose ofthis document is to describe research, monitoring, and evaluation (RME) for the Federal Columbia River Estuary Program. The intent of this RME effort is to provide data and information to evaluate progress toward meeting program goals and objectives and support decision-making in the Estuary Program. The goal of the Estuary Program is to understand, conserve, and restore the estuary ecosystem to improve the performance of listed salmonid populations. The Estuary Program has five general objectives, designed to fulfill the program goal, as follows. 1. Understand the primary stressors affecting ecosystem controlling factors, such as ocean conditions and invasivemore » species. 2. Conserve and restore factors controlling ecosystem structures and processes, such as hydrodynamics and water quality. 3. Increase the quantity and quality of ecosystem structures, i.e., habitats, juvenile salmonids use during migration through the estuary. 4. Maintain the food web to benefit salmonid performance. 5. Improve salmonid performance in terms of life history diversity, foraging success, growth, and survival. The goal of estuary RME is to provide pertinent and timely research and monitoring information to planners, implementers, and managers of the Estuary Program. In conclusion, the estuary RME effort is designed to meet the research and monitoring needs of the estuary Program using an adaptive management process. Estuary RME's success and usefulness will depend on the actual conduct of adaptive management, as embodied in the objectives, implrementation, data, reporting, and synthesis, evaluation, and decision-making described herein.« less

Daily variation in ingress of fall-spawned larval fishes into Delaware Bay in relation to alongshore and along-estuary wind components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schieler, Brittany M.; Hale, Edward A.; Targett, Timothy E.

2014-12-01

Identifying factors that affect ingress of larval fishes from offshore spawning areas into estuarine nurseries is important to improve understanding of variability in recruitment of many coastal marine species. This study investigated the ingress of larval Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus), Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus), and summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) at Roosevelt Inlet, near the mouth of Delaware Bay, USA in relation to short-term wind events. Nightly abundances, from November 15 to December 15, 2010, were analyzed with alongshore and along-estuary wind components (direction and speed) using cross-correlation analysis to determine if winds affect larval ingress. Ingress of Atlantic croaker and summer flounder correlated with along-estuary winds, whereas Atlantic menhaden showed no significant correlations with either alongshore or along-estuary winds. Although along-estuary winds during this period were predominantly down-estuary, Atlantic croaker ingress was correlated with positive along-estuary winds (blowing up-estuary), with a three-day lag; and a particularly large ingress peak occurred following the largest up-estuary wind peak. Ingress of summer flounder was correlated with negative along-estuary winds (blowing down-estuary), with a two-day lag. These results suggest that species-specific vertical position in the water column influenced ingress into Delaware Bay. The lag results also suggest that ingressing Atlantic croaker and summer flounder may have a pooling stage outside the mouth of Delaware Bay.

Residual estuarine circulation in the Mandovi, a monsoonal estuary: A three-dimensional model study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vijith, V.; Shetye, S. R.; Baetens, K.; Luyten, P.; Michael, G. S.

2016-05-01

Observations in the Mandovi estuary, located on the central west coast of India, have shown that the salinity field in this estuary is remarkably time-dependent and passes through all possible states of stratification (riverine, highly-stratified, partially-mixed and well-mixed) during a year as the runoff into the estuary varies from high values (∼1000 m3 s-1) in the wet season to negligible values (∼1 m3 s-1) at end of the dry season. The time-dependence is forced by the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) and hence the estuary is referred to as a monsoonal estuary. In this paper, we use a three-dimensional, open source, hydrodynamic, numerical model to reproduce the observed annual salinity field in the Mandovi. We then analyse the model results to define characteristics of residual estuarine circulation in the Mandovi. Our motivation to study this aspect of the Mandovi's dynamics is derived from the following three considerations. First, residual circulation is important to long-term evolution of an estuary; second, we need to understand how this circulation responds to strongly time-dependent runoff forcing experienced by a monsoonal estuary; and third, Mandovi is among the best studied estuaries that come under the influence of ISM, and has observations that can be used to validate the model. Our analysis shows that the residual estuarine circulation in the Mandovi shows four distinct phases during a year: a river like flow that is oriented downstream throughout the estuary; a salt-wedge type circulation, with flow into the estuary near the bottom and out of the estuary near the surface restricted close to the mouth of the estuary; circulation associated with a partially-mixed estuary; and, the circulation associated with a well-mixed estuary. Dimensional analysis of the field of residual circulation helped us to establish the link between strength of residual circulation at a location and magnitude of river runoff and rate of mixing at the location. We then derive an analytical expression that approximates exchange velocity (bottom velocity minus near freshwater velocity at a location) as a function of freshwater velocity and rate of mixing.

The divergent environmental characteristics of permanently-open, seasonally-open and normally-closed estuaries of south-western Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chuwen, Benjamin M.; Hoeksema, Steeg D.; Potter, Ian C.

2009-10-01

This study has compared the environmental characteristics of the basins and saline lower reaches of the tributaries of eight estuaries on the south coast of Western Australia, which differ in their degree of connectivity with the ocean. Although four estuaries between 115.1° and 121.8° E along that coast remain permanently open to the ocean, the others only become open when the volume of river discharge is sufficient to breach the prominent sand bars at their mouths, which occurs annually following heavy winter and early spring rainfall in some estuaries (seasonally open) and infrequently in others (normally closed). Estuaries to the west of 118.5° E are predominantly permanently open, e.g. Oyster Harbour, or seasonally open, e.g. Broke, Irwin and Wilson inlets, whereas those further east, e.g. Wellstead Estuary and Hamersley, Culham and Stokes inlets, where annual rainfall and thus discharge are much lower, only become open after exceptionally heavy discharge. In permanently and seasonally-open estuaries, pronounced haloclines and oxyclines are present in the narrow rivers but not the wide basins where the waters are subjected to wind-driven mixing. The extent of cyclical seasonal fluctuations in environmental conditions differed markedly among the three seasonally-open estuaries and between years in one of those systems. These differences reflected variations in the relationship between the volume of fluvial discharge, which is determined by a combination of the amount of local rainfall, catchment size and extent of clearing of native vegetation, and the amount of intrusion by marine waters, which is largely controlled by the size and duration of the opening of the estuary mouth. The mean seasonal salinities in the basins of the three normally-closed estuaries increased over three years of very low rainfall to 64 in the deepest of these estuaries (Stokes Inlet) to 145 in Hamersley Inlet and to 296 in the shallowest estuary (Culham Inlet). These results demonstrate that the environmental characteristics of estuaries on the south coast of Western Australia differ markedly, even among those of the same type, e.g. seasonally-open estuaries or normally-closed estuaries.

Estuaries of the northeastern United States: Habitat and land use signatures

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roman, C.T.; Jaworski, N.; Short, F.T.; Findlay, S.; Warren, R.S.

2000-01-01

Geographic signatures are physical, chemical, biotic, and human-induced characteristics or processes that help define similar or unique features of estuaries along latitudinal or geographic gradients. Geomorphologically, estuaries of the northeastern U.S., from the Hudson River estuary and northward along the Gulf of Maine shoreline, are highly diverse because of a complex bedrock geology and glacial history. Back-barrier estuaries and lagoons occur within the northeast region, but the dominant type is the drowned-river valley, often with rocky shores. Tidal range and mean depth of northeast estuaries are generally greater when compared to estuaries of the more southern U.S. Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico. Because of small estuarine drainage basins, low riverine flows, a bedrock substrate, and dense forest cover, sediment loads in northeast estuaries are generally quite low and water clarity is high. Tidal marshes, seagrass meadows, intertidal mudflats, and rocky shores represent major habitat types that fringe northeast estuaries, supporting commercially-important fauna, forage nekton and benthos, and coastal bird communities, while also serving as links between deeper estuarine waters and habitats through detritus-based pathways. Regarding land use and water quality trends, portions of the northeast have a history of over a century of intense urbanization as reflected in increased total nitrogen and total phosphorus loadings to estuaries, with wastewater treatment facilities and atmospheric deposition being major sources. Agricultural inputs are relatively minor throughout the northeast, with relative importance increasing for coastal plain estuaries. Identifying geographic signatures provides an objective means for comparing the structure function, and processes of estuaries along latitudinal gradients.

Catchment land use predicts benthic vegetation in small estuaries

PubMed Central

Warry, Fiona Y.; Reich, Paul; Mac Nally, Ralph; Woodland, Ryan J.

2018-01-01

Many estuaries are becoming increasingly eutrophic from human activities within their catchments. Nutrient loads often are used to assess risk of eutrophication to estuaries, but such data are expensive and time consuming to obtain. We compared the percent of fertilized land within a catchment, dissolved inorganic nitrogen loads, catchment to estuary area ratio and flushing time as predictors of the proportion of macroalgae to total vegetation within 14 estuaries in south-eastern Australia. The percent of fertilized land within the catchment was the best predictor of the proportion of macroalgae within the estuaries studied. There was a transition to a dominance of macroalgae once the proportion of fertilized land in the catchment exceeded 24%, highlighting the sensitivity of estuaries to catchment land use. PMID:29473004

Comparison of Nutrient Drivers and Response Metrics in Oregon Estuaries

EPA Science Inventory

With the goal of assessing sensitivity to nutrient enrichment, we present a cross-estuary comparison of nutrient sources, levels, and biological responses (phytoplankton and macroalgae) for thirteen Oregon estuaries. Nitrogen levels in the upstream portions of the estuaries are ...

MAPPING BATHYMETRY AND BOTTOM TYPE IN A SHALLOW ESTUARY

EPA Science Inventory

Bathymetry and bottom type are important in characterizing estuaries and their ecology but hard to map, especially in shallow estuaries. Acoustic backscattering was used to remotely sense these properties in the shallow Slocums River Estuary of Massachusetts. Acoustic pulses were...

KNOW YOUR ESTUARY: THE WATER THROUGH TIME

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation will focus on historical changes in water quality in the Yaquina Estuary, Oregon, and factors which influence water quality within this estuary. Topics presented will include the importance of ocean conditions on water quality in the estuary; historical changes...

Flux of Total Mercury and Methylmercury to the Northern Gulf of Mexico from U.S. Estuaries.

PubMed

Buck, Clifton S; Hammerschmidt, Chad R; Bowman, Katlin L; Gill, Gary A; Landing, William M

2015-12-15

To better understand the source of elevated methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in Gulf of Mexico (GOM) fish, we quantified fluxes of total Hg and MeHg from 11 rivers in the southeastern United States, including the 10 largest rivers discharging to the GOM. Filtered water and suspended particles were collected across estuarine salinity gradients in Spring and Fall 2012 to estimate fluxes from rivers to estuaries and from estuaries to coastal waters. Fluxes of total Hg and MeHg from rivers to estuaries varied as much as 100-fold among rivers. The Mississippi River accounted for 59% of the total Hg flux and 49% of the fluvial MeHg flux into GOM estuaries. While some estuaries were sources of Hg, the combined estimated fluxes of total Hg (~5200 mol y(-1)) and MeHg (~120 mol y(-1)) from the estuaries to the GOM were less than those from rivers to estuaries, suggesting an overall estuarine sink. Fluxes of total Hg from the estuaries to coastal waters of the northern GOM are approximately an order of magnitude less than from atmospheric deposition. However, fluxes from rivers are significant sources of MeHg to estuaries and coastal regions of the northern GOM.

Source, use, and disposition of water in Florida, 1975

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leach, Stanley D.

1978-01-01

On the average, 18,420 million gallons of water was withdrawn for use in Florida each day in 1975--an increase of 3,107 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) rate since 1970. The 1975 daily total was made up of 11,502 million gallons of saline water and 6,918 million gallons of freshwater. The saline water supply, largely surface water, was pumped from tidal estuaries. Only 95.3 Mgal/d--less than 1 percent--was obtained from wells. The freshwater supply was almost equally divided between surface water (52 percent) and ground water (48 percent). Virtually all the saline water was used for thermoelectric power generation. Only 63 Mgal/d of saline water was used for all other industrial purposes. The largest user of the freshwater was for irrigation--2,868 Mgal/d. The remaining use of freshwater amounted to 1,698 Mgal/d for thermoelectric power generation; 1 ,146 Mgal/d for public supply; 940 Mgal/d for industrial use other than thermoelectric power generation; and 266 Mgal/d for rural domestic and livestock use. Irrigation, the largest user of freshwater, also is responsible for the greatest consumption, 1,332 Mgal/d or about half the water applied. Included in the quantity of water consumed by irrigation is that part of the conveyance loss made up of evapotranspiration--estimated at 109 Mgal/d. The remainder of the conveyance loss is returned to the ground water reservoir for reuse by seepage from the canals. (Woodard-USGS)

Importance of storm events in controlling ecosystem structure and function in a Florida Gulf Coast estuary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, S. E.; Cable, J.E.; Childers, D.L.; Coronado-Molina, C.; Day, J.W.; Hittle, C.D.; Madden, C.J.; Reyes, E.; Rudnick, D.; Sklar, F.

2004-01-01

From 8/95 to 2/01, we investigated the ecological effects of intra- and inter-annual variability in freshwater flow through Taylor Creek in southeastern Everglades National Park. Continuous monitoring and intensive sampling studies overlapped with an array of pulsed weather events that impacted physical, chemical, and biological attributes of this region. We quantified the effects of three events representing a range of characteristics (duration, amount of precipitation, storm intensity, wind direction) on the hydraulic connectivity, nutrient and sediment dynamics, and vegetation structure of the SE Everglades estuarine ecotone. These events included a strong winter storm in November 1996, Tropical Storm Harvey in September 1999, and Hurricane Irene in October 1999. Continuous hydrologic and daily water sample data were used to examine the effects of these events on the physical forcing and quality of water in Taylor Creek. A high resolution, flow-through sampling and mapping approach was used to characterize water quality in the adjacent bay. To understand the effects of these events on vegetation communities, we measured mangrove litter production and estimated seagrass cover in the bay at monthly intervals. We also quantified sediment deposition associated with Hurricane Irene's flood surge along the Buttonwood Ridge. These three events resulted in dramatic changes in surface water movement and chemistry in Taylor Creek and adjacent regions of Florida Bay as well as increased mangrove litterfall and flood surge scouring of seagrass beds. Up to 5 cm of bay-derived mud was deposited along the ridge adjacent to the creek in this single pulsed event. These short-term events can account for a substantial proportion of the annual flux of freshwater and materials between the mangrove zone and Florida Bay. Our findings shed light on the capacity of these storm events, especially when in succession, to have far reaching and long lasting effects on coastal ecosystems such as the estuarine ecotone of the SE Everglades.

Field observations onsSelectivet tidal-stream transport for postlarval and juvenile pink shrimp in florida bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Criales, Maria M.; Robblee, M.B.; Browder, Joan A.; Cardenas, H.; Jackson, Thomas L.

2011-01-01

Postlarvae and juveniles of pink shrimp were collected in the summers of 2005 and 2006 at three stations in northwestern Florida Bay, the main nursery ground of this species in South Florida. Collections were made at one- or two-hour intervals during three full moon nights and two new moon nights at depth intervals in the water column. Results of the five collections were consistent with the assumption that postlarvae use a flood-tide transport (FTT) to advance into the estuary by ascending in the water column during the dark-flood tide and resting near the bottom during the ebb tide. Evidence of a FTT were higher numbers of postlarvae per hour collected during the flood tide vs. ebb tide and the large number of postlarvae collected with highest velocity flood tide currents. ANOVA indicated significant differences in the number of postlarvae collected between tidal stages and moon phases, but not among depths. Postlarvae were more abundant during new moon than full moon. We also found different patterns of postlarval distribution between the new and full moon. During the new moon, a large peak of postlarvae occurred coincident with highest current speeds, whereas, with one exception, during the full moon postlarvae were more abundant in the second half of the flood period near the slack tide. In contrast, juveniles exhibited a behavior and migratory pattern opposite to that of postlarvae. ANOVA indicated significant differences between the number of juveniles captured between tidal stages and among depths, but not between moon phases. Juveniles were found almost exclusively near the surface on the ebb tide. Significantly larger juveniles were captured on the dark-ebb rather than on the dark-flood tide during both moon phases, suggesting that older juveniles were leaving the Bay on the ebb tide. ?? The Crustacean Society.

Effects of environmental and water quality parameters on the functioning of copepod assemblages in tropical estuaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Araujo, Adriana V.; Dias, Cristina O.; Bonecker, Sérgio L. C.

2017-07-01

We examined changes in the functioning of copepod assemblages with increasing pollution in estuaries, using sampling standardization of the salinity range to enable comparisons. Copepod assemblages were analyzed in four southeast Brazilian estuaries with different water quality levels and hydrodynamic characteristics over two years. We obtained mesozooplankton samples together with environmental and water quality parameters in the estuaries, every two months under predetermined salinities ranging from 15 to 25. The values of parameters, except species size, associated with the functioning of the copepod assemblages (biomass, productivity, and turnover rate) did not differ among estuaries. However, in the more polluted estuaries, the biomass and productivity of copepod assemblages of mesozooplankton were negatively correlated with concentration of pollution indicator parameters. Conversely, in the less polluted estuaries some degree of enrichment still seems to increase the system biomass and productivity, as these parameters were inversely related to indicators of improved water quality. The pollution level of estuaries distorted the relationship between temperature and the efficiency of converting energy to organic matter. In the less polluted estuaries, the relationship between turnover rate and temperature was over 70%, while in the most polluted estuaries, this relationship was only approximately 50%. Our results demonstrated that the functioning of assemblages in the estuaries was affected differently by increasing pollution depending on the water quality level of the system. Thus, investigating the functioning of assemblages can be a useful tool for the analysis of estuarine conditions.

Seasonal and interannual variability of mesozooplankton in two contrasting estuaries of the Bay of Biscay: Relationship to environmental factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villate, Fernando; Iriarte, Arantza; Uriarte, Ibon; Sanchez, Iraide

2017-12-01

Seasonal and interannual variations of total mesozooplankton abundance and community variability were assessed for the period 1998-2005 at 3 salinity sites (35, 33 and 30) of the estuaries of Bilbao and Urdaibai (southeast Bay of Biscay). Spatial differences in mesozooplankton seasonality were recognized, both within and between estuaries, related to differences between sites in hydrodynamic features and anthropogenic nutrient enrichment that drive phytoplankton biomass seasonal cycles. The within estuary seasonal differences in mesozooplankton community were mainly shown through seaward time-advances in the seasonal peak from summer to spring along the salinity gradient, linked to differences in phytoplankton availability during the summer, in turn, related to nutrient availability. These differences were most marked in the estuary of Urdaibai, where zooplankton seasonal pattern at 35 salinity (high tidal flushing) resembled that of shelf waters, while at 35 of the estuary of Bilbao zooplankton showed an estuarine seasonal pattern due to the influence of the estuarine plume. Cirripede larvae contributed most to the mesozooplankton seasonal variability, except at the outer estuary of Bilbao, where cladocerans and fish eggs and larvae were the major contributors, and the inner estuary of Urdaibai, where gastropod larvae contributed most. Total mesozooplankton increased at 30 salinity of the estuary of Bilbao and 35 salinity of the estuary of Urdaibai. Interannual variability of mesozooplankton at the lowest salinity of the estuary of Bilbao was mainly accounted for by copepods due to the introduction of non-indigenous species during estuarine rehabilitation from intense pollution. However, bivalve larvae and gastropod larvae showed the highest contributions at 35 salinity of the estuary of Urdaibai. At the rest of sites, the opposite interannual trends of polychaete larvae and hydromedusae generally made the highest contribution.

Carbon dioxide emissions from Indian monsoonal estuaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarma Vedula, VSS

2012-07-01

The oceans act as a net sink for atmospheric CO2, however, the role of coastal bodies on global CO2 fluxes remains unclear due to lack of data. The estimated absorption of CO2 from the continental shelves, with limited data, is 0.22 to 1.0 PgC/y, and of CO2 emission by estuaries to the atmosphere is 0.27 PgC/y. The estimates from the estuaries suffer from large uncertainties due to large variability and lack of systematic data collection. It is especially true for Southeast Asian estuaries as the biogeochemical cycling of material are different due to high atmospheric temperature, seasonality driven by monsoons, seasonal discharge etc. In order to quantify CO2 emissions from the Indian estuaries, samples were collected at 27 estuaries all along the Indian coast during discharge wet and dry periods. The emissions of CO2 to the atmosphere from Indian estuaries were 4-5 times higher during wet than dry period. The pCO2 ranged between ~300 and 18492 microatm which were within the range of world estuaries. The mean pCO2 and particulate organic carbon (POC) showed positive relation with rate of discharge suggesting availability of high quantities of organic matter that led to enhanced microbial decomposition. The annual CO2 fluxes from the Indian estuaries, together with dry period data available in the literature, amounts to 1.92 TgC which is >10 times less than that from the European estuaries. The low CO2 fluxes from the Indian estuaries are attributed to low flushing rates and less human settlements along the banks of the Indian estuaries.

Heavy Metals (Cd, Cu, Cr, Pb and Zn) in Meretrix meretrix Roding, Water and Sediments from Estuaries in Sabah, North Borneo

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdullah, Mohd. Harun; Sidi, Jovita; Aris, Ahmad Zaharin

2007-01-01

Concentrations of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Cr, Pb and Zn) in tissues of Meretrix meretrix Roding (M. meretrix R.), water and sediments from two estuaries were determined. One estuary is located in an urban area of Kota Kinabalu (Likas estuary) and the other in a rural district of Kota Belud (Kota Belud estuary), where both are in Sabah, North of…

Flushing Time

EPA Science Inventory

The flushing time of an estuary is generally defined as the turnover time of fresh water in the estuary, that is, the time required to replace the fresh water contained in the estuary with freshwater inflow. Thus, the flushing time of an estuary is the ratio of the volume of fres...

78 FR 9887 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; National Estuaries Restoration Inventory

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-12

... Collection; Comment Request; National Estuaries Restoration Inventory AGENCY: National Oceanic and... for a revision and extension of a currently approved information collection. Collection of estuary... information) will be undertaken in order to populate a restoration project database mandated by the Estuary...

An historical perspective on eutrophication in the Pensacola Bay Estuary, FL, USA

EPA Science Inventory

In this chapter, we provide a brief description of the Pensacola Bay estuary, examining the available historical data for evidence of trends in eutrophication within the estuary. Common to many industrialized estuaries, Pensacola Bay has been subjected to unregulated point source...

Differences in the structure of copepod assemblages in four tropical estuaries: Importance of pollution and the estuary hydrodynamics.

PubMed

Araujo, Adriana V; Dias, Cristina O; Bonecker, Sérgio L C

2017-02-15

We examined the relationship between pollution and structure of copepod assemblages in estuaries, using sampling standardization of salinity range to reduce the effects of "Estuarine Quality Paradox". Copepod assemblages were analyzed in four Southeast Brazilian estuaries with different water quality levels and different hydrodynamic characteristics. The pollution negatively impacted the descriptors of the assemblage structure. The distribution of structure of copepod assemblages also showed a main separation trend between the most polluted estuaries and those less polluted. Temperature was the main factor affecting the assemblage structuring in the four estuaries. This factor acted in synergism with the effects of pollution impact and physical characteristics of the estuaries on the structure of copepod assemblages, supporting the potential vulnerability of coastal environments due to nutrient enrichment associated with climate change. Our study demonstrated the importance of sampling standardization of the salinity range in estuaries for reliable analysis of pollution effects on biota. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of common persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in flounder (Platichthys flesus) from the Vistula (Poland) and Douro (Portugal) River estuaries.

PubMed

Waszak, Ilona; Dabrowska, Henryka; Komar-Szymczak, Katarzyna

2014-04-15

Groups of flounder (Platichthys flesus) females were collected in 2011 from the Vistula River and the Duoro River estuaries and corresponding reference sites in the southern Baltic Sea and Portuguese coast of the Atlantic Ocean to measure and compare the levels and profiles of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The estuaries' sediments were also investigated. Several differences were found in the POPs between the estuaries and between the two marine regions, which were highlighted by PCA. The Vistula River estuary POPs, significantly higher than in the Douro River estuary, were dominated by DDTs followed by PCBs. PBDEs levels, indifferent between the estuaries, were relatively low. The POP levels in flounder and sediment evaluated against environmental assessment criteria (EACs) indicated that none of the measured contaminants for which EAC had been established exceeded the criterion, except for CB-118 in flounder from the Vistula River estuary. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CISDE Experiment: Nearshore-Estuarine Connectivity & Dispersion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giddings, S. N.; Feddersen, F.; Harvey, M.; Gilroy, A. R.; Crooks, J.; McCullough, J.; Lorda, J.; Grimes, D. J.; Pawlak, G. R.

2016-02-01

As part of the CSIDE, Cross Surfzone/Inner-shelf Dye Exchange experiment, nearby shallow estuary measurements were made in addition to the surfzone and inner-shelf measurements, providing an integrated view into the estuary, surfzone, and shelf system. The CSIDE experiment was designed to look at the dispersion of dye as a proxy for dispersion of waterborne constituents such as pollutants, larvae, sediment, etc. along the coast and across the surfzone to a stratified inner-shelf. The Tijuana River Estuary, a shallow estuary with extensive intertidal regions and marsh, is sometimes the source of harmful contaminants that lead to beach closures in the CSIDE experiment region. However, at other times, the estuary may also act as a sink depending upon the freshwater conditions upstream. During this experiment, we installed temperature and salinity sensors, velocimeters, and fluorometers (measuring both turbidity and the dye concentration) in the two main arms of the Tijuana River Estuary to assess the connectivity between the surfzone and the estuary as well as the in-estuary dispersion.

Hydro-sedimentary processes of a shallow tropical estuary under Amazon influence. The Mahury Estuary, French Guiana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orseau, Sylvain; Lesourd, Sandric; Huybrechts, Nicolas; Gardel, Antoine

2017-04-01

Along the Guianas coast, coastal dynamic is characterized by the migration of mud banks originating from the Amazon. This singular feature affects the dynamic and the morphology of local estuaries and can induce rapid bathymetric evolution in lower estuaries. Since 2012, the navigation channel of the Mahury Estuary (French Guiana) is enduring a severe siltation whose origin comes from a mud bank crossing the estuary mouth. This study aims to determine how the migration of a mud bank through an estuary mouth could influence the transport and fluxes in the estuary. Field measurements were performed over a year with the monitoring of the salt intrusion length, mooring surveys during spring-neap cycles and shipboard profiling surveys during semi-diurnal cycles. Salt intrusion lengths underline a significant seasonal variation characterized by the transition from a steady-state length during high river discharge and a wide range of lengths with the tidal range during low to moderate river discharge. During the rainy season, measurements indicate a fluvial-dominated condition with low suspended-sediment concentrations most of the semi-diurnal cycle. Residual sediment fluxes are usually seaward excepted when river discharge is below seasonal average. During the dry season, maximum suspended-sediment concentrations are higher in the middle part of the estuary. Residual sediment fluxes are landward along the estuary and stronger during neap tides in the estuary mouth and few kilometers upstream. In this area, a persistent density stratification traps sediments in the bottom layer and generates a gravitational circulation during neap tides, which enhances landward transports up to 2.56 t m-1 over a semi-diurnal cycle. In the middle estuary, landward fluxes are most significant during the dry season and also during the rainy season when the river discharge is below the seasonal average. Although this study includes temporal and spatial limitations, it underlines significant mud inflows in the middle part of the estuary during low to moderate river discharges. Comparison with old data suggests higher sediment loads in the estuary during the migration of a mud bank but must be confirmed by further studies during the interbank period.

The relationship between CDOM and salinity in estuaries: An analytical and graphical solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowers, D. G.; Brett, H. L.

2008-09-01

The relationship between coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and salinity in an estuary is explored using a simple box model in which the river discharge and concentration of CDOM in the river are allowed to vary with time. The results are presented as analytical and graphical solutions. The behaviour of the estuary depends upon the ratio, β, of the flushing time of the estuary to the timescale of the source variation. For small values of β, the variation in CDOM concentration in the estuary tracks that in the source, producing a linear relationship on a CDOM-salinity plot. As β increases, the estuary struggles to keep up with the changes in the source; and a curved CDOM-salinity plot results. For very large values of β, however, corresponding to estuaries with a long flushing time, the CDOM concentration in the estuary settles down to a mean value which again lies on a straight line on a CDOM-salinity plot (and extrapolates to the time-mean concentration in the source). The results are discussed in terms of the mapping of surface salinity in estuaries through the visible band remote sensing of CDOM.

Comparative study of trophic organization of juvenile fish assemblages of three tidal creeks in a tropical semi-arid estuary.

PubMed

Figueiredo, G G A A; Pessanha, A L M

2016-07-01

A comparison of three tidal creeks assessed the effects of the hydrological regime on trophic organization in juvenile fish assemblages of 21 species in a tropical estuary in north-eastern Brazil. There were seven trophic guilds represented spatially. Zooplanktivore and zoobenthivore guilds dominated the lower estuary, whereas omnivores and detritivores dominated the upper estuary. In the rainy season, the zooplanktivore and omnivore guilds were more common throughout the estuary, but in the dry season, zoobenthivores and piscivores occurred throughout. The trophic organization results show that (1) there was a higher complexity in tidal creeks in the upper estuary compared with the first tidal creek in the lower region and (2) trophic linkages increased in the upper estuary, principally the number of omnivore and detritivore species. Spatial variation in trophic structure was primarily associated with differences in the location of the tidal creeks along the estuary, and this variability was partly attributed to fish species richness; the number of species increased towards the upper estuary, and additional species occupied different trophic levels or used additional resources. © 2015 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Conditions for tidal bore formation in convergent alluvial estuaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonneton, Philippe; Filippini, Andrea Gilberto; Arpaia, Luca; Bonneton, Natalie; Ricchiuto, Mario

2016-04-01

Over the last decade there has been an increasing interest in tidal bore dynamics. However most studies have been focused on small-scale bore processes. The present paper describes the first quantitative study, at the estuary scale, of the conditions for tidal bore formation in convergent alluvial estuaries. When freshwater discharge and large-scale spatial variations of the estuary water depth can be neglected, tide propagation in such estuaries is controlled by three main dimensionless parameters: the nonlinearity parameter ε0 , the convergence ratio δ0 and the friction parameter ϕ0. In this paper we explore this dimensionless parameter space, in terms of tidal bore occurrence, from a database of 21 estuaries (8 tidal-bore estuaries and 13 non tidal-bore estuaries). The field data point out that tidal bores occur for convergence ratios close to the critical convergence δc. A new proposed definition of the friction parameter highlights a clear separation on the parameter plane (ϕ0,ε0) between tidal-bore estuaries and non tidal-bore estuaries. More specifically, we have established that tidal bores occur in convergent estuaries when the nonlinearity parameter is greater than a critical value, εc , which is an increasing function of the friction parameter ϕ0. This result has been confirmed by numerical simulations of the two-dimensional Saint Venant equations. The real-estuary observations and the numerical simulations also show that, contrary to what is generally assumed, tide amplification is not a necessary condition for tidal bore formation. The effect of freshwater discharge on tidal bore occurrence has been analyzed from the database acquired during three long-term campaigns carried out on the Gironde/Garonne estuary. We have shown that in the upper estuary the tidal bore intensity is mainly governed by the local dimensionless tide amplitude ε. The bore intensity is an increasing function of ε and this relationship does not depend on freshwater discharge. However, freshwater discharge damps the tidal wave during its propagation and thus reduces ε and consequently limits the tidal bore development in the estuary. To take into account this process in the tidal-bore scaling analysis, it is necessary to introduce a fourth external parameter, the dimensionless river discharge Q0 .

The role of extreme floods in estuary-coastal behaviour: contrasts between river- and tide-dominated microtidal estuaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, J. A. G.

2002-06-01

Contrasting modes of sedimentation and facies arrangement in tide- and river-dominated microtidal estuaries arise from the degree to which river or tidal discharge and sediment supply influences an estuary. A distinct facies gradation exists in tide-dominated systems from sandy, barrier/tidal delta-associated environments at the coast through deep mud-dominated middle reaches to fluvial sediment in the upper reaches. In river-dominated systems, fluvial sediment extends to the barrier and flood-tidal deltas are poorly developed or absent from the estuary. A number of independent observations during extreme floods on the South African coast indicate that these types of estuary respond differently to extreme river floods and that the mode of response corresponds to estuary type. Tide-dominated systems exhibit preferential erosion of noncohesive barrier and tidal delta sediments during river floods while the middle reaches remain little modified. River-dominated systems experience consistent erosion throughout their channel length during extreme floods. The increased cohesion of riverine sediments and stabilisation of bars by vegetation in river-dominated channels means that higher magnitude floods are necessary to effect significant morphological change. Barrier erosion, including the tidal delta, results in deposition of an ephemeral delta composed almost entirely of sands from these deposits in tide-dominated estuaries. In river-dominated systems, eroded channel sediments and material from the river catchment may augment barrier sediments in the ephemeral delta deposit. Post-flood, wave-reworking of ephemeral delta sediments acts to restore barriers to pre-flood morphology within a few years; however, in river-dominated systems, the additional sediment volume may produce significant coastal progradation that requires several years or decades to redistribute. These different modes of flood response mediated by the nature of the estuary have implications for coastal behaviour at the time scale of months to several decades. Estuary-coastal behaviour at river-dominated estuaries may be influenced for several decades by post-flood morphological adjustment. Tide-dominated estuaries, however, respond more rapidly in reworking flood-eroded sediment and are typically fully adjusted to modal wave and tidal conditions within a few months to a few years. In addition, the facies arrangement within the two estuary types renders tide-dominated estuaries more responsive to minor floods, while river-dominated estuaries, by virtue of more cohesive channel sediments, require greater discharges to effect significant morphological change.

ECOLOGICAL CONDITION OF THE U.S. MID-ATLANTIC ESTUARIES: THE MID-ATLANTIC INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT (MAIA)

EPA Science Inventory

The Mid-Atlantic Integrated Assessment (MAIA-Estuaries) evaluated ecological conditions in US Mid-Atlantic estuaries during the summers of 1997 and 1998. Over 800 probability-based stations were monitored in four main estuarine systems?Chesapeake Bay, the Delaware Estuary, Maryla...

A Simple Model of Nitrogen Concentration, Throughput, and Denitrification in Estuaries

EPA Science Inventory

The Estuary Nitrogen Model (ENM) is a mass balance model that includes calculation of nitrogen losses within bays and estuaries using system flushing time. The model has been used to demonstrate the dependence of throughput and denitrification of nitrogen in bays and estuaries on...

Influence of Exceptionally High Salinities, Marked Variations in Freshwater Discharge and Opening of Estuary Mouth on the Characteristics of the Ichthyofauna of a Normally-Closed Estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, G. C.; Potter, I. C.

2002-08-01

This study aimed to determine how the characteristics of the ichthyofauna of the normally-closed Wellstead Estuary on the south coast of Western Australia are influenced by the exceptionally high salinities attained during protracted periods of landlocking and, at other times, by atypically heavy freshwater discharge and consequently the opening of the estuary mouth. After 47 months of continuous closure, this estuary became open to the sea for 30 days in September/October 1997 and then closed again for a further six months. Nearshore, shallow and offshore, deeper waters of the lower, middle and upper regions of this estuary were sampled using seine and gill nets, respectively, in alternate months between July 1996 and May 1998. Mean monthly salinities in each region were >40 on all sampling occasions, except immediately preceding and following the opening of the estuary mouth and, in the lower estuary, they rose to a maximum of 112 in March 1997, before declining to a minimum of 14 in September 1997. The fish fauna of Wellstead Estuary was highly depauperate (20 species), presumably due mainly to the very limited opportunities for the immigration of marine species. However, appreciable numbers of two marine species ( Mugil cephalus and Aldrichetta forsteri) entered from the sea when the estuary was open in the period prior to October 1993 and were able to survive in the highly variable salinities found in this estuary when it was landlocked for the following 47 months. There was strong evidence that, as salinities rose to very high levels in 1997, all of the Leptatherina wallacei and Amoya bifrenatus found in the estuary died and some other species moved from the lower to upper reaches of the estuary where salinities did not rise to such high levels. The atherinid Atherinosoma elongata was the only species caught in March 1997 at the site in the lower estuary where the salinity reached 122. Subsequently, the number of species and overall density of fish in the lower estuary, and particularly in nearshore, shallow waters, increased markedly, presumably due to the downstream flushing effects of heavy freshwater discharge and a decline in salinity. When the bar was breached, small numbers of certain marine species, e.g. Sardinops neopilchardus, Sillaginodes punctata, Arripis georgiana, Arripis truttaceus and Pomatomus saltatrix, entered from the sea, while some individuals of M. cephalus and A. forsteri emigrated from the estuary.

Plant zonation in a tropical irregular estuary: can large occurrence zones be explained by a tradeoff model?

PubMed

Ribeiro, J P N; Matsumoto, R S; Takao, L K; Lima, M I S

2015-08-01

Estuaries present an environmental gradient that ranges from almost fresh water conditions to almost marine conditions. Salinity and flooding are the main abiotic drivers for plants. Therefore, plant zonation in estuaries is closely related to the tidal cycles. It is expected that the competitive abilities of plants would be inversely related to the tolerance toward environmental stress (tradeoff). Thus, in estuaries, plant zonation tends to be controlled by the environment near the sandbar and by competition away from it. This zonation pattern has been proposed for regular non-tropical estuaries. For tropical estuaries, the relative importance of rain is higher, and it is not clear to what extent this model can be extrapolated. We measured the tidal influence along the environmental gradient of a tropical irregular estuary and quantified the relative importance of the environment and the co-occurrence degree. Contrary to the narrow occurrence zone that would be expected for regular estuaries, plants presented large occurrence zones. However, the relative importance of the environment and competition followed the same patterns proposed for regular estuaries. The environmental conditions allow plants to occur in larger zones, but these zones arise from smaller and infrequent patches distributed across a larger area, and most species populations are concentrated in relatively narrow zones. Thus, we concluded that the zonation pattern in the Massaguaçu River estuary agrees with the tradeoff model.

From headwaters to coast: Influence of human activities on water quality of the Potomac River Estuary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bricker, Suzanne B.; Rice, Karen C.; Bricker, Owen P.

2014-01-01

The natural aging process of Chesapeake Bay and its tributary estuaries has been accelerated by human activities around the shoreline and within the watershed, increasing sediment and nutrient loads delivered to the bay. Riverine nutrients cause algal growth in the bay leading to reductions in light penetration with consequent declines in sea grass growth, smothering of bottom-dwelling organisms, and decreases in bottom-water dissolved oxygen as algal blooms decay. Historically, bay waters were filtered by oysters, but declines in oyster populations from overfishing and disease have led to higher concentrations of fine-sediment particles and phytoplankton in the water column. Assessments of water and biological resource quality in Chesapeake Bay and tributaries, such as the Potomac River, show a continual degraded state. In this paper, we pay tribute to Owen Bricker’s comprehensive, holistic scientific perspective using an approach that examines the connection between watershed and estuary. We evaluated nitrogen inputs from Potomac River headwaters, nutrient-related conditions within the estuary, and considered the use of shellfish aquaculture as an in-the-water nutrient management measure. Data from headwaters, nontidal, and estuarine portions of the Potomac River watershed and estuary were analyzed to examine the contribution from different parts of the watershed to total nitrogen loads to the estuary. An eutrophication model was applied to these data to evaluate eutrophication status and changes since the early 1990s and for comparison to regional and national conditions. A farm-scale aquaculture model was applied and results scaled to the estuary to determine the potential for shellfish (oyster) aquaculture to mediate eutrophication impacts. Results showed that (1) the contribution to nitrogen loads from headwater streams is small (about 2 %) of total inputs to the Potomac River Estuary; (2) eutrophic conditions in the Potomac River Estuary have improved in the upper estuary since the early 1990s, but have worsened in the lower estuary. The overall system-wide eutrophication impact is high, despite a decrease in nitrogen loads from the upper basin and declining surface water nitrate nitrogen concentrations over that period; (3) eutrophic conditions in the Potomac River Estuary are representative of Chesapeake Bay region and other US estuaries; moderate to high levels of nutrient-related degradation occur in about 65 % of US estuaries, particularly river-dominated low-flow systems such as the Potomac River Estuary; and (4) shellfish (oyster) aquaculture could remove eutrophication impacts directly from the estuary through harvest but should be considered a complement—not a substitute—for land-based measures. The total nitrogen load could be removed if 40 % of the Potomac River Estuary bottom was in shellfish cultivation; a combination of aquaculture and restoration of oyster reefs may provide larger benefits.

Winter nutrient behaviours in the Pearl River estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, G.; Jin, S.; Du, M.

2017-12-01

Nutrient (nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, phosphate, and silicate) mapping and time-series investigation were carried out in winter in the Pearl River estuary, China. These nutrients behaved non-conservatively in the upper estuary. In the middle and lower estuary, however, nitrate and silicate seemed to be controled by physical mixing, while additions of nitrite, ammonium, and phosphate were found in the middle estuary. Nitrate was the dominant disslved inorganic nitrogen, with a fraction of more than 2/3. From the upper to the lower estuary the N:P ratio decreased from more than 200 to near the Redfield ratio of 16. Nutrients near the surface behaved almost the same as near the bottom in the water column at both the uppper and lower estuary. During a tidal cycle these nutrients seemed to be regulated more by physical mixing than by other processes.

Stable Isotope Identification of Nitrogen Sources for United States (U.S.) Pacific Coast Estuaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, C. A.; Kaldy, J. E.; Fong, P.; Fong, C.; Mochon Collura, T.; Clinton, P.

2016-02-01

Nutrients are the leading cause of water quality impairments in the United States, and as a result tools are needed to identify the sources of nutrients. We used natural abundance stable isotope data to evaluate nitrogen sources to U.S. west coast estuaries. We collected macroalgae and analyzed these samples for natural abundance of stable isotopes (δ15N) and supplemented this with available data from the literature for estuaries from Mexico to Alaska. Stable isotope ratios of green macroalgae were compared to δ15N of dissolved inorganic nitrogen of oceanic and watershed end members. There was a latitudinal gradient in δ15N of macroalgae with southern estuaries being 7 per mil heavier than northern estuaries. Gradients in isotope data were compared to nitrogen sources estimated by the USGS using the SPARROW model. In California estuaries, the elevation of isotope data appeared to be related to anthropogenic nitrogen sources. In Oregon systems, the nitrogen levels of streams flowing into the estuaries are related to forest cover, rather than to developed land classes. In Oregon estuaries, the δ15N of macroalgae suggested that the ocean and nitrogen-fixing trees in the watersheds were the dominant nitrogen sources with heavier sites located near the estuary mouth. In California estuaries, the gradient was reversed with heavier sites located upriver. In some Oregon estuaries, there was an elevation an elevation of δ15N above marine end members in the vicinity of wastewater treatment facility discharge locations, suggesting isotopes may be useful for distinguishing inputs along an estuarine gradient.

Temporal changes in physical, chemical and biological sediment parameters in a tropical estuary after mangrove deforestation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellegaard, Marianne; Nguyen, Ngoc Tuong Giang; Andersen, Thorbjørn Joest; Michelsen, Anders; Nguyen, Ngoc Lam; Doan, Nhu Hai; Kristensen, Erik; Weckström, Kaarina; Son, Tong Phuoc Hoang; Lund-Hansen, Lars Chresten

2014-04-01

Dated sediment cores taken near the head and mouth of a tropical estuary, Nha-Phu/Binh Cang, in south central Viet Nam were analyzed for changes over time in physical, chemical and biological proxies potentially influenced by removal of the mangrove forest lining the estuary. A time-series of satellite images was obtained, which showed that the depletion of the mangrove forest at the head of the estuary was relatively recent. Most of the area was converted into aquaculture ponds, mainly in the late 1990's. The sediment record showed a clear increase in sedimentation rate at the head of the estuary at the time of mangrove deforestation and a change in diatom assemblages in the core from the mouth of the estuary indicating an increase in the water column turbidity of the entire estuary at the time of the mangrove deforestation. The proportion of fine-grained sediment and the δ13C signal both increased with distance from the head of the estuary while the carbon content decreased. The nitrogen content and the δ15N signal were more or less constant throughout the estuary. The proportion of fine-grained material and the chemical proxies were more or less stable over time in the core from the mouth while they varied synchronously over time in the core from the head of the estuary. The sediment proxies combined show that mangrove deforestation had large effects on the estuary with regard to both the physical and chemical environment with implications for the biological functioning.

PEER REVIEW OF PECONIC ESTUARY PROGRAM HYDRODYNAMIC AND WATER QUALITY (EUTROPHICATION) MODEL

EPA Science Inventory

The Peconic Estuary is located on the eastern end of Long Island, New York. Under the Federal Clean Water Act, the Peconic Estuary was named an "Estuary of National Significance" in 1992. Because of its high concentration of rare, threatened and endangered species and habitats,...

E-Estuary: Developing a Decision Support System for Coastal Management in the Conterminous United States (IAHR)

EPA Science Inventory

Ready access to geographic information is needed to support management decisions for estuaries at local, state, regional, and national scales. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) is developing e-Estuary, a decision-support system for coastal management. E-Estuary ...

E-Estuary: Developing a Decision-support System for Coastal Management in the Counterminous Untied States (Coastal Geotools 09)

EPA Science Inventory

Ready access to geographic information is needed to support management decisions for estuaries at local, state, regional, and national scales. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) is developing e-Estuary, a decision-support system for coastal management. E-Estuary ...

E-estuary: A Decision Support System for Coastal Water and Ecosystem Management in the US (CZ09)

EPA Science Inventory

Ready access to geographic information is needed to support management decisions for estuaries at local, state, regional, and national scales. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) is developing e-Estuary, a decision-support system for coastal management. E-Estuary ...

SAN FRANCISCO ESTUARY PROJECT COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN

EPA Science Inventory

The Estuary, a significant natural resource, San Francisco Bay and the Delta combine to form the West Coast's largest estuary. The Estuary conveys the waters of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers to the Pacific Ocean. It encompasses roughly 1,600 square miles, drains over 40 p...

PECONIC ESTUARY: AN INVENTORY OF SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION AND HARDENED SHORELINES FOR THE PECONIC ESTUARY, NEW YORK

EPA Science Inventory

Executive Summary The Peconic Estuary Program (PEP) is interested in the extent of eelgrass and other submerged aquatic vegetation and in documenting changes in the shorelines of the Peconic Estuary. The Suffolk County Department of Health Services' Office of Ecology provided fun...

The relative importance of oceanic nutrient inputs for Bass Harbor Marsh Estuary at Acadia National Park, Maine

USGS Publications Warehouse

Huntington, Thomas G.; Culbertson, Charles W.; Fuller, Christopher; Glibert, Patricia; Sturtevant, Luke

2014-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey and Acadia National Park (ANP) collaborated on a study of nutrient inputs into Bass Harbor Marsh Estuary on Mount Desert Island, Maine, to better understand ongoing eutrophication, oceanic nutrient inputs, and potential management solutions. This report includes the estimation of loads of nitrate, ammonia, total dissolved nitrogen, and total dissolved phosphorus to the estuary derived from runoff within the watershed and oceanic inputs during summers 2011 and 2012. Nutrient outputs from the estuary were also monitored, and nutrient inputs in direct precipitation to the estuary were calculated. Specific conductance, water temperature, and turbidity were monitored at the estuary outlet. This report presents a first-order analysis of the potential effects of projected sea-level rise on the inundated area and estuary volume. Historical aerial photographs were used to investigate the possibility of widening of the estuary channel over time. The scope of this report also includes analysis of sediment cores collected from the estuary and fringing marsh surfaces to assess the sediment mass accumulation rate. Median concentrations of nitrate, ammonium, and total dissolved phosphorus on the flood tide were approximately 25 percent higher than on the ebb tide during the 2011 and 2012 summer seasons. Higher concentrations on the flood tide suggest net assimilation of these nutrients in biota within the estuary. The dissolved organic nitrogen fraction dominated the dissolved nitrogen fraction in all tributaries. The median concentration of dissolved organic nitrogen was about twice as high on the on the ebb tide than the flood tide, indicating net export of dissolved organic nitrogen from the estuary. The weekly total oceanic inputs of nitrate, ammonium, and total dissolved phosphorus to the estuary were usually much larger than inputs from runoff or direct precipitation. The estuary was a net sink for nitrate and ammonium in most weeks during both years. Oceanic inputs of nitrate and ammonium were an important source of inorganic nitrogen to the estuary in both years. In both years, the total seasonal inputs of ammonium to the estuary in flood tides were much larger than the inputs from watershed runoff or direct precipitation. In 2011, the total seasonal input of nitrate from flood tides to the estuary was more than twice as large the inputs from watershed runoff and precipitation, but in 2012, the inputs from flood tides were only marginally larger than the inputs from watershed runoff and precipitation. Turbidity was measured intermittently in 2012, and the pattern that emerged from the measurements indicated that the estuary was a source of particulate matter to the ocean rather than the ocean being a source to the estuary. From the nutrient budgets determined for the estuary it is evident that oceanic sources of nitrate and ammonium are an important part of the supply of nutrients that are contributing to the growth of macroalgae in the estuary. The relative importance of these oceanic nutrients compared with sources within the watershed typically increases as the summer progresses and runoff decreases. It is likely that rising sea levels, estimated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to be 11 centimeters from 1950 through 2006 in nearby Bar Harbor, have resulted in an increase in oceanic inputs (tidal volume and nutrients derived from oceanic sources).

A sandpiper wades in the water at KSC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

A sandpiper wades the water in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which shares a boundary with the space center. Sandpipers are usually seen foraging on the beach or margins of lakes, ponds, marshes or streams. The open waters of the Wildlife Refuge provide wintering areas for 23 species of migratory waterfowl as well as a year-round home for great blue herons, great egrets, wood storks, cormorants, brown pelicans and other species of marsh and shore birds. The refuge comprises 92,000 acres, ranging from fresh-water impoundments, salt-water estuaries and brackish marshes to hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles, including such endangered species as Southern bald eagles, wood storks, Florida scrub jays, Atlantic loggerhead and leatherback turtles, osprey, and nearly 5,000 alligators.

KSC-99pc65

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-01-14

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A pintail duck swims calmly in the waters of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which shares a boundary with the space center. The pintail can be found in marshes, prairie ponds and tundra, and salt marshes in winter. They range from Alaska and Greenland south to Central America and the West Indies. The open waters of the Wildlife Refuge provide wintering areas for 23 species of migratory waterfowl as well as a year-round home for great blue herons, great egrets, wood storks, cormorants, brown pelicans and other species of marsh and shore birds. The refuge comprises 92,000 acres, ranging from fresh-water impoundments, salt-water estuaries and brackish marshes to hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods. The diverse landscape provides habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes, and 65 amphibians and reptiles, including such endangered species as Southern bald eagles, wood storks, Florida scrub jays, Atlantic loggerhead and leatherback turtles, osprey, and nearly 5,000 alligators

KSC-2012-4879

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Roy D. Bridges Jr. Bridge connecting NASA Kennedy Space Center's Industrial Area to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Industrial Area is seen during a field-guided boat tour. As part of the Kennedy's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of the center and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4878

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A boat dock and the Roy D. Bridges Jr. Bridge connecting NASA Kennedy Space Center's Industrial Area to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Industrial Area are seen during a field-guided boat tour. As part of the Kennedy's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of the center and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4876

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Roy D. Bridges Jr. Bridge connecting NASA Kennedy Space Center's Industrial Area to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Industrial Area is seen during a field-guided boat tour. As part of the Kennedy's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of the center and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4880

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A boat dock and skiff boat are seen near the Roy D. Bridges Jr. Bridge that connects NASA Kennedy Space Center's Industrial Area to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Industrial Area following a field-guided boat tour. As part of the Kennedy's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of the center and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2012-4877

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-09-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Roy D. Bridges Jr. Bridge connecting NASA Kennedy Space Center's Industrial Area to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Industrial Area is seen during a field-guided boat tour. As part of the Kennedy's first-ever Innovation Expo, the tour, called "Living Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Sustainability," is giving employees the opportunity to see the unique estuarine ecosystems that are protected from development by the presence of the center and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The diverse and healthy area encompassing about 140,000 acres of central Florida's east coast has been closed to the public for 50 years, allowing the coastal dunes, saltwater estuaries and marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks to provide habitats for more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. Innovation Expo is showcasing the innovative work taking place throughout the center's facilities and labs to encourage employees to work together to solve future challenges. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA

SENSITIVITY OF NITROGEN CONCENTRATIONS IN ESTUARIES TO LOADING AND WATER RESIDENCE TIME: APPLICATION TO THE POTOMAC ESTUARY

EPA Science Inventory

We use a simple nitrogen budget model to analyze concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) in estuaries for which both nitrogen inputs and water residence time are correlated with freshwater inflow rates. While the nitrogen concentration of an estuary varies linearly with TN loading ...

AN APPROACH TO DEVELOPING NUTRIENT CRITERIA FOR PACIFIC NORTHWEST ESTUARIES: A CASE STUDY OF YAQUINA ESTUARY, OREGON

EPA Science Inventory

NHEERL scientists have developed an approach that could be used by the State of Oregon for development of nutrient and other water quality criteria for the Yaquina Estuary, Oregon. The principle objective in setting protective criteria is to prevent future degradation of estuari...

33 CFR 165.1190 - Security Zone; San Francisco Bay, Oakland Estuary, Alameda, CA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., Oakland Estuary, Alameda, CA. 165.1190 Section 165.1190 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD... § 165.1190 Security Zone; San Francisco Bay, Oakland Estuary, Alameda, CA. (a) Location. The following area is a security zone: All navigable waters of the Oakland Estuary, California, from the surface to...

33 CFR 165.1190 - Security Zone; San Francisco Bay, Oakland Estuary, Alameda, CA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., Oakland Estuary, Alameda, CA. 165.1190 Section 165.1190 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD... § 165.1190 Security Zone; San Francisco Bay, Oakland Estuary, Alameda, CA. (a) Location. The following area is a security zone: All navigable waters of the Oakland Estuary, California, from the surface to...

The Estuary Guide. Level 3: High School. Draft.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexander, Glen; And Others

Estuaries are marine systems that serve as nurseries for animals, links in the migratory pathways, and habitat for a complex community of organisms. This curriculum guide intended for use at the high school level seeks to teach what estuaries are; provide opportunities to practice decision-making that affects estuaries; and encourage students to…

33 CFR 165.1190 - Security Zone; San Francisco Bay, Oakland Estuary, Alameda, CA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., Oakland Estuary, Alameda, CA. 165.1190 Section 165.1190 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD... § 165.1190 Security Zone; San Francisco Bay, Oakland Estuary, Alameda, CA. (a) Location. The following area is a security zone: All navigable waters of the Oakland Estuary, California, from the surface to...

33 CFR 165.1190 - Security Zone; San Francisco Bay, Oakland Estuary, Alameda, CA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., Oakland Estuary, Alameda, CA. 165.1190 Section 165.1190 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD... § 165.1190 Security Zone; San Francisco Bay, Oakland Estuary, Alameda, CA. (a) Location. The following area is a security zone: All navigable waters of the Oakland Estuary, California, from the surface to...

33 CFR 165.1190 - Security Zone; San Francisco Bay, Oakland Estuary, Alameda, CA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., Oakland Estuary, Alameda, CA. 165.1190 Section 165.1190 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD... § 165.1190 Security Zone; San Francisco Bay, Oakland Estuary, Alameda, CA. (a) Location. The following area is a security zone: All navigable waters of the Oakland Estuary, California, from the surface to...

Seasonal variation in denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia process rates and corresponding key functional genes along an estuarine nitrate gradient

PubMed Central

Smith, Cindy J.; Dong, Liang F.; Wilson, John; Stott, Andrew; Osborn, A. Mark; Nedwell, David B.

2015-01-01

This research investigated spatial-temporal variation in benthic bacterial community structure, rates of denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) processes and abundances of corresponding genes and transcripts at three sites—the estuary-head, mid-estuary and the estuary mouth (EM) along the nitrate gradient of the Colne estuary over an annual cycle. Denitrification rates declined down the estuary, while DNRA rates were higher at the estuary head and middle than the EM. In four out of the six 2-monthly time-points, rates of DNRA were greater than denitrification at each site. Abundance of gene markers for nitrate-reduction (nitrate reductase narG and napA), denitrification (nitrite reductase nirS) and DNRA (DNRA nitrite reductase nrfA) declined along the estuary with significant relationships between denitrification and nirS abundance, and DNRA and nrfA abundance. Spatially, rates of denitrification, DNRA and corresponding functional gene abundances decreased along the estuary. However, temporal correlations between rate processes and functional gene and transcript abundances were not observed. PMID:26082763

A review of land–sea coupling by groundwater discharge of nitrogen to New England estuaries: Mechanisms and effects

USGS Publications Warehouse

2007-01-01

Hydrologists have long been concerned with the interface of groundwater flow into estuaries, but not until the end of the last century did other disciplines realize the major role played by groundwater transport of nutrients to estuaries. Mass balance and stable isotopic data suggest that land-derived NO3, NH4, and dissolved organic N do enter estuaries in amounts likely to affect the function of the receiving ecosystem. Because of increasing human occupancy of the coastal zone, the nutrient loads borne by groundwater have increased in recent decades, in spite of substantial interception of nutrients within the land and aquifer components of watersheds. Groundwater-borne nutrient loads have increased the N content of receiving estuaries, increased phytoplankton and macroalgal production and biomass, decreased the area of seagrasses, and created a cascade of associated ecological changes. This linkage between land use and eutrophication of estuaries occurs in spite of mechanisms, including uptake of land-derived N by riparian vegetation and fringing wetlands, “unloading” by rapid water removal, and direct N inputs to estuaries, that tend to uncouple the effects of land use on receiving estuaries. It can be expected that as human activity on coastal watersheds continues to increase, the role of groundwater-borne nutrients to the receiving estuary will also increase.

Benthic macrofaunal dynamics and environmental stress across a salt wedge Mediterranean estuary.

PubMed

Nebra, Alfonso; Alcaraz, Carles; Caiola, Nuno; Muñoz-Camarillo, Gloria; Ibáñez, Carles

2016-06-01

The spatial distribution of benthic macroinvertebrate community in relation to environmental factors was studied along the Ebro Estuary (NE Iberian Peninsula), a salt wedge Mediterranean estuary. Both ordination methods and generalized additive models were performed to identify the different benthic assemblages and their relationship to abiotic factors. Our results showed a strong relationship between macrofaunal assemblages and the predominant environmental gradients (e.g. salinity); thus revealing spatial differences in their structure and composition. Two different stretches were identified, namely the upper (UE) and the lower Ebro Estuary (LE). UE showed riverine characteristics and hence was colonized by a freshwater community; whereas LE was influenced by marine intrusion and sustained a complex marine-origin community. However, within each stretch, water and sediment characteristics played an important role in explaining species composition differences among sampling stations. Moreover, outcomes suggested a total species replacement pattern, instead of the nestedness pattern usually associated with well-mixed temperate estuaries. The sharp species turnover together with the estuarine stratification point out that the Ebro Estuary is working, in terms of ecological boundaries, under an ecotone model. Finally, despite obvious differences with well mixed estuaries (i.e. lack of tidal influence, stratification and species turnover), the Ebro Estuary shares important ecological attributes with well-mixed temperate estuaries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water from three estuaries of China: Distribution, seasonal variations and ecological risk assessment.

PubMed

Yan, Jinxia; Liu, Jingling; Shi, Xuan; You, Xiaoguang; Cao, Zhiguo

2016-08-15

The distribution, seasonal variations and ecological risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water from three estuaries in Hai River Basin of China, which has been suffering from different anthropogenic pressures, were investigated. In three estuaries, the average concentration of ΣPAHs was the lowest in Luan River estuary, followed by Hai River estuary, and the highest in Zhangweixin River estuary. There were significant seasonal variations in ΣPAHs, the concentrations of ΣPAHs were higher in November than in May and August. The composition profiles of PAHs in different sites were significantly different, and illustrated seasonal variations. Generally, 2-ring (Nap) and 3-ring PAHs (Acp, Fl and Phe) were the most abundant components at most sampling sites in three estuaries. The PAHs in three estuaries were mainly originated from pyrogenic sources. A method based on toxic equivalency factors (TEFs) and risk quotient (RQ) was proposed to assess the ecological risk of ΣPAHs, with the ecological risk of individual PAHs being considered separately. The results showed that the ecological risks caused by ΣPAHs were high in Hai River estuary and Zhangweixin River estuary, and moderate in Luan River estuary. The mean values of ecological risk in August were lower than those in November. The contributions of individual PAHs to ecological risk were different in May, August and November. 3-ring and 4-ring PAHs accounted for much more ecological risk than 2-ring, 5-ring and 6-ring, although the contributions of 5-ring and 6-ring to ecological risk were higher than these to PAHs concentrations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Species Sorting of Benthic Invertebrates in a Salinity Gradient - Importance of Dispersal Limitation.

PubMed

Josefson, Alf B

2016-01-01

The relative importance of environment and dispersal related processes for community assembly has attracted great interest over recent decades, but few empirical studies from the marine/estuarine realm have examined the possible effects of these two types of factors in the same system. Importance of these processes was investigated in a hypothetical metacommunity of benthic invertebrates in 16 micro-tidal estuaries connected to the same open sea area. The estuaries differed in size and connectivity to the open sea and represented a salinity gradient across the estuaries. The Elements of Metacommunity Structure (EMS) approach on estuary scale was complemented with a mechanistic variance partitioning approach on sample scale to disentangle effects of factors affecting assembly of three trait groups of species with different dispersivity. A quasi-Clementsian pattern was observed for all three traits, a likely response to some latent gradient. The primary axis in the pattern was most strongly related to gradients in estuary salinity and estuary entrance width and correlation with richness indicated nestedness only in the matrix of the most dispersive trait group. In the variance partitioning approach measures of turnover and nestedness between paired samples each from different estuaries were related to environmental distance in different gradients. Distance between estuaries was unimportant suggesting importance of factors characterizing the estuaries. While the high dispersive species mainly were sorted in the salinity gradient, apparently according to their tolerance ranges towards salinity, the two less dispersive traits were additionally affected by estuary entrance width and possibly also area. The results exemplify a mechanism of community assembly in the marine realm where the niche factor salinity in conjunction with differential dispersal structure invertebrates in a metacommunity of connected estuaries, and support the idea that dispersive species are more controlled by the environment than less dispersive species.

Effects of mud supply on large-scale estuary morphology and development over centuries to millennia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braat, Lisanne; van Kessel, Thijs; Leuven, Jasper R. F. W.; Kleinhans, Maarten G.

2017-10-01

Alluvial river estuaries consist largely of sand but are typically flanked by mudflats and salt marshes. The analogy with meandering rivers that are kept narrower than braided rivers by cohesive floodplain formation raises the question of how large-scale estuarine morphology and the late Holocene development of estuaries are affected by cohesive sediment. In this study we combine sand and mud transport processes and study their interaction effects on morphologically modelled estuaries on centennial to millennial timescales. The numerical modelling package Delft3D was applied in 2-DH starting from an idealised convergent estuary. The mixed sediment was modelled with an active layer and storage module with fluxes predicted by the Partheniades-Krone relations for mud and Engelund-Hansen for sand. The model was subjected to a range of idealised boundary conditions of tidal range, river discharge, waves and mud input. The model results show that mud is predominantly stored in mudflats on the side of the estuary. Marine mud supply only influences the mouth of the estuary, whereas fluvial mud is distributed along the whole estuary. Coastal waves stir up mud and remove the tendency to form muddy coastlines and the formation of mudflats in the downstream part of the estuary. Widening continues in estuaries with only sand, while mud supply leads to a narrower constant width and reduced channel and bar dynamics. This self-confinement eventually leads to a dynamic equilibrium in which lateral channel migration and mudflat expansion are balanced on average. However, for higher mud concentrations, higher discharge and low tidal amplitude, the estuary narrows and fills to become a tidal delta.

The relative influence of local and regional environmental drivers of algal biomass (chlorophyll-a) varies by estuarine location

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wainger, Lisa; Yu, Hao; Gazenski, Kim; Boynton, Walter

2016-09-01

A major question in restoring estuarine water quality is whether local actions to manage excess nutrients can be effective, given that estuaries are also responding to tidal inputs from adjacent water bodies. Several types of statistical analysis were used to examine spatially-detailed and long-term water quality monitoring data in eight sub-estuaries of Chesapeake Bay. These sub-estuaries are likely to be similar to other shallow systems with moderate to long water residence times. Statistical cluster analysis of spatial water quality data suggested that estuaries had spatially distinct water quality zones and that the peak algal biomass (as measured by chlorophyll-a) was most often controlled by local watershed inputs in all but one estuary, although mainstem inputs affected most estuaries at some times and places. An elasticity indicator that compared inter-annual changes in sub-estuaries to parallel changes in the mainstem Chesapeake Bay supported the idea that water quality in sub-estuaries was not strongly coupled to the mainstem. A cross-channel zonation of water quality observed near the mouth of estuaries suggested that Bay influences were stronger on the right side of the lower channel (looking up estuary) at times in all estuaries, and was most common in small estuaries closest to the mouth of the primary water source to the estuary. Where Bay influences were strong, estuarine water quality would be expected to be less responsive to nutrient reductions made in the local watershed. Regression analysis was used to evaluate hypothesized relationships between environmental driver variables and average chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentrations. Chl-a values were calculated from unusually detailed levels of spatial sampling, potentially providing a more comprehensive view of system conditions than that provided by traditional sparse sampling networks. The univariate models with the best data support to explain variability in averaged chl-a concentration were those that reflected water residence time. Of the land cover variables tested, septic density in the riparian zone explained the most variance in chl-a. The multivariate models that most improved upon the residence time effect added TN or TP flows (normalized by volume) and suggested that chl-a will be less responsive to nutrient reductions in estuaries that are poorly flushed.

Spatial distribution of living (Rose Bengal stained) benthic foraminifera in the Loire estuary (western France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mojtahid, M.; Geslin, E.; Coynel, A.; Gorse, L.; Vella, C.; Davranche, A.; Zozzolo, L.; Blanchet, L.; Bénéteau, E.; Maillet, G.

2016-12-01

Ninety-seven surface sediment samples were collected in September 2012 from intertidal and subtidal areas along the Loire estuary (western France). The main objective of this work is to study the spatial distributional patterns of living benthic foraminifera and their link to the environmental parameters (distance to sea, elevation, grain size, total organic carbon, trace metals, sedimentary carbonates, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) in the Loire estuary. Foraminiferal analysis was also extended to the dead assemblages in thirty-three surface samples from the lower inner estuary. The highest absolute densities of living benthic foraminifera are found in the lower inner estuary within the polyhaline domain. This is attributed to the presence of mudflats with abundant food source, i.e. microphytobenthos. The low densities found in the outer estuary (euhaline domain) are attributed partly to the sandy nature of the sediments and the food source inhabiting this substrate. The near absence of foraminifera in the inner estuary (mesohaline and polyhaline domains) is inferred to the physical disturbance resulting from the regular dredging of the navigation channel. The living assemblages are dominated by three typical estuarine species: Ammonia tepida and Haynesina germanica in the intertidal mudflats of the lower inner estuary and Cribroelphidium excavatum in the sandy subtidal sediments of the lower inner and outer estuary. In the Loire estuary, H. germanica has an unusual intermediate geographical distribution along the estuary between A. tepida and C. excavatum while in most temperate estuaries this species is present upstream in the mesohaline domain. This is most likely the result of the regular dredging of the navigation channel damaging its natural habitat. This might be also the explanation for the total absence of agglutinated species usually dominating the oligohaline domain. The canonical correspondence analysis shows that elevation (and its link to time of emersion), distance to sea (and its correspondence with salinity), and organic carbon content appear to be the primary drivers of foraminiferal distribution. The present study provides for the first time ecological and distribution patterns of living benthic foraminiferal communities in the Loire estuary. This baseline knowledge is necessary for the future studies focusing on the use of benthic foraminifera as bio-indicators in the Loire estuary and in transitional environments in general.

The dependence of estuarine turbidity on tidal intrusion length, tidal range and residence time

USGS Publications Warehouse

Uncles, R.J.; Stephens, J.A.; Smith, R.E.

2002-01-01

It is shown that there is a marked tendency for long, strongly tidal estuaries to have greater suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentrations within their high-turbidity regions than shorter estuaries with comparable tidal ranges at their mouths, or weakly tidal estuaries. Using consistently derived data from 44 estuaries in Europe and the Americas, contours of the logarithm of maximum estuarine SPM concentration are shown to be reasonably smooth when plotted against the logarithm of mean spring tidal range (at the estuary mouth) and the logarithm of estuarine tidal length. Predictions from the plot are compared with published observations made in the Delaware, Scheldt, Rio de la Plata, Gironde, Bay of Fundy, Changjiang (Yangtze), Amazon, Paros Lagoon and the Hawkesbury Estuary and it is shown that, qualitatively, there are no serious discrepancies. Short, weakly tidal estuaries are predicted to have very low 'intrinsic' SPM concentrations. High SPM concentrations in these estuaries would most likely be the result of either locally generated wave resuspension, high freshwater sediment loads due to freshets, or intruding seawater carrying suspended sediments derived from wave activity in the coastal zone. Application of a generic tidal model demonstrates that longer estuaries possess faster tidal currents for a given tidal range at their mouth and, in the presence of a supply of erodable fine sediment, therefore (by implication) produce greater concentrations of SPM that can be accumulated within a turbidity maximum. The same is true if the tidal range is increased for estuaries of a given length. These features are illustrated by comparing surveys of SPM data from two large estuaries possessing greatly different tidal ranges (the microtidal, medium turbidity Potomac and the macrotidal, highly turbid Humber-Ouse) and a third, much smaller but strongly tidal estuary (the low-turbidity Tweed). It is demonstrated that longer estuaries tend to have longer flushing times for solutes than shorter systems and that larger tides tend to reduce flushing times, although the tidal influence is secondary. Short, rapidly flushed estuaries quickly lose their erodable fine sediment to the coastal zone during freshets and during the ebbing currents of spring tides. Turbidity is therefore small during low runoff, low wave activity conditions. Very long, very slowly flushed estuaries are unlikely to lose a significant fraction of their resuspended sediments during freshets or individual ebb tides and are therefore able to accumulate large and increasing amounts of fine sediment in the long-term. Turbidity within them is therefore high during the fast currents of large spring tides. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

The dependence of estuarine turbidity on tidal intrusion length, tidal range and residence time

USGS Publications Warehouse

Uncles, R.J.; Stephens, J.A.; Smith, R.E.

2002-01-01

It is shown that there is a marked tendency for long, strongly tidal estuaries to have greater suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentrations within their high-turbidity regions than shorter estuaries with comparable tidal ranges at their mouths, or weakly tidal estuaries. Using consistently derived data from 44 estuaries in Europe and the Americas, contours of the logarithm of maximum estuarine SPM concentration are shown to be reasonably smooth when plotted against the logarithm of mean spring tidal range (at the estuary mouth) and the logarithm of estuarine tidal length. Predictions from the plot are compared with published observations made in the Delaware, Scheldt, Rio de la Plata, Gironde, Bay of Fundy, Changjiang (Yangtze), Amazon, Patos Lagoon and the Hawkesbury Estuary and it is shown that, qualitatively, there are no serious discrepancies. Short, weakly tidal estuaries are predicted to have very low ‘intrinsic’ SPM concentrations. High SPM concentrations in these estuaries would most likely be the result of either locally generated wave resuspension, high freshwater sediment loads due to freshets, or intruding seawater carrying suspended sediments derived from wave activity in the coastal zone. Application of a generic tidal model demonstrates that longer estuaries possess faster tidal currents for a given tidal range at their mouth and, in the presence of a supply of erodable fine sediment, therefore (by implication) produce greater concentrations of SPM that can be accumulated within a turbidity maximum. The same is true if the tidal range is increased for estuaries of a given length. These features are illustrated by comparing surveys of SPM data from two large estuaries possessing greatly different tidal ranges (the microtidal, medium turbidity Potomac and the macrotidal, highly turbid Humber-Ouse) and a third, much smaller but strongly tidal estuary (the low-turbidity Tweed). It is demonstrated that longer estuaries tend to have longer flushing times for solutes than shorter systems and that larger tides tend to reduce flushing times, although the tidal influence is secondary. Short, rapidly flushed estuaries quickly lose their erodable fine sediment to the coastal zone during freshets and during the ebbing currents of spring tides. Turbidity is therefore small during low runoff, low wave activity conditions. Very long, very slowly flushed estuaries are unlikely to lose a significant fraction of their resuspended sediments during freshets or individual ebb tides and are therefore able to accumulate large and increasing amounts of fine sediment in the long-term. Turbidity within them is therefore high during the fast currents of large spring tides.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bottom, Daniel L.; Simenstad, Charles A.; Campbell, Lance

In 2002 with support from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), an interagency research team began investigating salmon life histories and habitat use in the lower Columbia River estuary to fill significant data gaps about the estuary's potential role in salmon decline and recovery . The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) provided additional funding in 2004 to reconstruct historical changes in estuarine habitat opportunities and food web linkages of Columbia River salmon (Onchorhynchus spp.). Together these studies constitute the estuary's first comprehensive investigation of shallow-water habitats, including selected emergent, forested, and scrub-shrub wetlands. Among other findings, this research documented themore » importance of wetlands as nursery areas for juvenile salmon; quantified historical changes in the amounts and distributions of diverse habitat types in the lower estuary; documented estuarine residence times, ranging from weeks to months for many juvenile Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha); and provided new evidence that contemporary salmonid food webs are supported disproportionately by wetland-derived prey resources. The results of these lower-estuary investigations also raised many new questions about habitat functions, historical habitat distributions, and salmon life histories in other areas of the Columbia River estuary that have not been adequately investigated. For example, quantitative estimates of historical habitat changes are available only for the lower 75 km of the estuary, although tidal influence extends 217 km upriver to Bonneville Dam. Because the otolith techniques used to reconstruct salmon life histories rely on detection of a chemical signature (strontium) for salt water, the estuarine residency information we have collected to date applies only to the lower 30 or 35 km of the estuary, where fish first encounter ocean water. We lack information about salmon habitat use, life histories, and growth within the long tidal-fresh reaches of the main-stem river and many tidally-influenced estuary tributaries. Finally, our surveys to date characterize wetland habitats within island complexes distributed in the main channel of the lower estuary. Yet some of the most significant wetland losses have occurred along the estuary's periphery, including shoreline areas and tributary junctions. These habitats may or may not function similarly as the island complexes that we have surveyed to date. In 2007 we initiated a second phase of the BPA estuary study (Phase II) to address specific uncertainties about salmon in tidal-fresh and tributary habitats of the Columbia River estuary. This report summarizes 2007 and 2008 Phase II results and addresses three principal research questions: (1) What was the historic distribution of estuarine and floodplain habitats from Astoria to Bonneville Dam? (2) Do individual patterns of estuarine residency and growth of juvenile Chinook salmon vary among wetland habitat types along the estuarine tidal gradient? (3) Are salmon rearing opportunities and life histories in the restoring wetland landscape of lower Grays River similar to those documented for island complexes of the main-stem estuary? Phase II extended our analysis of historical habitat distribution in the estuary above Rkm 75 to near Bonneville Dam. For this analysis we digitized the original nineteenth-century topographic (T-sheets) and hydrographic (H-sheets) survey maps for the entire estuary. Although all T-sheets (Rkm 0 to Rkm 206) were converted to GIS in 2005 with support for the USACE estuary project, final reconstruction of historical habitats throughout the estuary requires completion of the remaining H-sheet GIS maps above Rkm 75 and their integration with the T-sheets. This report summarizes progress to date on compiling the upper estuary H-sheets above Rkm 75. For the USACE estuary project, we analyzed otoliths from Chinook salmon collected near the estuary mouth in 2003-05 to estimate variability in estuary residence times among juvenile out migrants. In Phase II we expanded these analyses to compare growth and residency among individuals collected in tidal-fresh water wetlands of the lower main-stem estuary. Although no known otolith structural or chemical indicators currently exist to define entry into tidal fresh environments, our previous analyses indicate that otolith barium concentrations frequently increase before individuals encounter salt water. Here we evaluate whether otolith barium levels may provide a valid indicator of tidal fresh water entry by Columbia River Chinook salmon. We also examine otolith growth increments to quantify and compare recent (i.e., the previous 30 d) growth rates among individuals sampled in different wetland habitats along the estuarine tidal gradient.« less

Influence of water management and natural variability on dissolved inorganic carbon dynamics in a mangrove-dominated estuary.

PubMed

Volta, Chiara; Ho, David T; Friederich, Gernot; Engel, Victor C; Bhat, Mahadev

2018-09-01

High-resolution time series measurements of temperature, salinity, pH and pCO 2 were made during the period October 2014-September 2015 at the midpoint of Shark River, a 15km tidal river that originates in the freshwater Everglades of south Florida (USA) and discharges into the Gulf of Mexico. Dissolved inorganic carbon dynamics in this system vary over time, and during this study could be classified into three distinct regimes corresponding to October 2014-February 2015 (a wet to dry season transition period), March-May 2015 (dry period) and July-September 2015 (wet period). Average net longitudinal dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) fluxes and air-water CO 2 fluxes from the Shark River estuary were determined for the three periods. Net DIC fluxes to the coast were estimated to vary between 23.2 and 25.4×10 5 mold -1 with an average daily DIC flux of 24.3×10 5 mold -1 during the year of study. CO 2 emissions ranged between 5.5 and 7.8×10 5 mold -1 with an average daily value of 6.4×10 5 mold -1 during the year. The differences in estuarine carbon fluxes during the study period are attributed to differences in the relative importance of hydro-climatological drivers. Results suggest that, during months characterized by reduced rainfall, carbon fluxes are affected by water management via control structures in the upstream Everglades marshes. During months with high rainfall, when culverts are closed and rainfall events are more frequent, carbon fluxes depend more on other forcings, such as rainfall and groundwater discharge. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Individual variation in ontogenetic niche shifts in habitat use and movement patterns of a large estuarine predator (Carcharhinus leucas).

PubMed

Matich, Philip; Heithaus, Michael R

2015-06-01

Ontogenetic niche shifts are common among animals, yet most studies only investigate niche shifts at the population level, which may overlook considerable differences among individuals in the timing and dynamics of these shifts. Such divergent behaviors within size-/age-classes have important implications for the roles a population-and specific age-classes-play in their respective ecosystem(s). Using acoustic telemetry, we tracked the movements of juvenile bull sharks in the Shark River Estuary of Everglades National Park, Florida, and found that sharks increased their use of marine microhabitats with age to take advantage of more abundant resources, but continued to use freshwater and estuarine microhabitats as refuges from marine predators. Within this population-level ontogenetic niche shift, however, movement patterns varied among individual sharks, with 47 % of sharks exhibiting condition-dependent habitat use and 53 % appearing risk-averse regardless of body condition. Among sharks older than age 0, fifty percent made regular movements between adjacent regions of the estuary, while the other half made less predictable movements that often featured long-term residence in specific regions. Individual differences were apparently shaped by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, including individual responses to food-risk trade-offs and body condition. These differences appear to develop early in the lives of bull sharks, and persist throughout their residencies in nursery habitats. The widespread occurrence of intraspecific variation in behavior among mobile taxa suggests it is important in shaping population dynamics of at least some species, and elucidating the contexts and timing in which it develops and persists is important for understanding its role within communities.

Feeding habitats of the Gulf sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi, in the Suwannee and Yellow rivers, Florida, as identified by multiple stable isotope analyses

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sulak, Kenneth J.; Berg, James J.; Randall, Michael T.

2012-01-01

Stable 13C, 15N, and 34S isotopes were analyzed to define the feeding habitats of Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi in the Suwannee and Yellow River populations. For the majority (93.9%) of Suwannee subadults and adults, 13C and 34S signatures indicate use of nearshore marine waters as primary winter feeding habitat, probably due to the limiting size of the Suwannee Sound estuary. In the Yellow River population, 13C isotope signatures indicate that adults remain primarily within Pensacola Bay estuary to feed in winter, rather than emigrating to the open Gulf of Mexico. A minor Suwannee River subset (6% of samples), comprised of juveniles and subadults, displayed 13C signatures indicating continued feeding in freshwater during the spring immigration and fall emigration periods. This cannot be interpreted as incidental feeding since it resulted in a 20.5% turnover in tissue δ13C signatures over a 1–3 month period. Cessation of feeding in the general population does not coincide with high river water temperatures. The hypothesis of reduced feeding in freshwater due to localized prey depletion as a result of spatial activity restriction is not supported by the present study. Instead, Suwannee River A. o. desotoi appear to follow two trophic alternatives; 1) complete cessation of feeding immediately upon immigration in spring, continuing through emigration 8–9 months later (the predominant alternative); 2) continued intensive feeding for 1–3 months following immigration, switching to freshwater prey, selected primarily from high trophic levels (i.e., large prey). Stable –34S data verifies that recently immigrated, fully-anadromous A. o. desotoi adults had fed in nearshore marine waters, not offshore waters.

76 FR 70480 - Otay River Estuary Restoration Project, South San Diego Bay Unit of the San Diego Bay National...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-14

... River Estuary Restoration Project, South San Diego Bay Unit of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife...), intend to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed Otay River Estuary Restoration... any one of the following methods. Email: [email protected] . Please include ``Otay Estuary NOI'' in the...

78 FR 68995 - Safety Zone: Vessel Removal From the Oakland Estuary, Alameda, CA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-18

...-AA00 Safety Zone: Vessel Removal From the Oakland Estuary, Alameda, CA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION... waters of the Oakland Estuary just north of the Park Street Bridge in Alameda, CA in support of the Oakland Estuary Closure for the Vessel Removal Project on November 4, 2013 through November 22, 2013. This...

Measuring the contribution of benthic ecosystem engineering species to the ecosystem services of an estuary: A case study of burrowing shrimps in Yaquina Estuary, Oregon

EPA Science Inventory

Burrowing shrimps are regarded as ecosystem engineering species in many coastal ecosystems worldwide, including numerous estuaries of the west coast of North America (Baja California to British Columbia). In estuaries of the U.S. Pacific Northwest, two species of large burrowing...

Climate Ready Estuaries

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Information on climate change impacts to different estuary regions, tools and resources to monitor changes, and information to help managers develop adaptation plans for risk management of estuaries and coastal communities.

Characterizing seston in the Penobscot River Estuary.

PubMed

Meseck, Shannon L; Li, Yaqin; Sunila, Inke; Dixon, Mark; Clark, Paul; Lipsky, Christine; Stevens, Justin R; Music, Paul; Wikfors, Gary H

2017-10-01

The Penobscot River Estuary is an important system for diadromous fish in the Northeast United States of American (USA), in part because it is home to the largest remnant population of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, in the country. Little is known about the chemical and biological characteristics of seston in the Penobscot River Estuary. This study used estuarine transects to characterize the seston during the spring when river discharge is high and diadromous fish migration peaks in the Penobscot River Estuary. To characterize the seston, samples were taken in spring 2015 for phytoplankton identification, total suspended matter (TSM), percent organic TSM, chlorophyll a, particle size (2 μm-180 μm), particulate carbon and nitrogen concentrations, and stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. The estuarine profiles indicate that TSM behaved non-conservatively with a net gain in the estuary. As phytoplankton constituted only 1/1000 of the particles, the non-conservative behavior of TSM observed in the estuary was most likely not attributable to phytoplankton. Particulate carbon and nitrogen ratios and stable isotope signals indicate a strong terrestrial, allochthonous signal. The seston in the Penobscot River Estuary was dominated by non-detrital particles. During a short, two-week time period, Heterosigma akashiwo, a phytoplankton species toxic to finfish, also was detected in the estuary. A limited number of fish samples, taken after the 2015 Penobscot River Estuary bloom of H. akashiwo, indicated frequent pathological gill damage. The composition of seston, along with ichthyotoxic algae, suggest the need for further research into possible effects upon resident and migratory fish in the Penobscot River Estuary. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Circulation and physical processes within the San Gabriel River Estuary during summer 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosenberger, Kurt J.; Xu, Jingping; Stein, Eric D.; Noble, Marlene A.; Gartner, Anne L.

2007-01-01

The Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP) is developing a hydrodynamic model of the SGR estuary, which is part of the comprehensive water-quality model of the SGR estuary and watershed investigated by SCCWRP and other local agencies. The hydrodynamic model will help understanding of 1) the exchange processes between the estuary and coastal ocean; 2) the circulation patterns in the estuary; 3) upstream natural runoff and the cooling discharge from PGS. Like all models, the SGR hydrodynamic model is only useful after it is fully calibrated and validated. In May 2005, SCCWRP requested the assistance of the U.S. geological Survey (USGS) Coastal and Marine Geology team (CMG) in collecting data on the hydrodynamic conditions in the estuary during the summer dry season. The summer was chosen for field data collection as this was assumed to be the season with the greatest potential for chronic degraded water quality due to low river flow and high thermal stratification within the estuary (due to both higher average air temperature and PGS output). Water quality can be degraded in winter as well, when higher river discharge events bring large volumes of water from the Los Angeles basin into the estuary. The objectives of this project were to 1) collect hydrodynamic data along the SGR estuary; 2) study exchange processes within the estuary through analysis of the hydrodynamic data; and 3) provide field data for model calibration and validation. As the data only exist for the summer season, the results herein only apply to summer conditions.

Do different degrees of human activity affect the diet of Brazilian silverside Atherinella brasiliensis?

PubMed

Alves, V E N; Patrício, J; Dolbeth, M; Pessanha, A; Palma, A R T; Dantas, E W; Vendel, A L

2016-08-01

The aim of the present study was to test whether different degrees of human activity affect the diet of the Brazilian silverside Atherinella brasiliensis in two tropical estuaries. Fish were collected along the salinity gradient of two Brazilian estuaries, the heavily impacted Paraiba Estuary and the less impacted Mamanguape Estuary, in the dry and wet seasons. The findings confirm that A. brasiliensis has generalist feeding habits and is able to change its diet under different environmental conditions. The results indicate clear spatial (i.e. along the estuarine gradient) changes in diet composition in both estuaries, but diet was also influenced by the degree of anthropogenic disturbance. During the wet season in the nutrient enriched Paraiba Estuary, when human activity was higher, the diet of A. brasiliensis was poorer and dominated by few dietary items, reflecting the potential impoverishment of prey items in this heavily disturbed system. The specimens collected in the most affected estuary also had a greater frequency of micro-plastics and parasites in their stomachs, reflecting the greater degree of human disturbance in the estuary. The present findings suggest that the diet of A. brasiliensis could be a useful indicator of changes in the ecological quality of these and other tropical estuaries of the western Atlantic Ocean. © 2016 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Isolation and connectivity: Relationships between periodic connection to the ocean and environmental variables in intermittently closed estuaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lill, Adrian Wilfred Thomas; Schallenberg, Marc; Lal, Aparna; Savage, Candida; Closs, Gerard Patrick

2013-08-01

Morphometric and physicochemical variables are key determinants of biotic community structure in estuaries and are influenced by changes to estuary mouth state (open/closed). This study examined and compared the consequences of intermittent connection to the ocean on environmental gradients among estuaries; specifically, how estuary morphology and hydrology relate to physical connection to the sea, and the influence of this relationship on the physicochemical environment. By sampling 20 estuaries across New Zealand and using historical aerial photographs, a continuous index of estuarine connection to the ocean was developed and independently validated using berm elevation derived from Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) data. Using published literature, this index was compared to equivalent indices in South Africa and Australia. A clear relationship between connections to the ocean, freshwater flow and productivity indices underlie the environmental differences between permanently open and intermittently closed estuaries. Consistent patterns across the Southern Hemisphere, albeit with regional variations in estuarine characteristics, suggest that remote sensing is useful for predicting the physicochemical environment of small estuaries across regions. Principal components analysis for Otago estuaries showed that 40% of measured variation in the environment could be attributed to the gradient of relative connectivity (EOI), or isolation (berm elevation) to the ocean. Evaluating these relationships is central to understanding how global and local environmental changes may affect estuarine connectivity regimes and, ultimately, the functioning of estuarine ecosystems.

Simple processes drive unpredictable differences in estuarine fish assemblages: Baselines for understanding site-specific ecological and anthropogenic impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheaves, Marcus

2016-03-01

Predicting patterns of abundance and composition of biotic assemblages is essential to our understanding of key ecological processes, and our ability to monitor, evaluate and manage assemblages and ecosystems. Fish assemblages often vary from estuary to estuary in apparently unpredictable ways, making it challenging to develop a general understanding of the processes that determine assemblage composition. This makes it problematic to transfer understanding from one estuary situation to another and therefore difficult to assemble effective management plans or to assess the impacts of natural and anthropogenic disturbance. Although system-to-system variability is a common property of ecological systems, rather than being random it is the product of complex interactions of multiple causes and effects at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. I investigate the drivers of differences in estuary fish assemblages, to develop a simple model explaining the diversity and complexity of observed estuary-to-estuary differences, and explore its implications for management and conservation. The model attributes apparently unpredictable differences in fish assemblage composition from estuary to estuary to the interaction of species-specific, life history-specific and scale-specific processes. In explaining innate faunal differences among estuaries without the need to invoke complex ecological or anthropogenic drivers, the model provides a baseline against which the effects of additional natural and anthropogenic factors can be evaluated.

Evolution of mid-Atlantic coastal and back-barrier estuary environments in response to a hurricane: Implications for barrier-estuary connectivity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miselis, Jennifer L.; Andrews, Brian D.; Nicholson, Robert S.; Defne, Zafer; Ganju, Neil K.; Navoy, Anthony S.

2016-01-01

Assessments of coupled barrier island-estuary storm response are rare. Hurricane Sandy made landfall during an investigation in Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor estuary that included water quality monitoring, geomorphologic characterization, and numerical modeling; this provided an opportunity to characterize the storm response of the barrier island-estuary system. Barrier island morphologic response was characterized by significant changes in shoreline position, dune elevation, and beach volume; morphologic changes within the estuary were less dramatic with a net gain of only 200,000 m3 of sediment. When observed, estuarine deposition was adjacent to the back-barrier shoreline or collocated with maximum estuary depths. Estuarine sedimentologic changes correlated well with bed shear stresses derived from numerically simulated storm conditions, suggesting that change is linked to winnowing from elevated storm-related wave-current interactions rather than deposition. Rapid storm-related changes in estuarine water level, turbidity, and salinity were coincident with minima in island and estuarine widths, which may have influenced the location of two barrier island breaches. Barrier-estuary connectivity, or the transport of sediment from barrier island to estuary, was influenced by barrier island land use and width. Coupled assessments like this one provide critical information about storm-related coastal and estuarine sediment transport that may not be evident from investigations that consider only one component of the coastal system.

Learning Lessons from Estuaries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schnittka, Christine

2006-01-01

There is something that draws all people to the sea and especially to the fertile estuaries that nuzzle up to its shores. An estuary serves as both a nursery and a grave for sea creatures. If life evolved from some primordial sea, it may well have been an estuary--a place where ocean and rivers meet and fresh and salty waters mingle in the…

78 FR 1246 - Otay River Estuary Restoration Project; South San Diego Bay Unit and Sweetwater Marsh Unit of the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-08

...-FF08RSDC00] Otay River Estuary Restoration Project; South San Diego Bay Unit and Sweetwater Marsh Unit of the... scoping with regard to the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed Otay River Estuary... one of the following methods. Email: [email protected] . Please include ``Otay Estuary NOI'' in the...

The Estuary Book: A Guide to Promoting Understanding and Regional Management of Maine's Estuaries and Embayments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruffing, Jenny

The objective of this document is to provide information about estuaries, the impact of uses on the environmental health of an estuary, and what communities and concerned individuals can do to manage and protect their local estuarine resources successfully. Much of the information presented here pertains to other embayments along the Maine coast…

Measuring the contribution of benthic ecosystem engineering species to the ecosystem services of an estuary: A case study of burrowing shrimps in Yaquina Estuary, Oregon - April 2009

EPA Science Inventory

Burrowing shrimps are regarded as ecosystem engineering species in many coastal ecosystems worldwide, including numerous estuaries of the west coast of North America (Baja California to British Columbia). In estuaries of the U.S. Pacific Northwest, two species of large burrowing...

Estuary Data Mapper: A Stand-Alone Tool for Geospatial Data Access, Visualization and Download for Estuaries and Coastal Watersheds of the United States

EPA Science Inventory

The US EPA Estuary Data Mapper (EDM; http://badger.epa.gov/rsig/edm/index.html) has been designed as a free stand-alone tool for geospatial data discovery, visualization, and data download for estuaries and their associated watersheds in the conterminous United States. EDM requi...

Estuary Data Mapper: A Stand-Alone Tool for Geospatial Data Access, Visualization and Download for Estuaries and Coastal Watersheds of the United States. (UNH)

EPA Science Inventory

The US EPA Estuary Data Mapper (EDM; http://badger.epa.gov/rsig/edm/index.html) has been designed as a free stand-alone tool for geospatial data discovery, visualization, and data download for estuaries and their associated watersheds in the conterminous United States. EDM requi...

Utilising monitoring and modelling of estuarine environments to investigate catchment conditions responsible for stratification events in a typically well-mixed urbanised estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Serena B.; Birch, Gavin F.

2012-10-01

Estuarine health is affected by contamination from stormwater, particularly in highly-urbanised environments. For systems where catchment monitoring is insufficient, novel techniques must be employed to determine the impact of urban runoff on receiving water bodies. In the present work, estuarine monitoring and modelling were successfully employed to determine stormwater runoff volumes and establish an appropriate rainfall/runoff relationship capable of replicating fresh-water discharge due to the full range of precipitation conditions in the Sydney Estuary, Australia. Using estuary response to determine relationships between catchment rainfall and runoff is a widely applicable method and may be of assistance in the study of waterways where monitoring fluvial discharges is not practical or is beyond the capacity of management authorities. For the Sydney Estuary, the SCS-CN method replicated rainfall/runoff and was applied in numerical modelling experiments investigating the hydrodynamic characteristics affecting stratification and estuary recovery following high precipitation. Numerical modelling showed stratification in the Sydney Estuary was dominated by fresh-water discharge. Spring tides and up-estuary winds contributed to mixing and neap tides and down-estuary winds enhanced stratification.

Functional diversity of fish communities in two tropical estuaries subjected to anthropogenic disturbance.

PubMed

Dolbeth, M; Vendel, A L; Pessanha, A; Patrício, J

2016-11-15

The functional diversity of fish communities was studied along the salinity gradient of two estuaries in Northeast Brazil subjected to different anthropogenic pressures, to gain a better understanding of the response of fish communities to disturbance. We evaluated functional complementarity indices, redundancy and analysed functional composition through functional groups based on combinations of different traits. The fish communities in both estuaries share similar functions performed by few functional groups. The upstream areas had generally lower taxonomic, functional diversity and lower redundancy, suggesting greater vulnerability to impacts caused by human activities. Biomass was slightly more evenly distributed among functional groups in the less disturbed estuary, but total biomass and redundancy were lower in comparison to the urbanized estuary. The present findings lend strength to the notion that the less disturbed estuary may be more susceptible to anthropogenic impacts, underscoring the need for more effective conservation measures directed at this estuary. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How Phytoplankton Membranes Cope With Steep Ionic Strength (Salinity) Gradient?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gasparovic, B.; Sesar, T.; Cankovic, M.; Ljubešić, Z.; Hrustić, E.; Zhu, Z.; Zhang, R.; Du, J.

2016-02-01

We report on phytoplankton accommodation on stressful conditions being steep ionic strength, i.e. salinity, changes, the conditions regularly found in the estuaries. We aimed defining how lipid composition of phytoplankton membrane structure is accommodated to prevent spontaneous osmosis. Salinity-dependent lipid profiles for particulate lipid extracts from blooming periods of the two opposing estuaries: eutrophic and polluted Wenchang River Estuary and pristine oligotrophic/mesotrophic Krka River Estuary were characterized by thin layer chromatography (TLC). The composition of phytoplankton pigments which was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. Domination of pigment Fucoxanthin in both estuaries indicates diatoms were major blooming group. While total particulate lipid concentration was almost an order of magnitude higher in the Wenchang River estuary (on average 238 µg/L) than in the Krka River Estuary (on average 36 µg/L), the lipid composition was similar. This implies that salinity stress is the main influential factor on phytoplankton lipid composition rather than availability of nutrients. Details on the lipid composition that follow salinity changes will be discussed.

Plastic pollution in five urban estuaries of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

PubMed

Naidoo, Trishan; Glassom, David; Smit, Albertus J

2015-12-15

Monitoring plastic concentrations in estuaries is vital in assessing the magnitude of terrestrial inputs to oceanic environments. Data on plastics ≤ 5 mm in estuaries are scant. This study determined microplastic levels within five estuaries along the Durban coastline and on intervening beaches. Plastics were isolated from estuarine sediment, beach sediment and the surface water of each estuary and characterised. Sediment at the Bayhead area of Durban harbour had the highest average plastic concentrations (745.4 ± 129.7 particles per 500 ml) and an attenuating concentration trend away from the city centre was found. Prevailing south to north longshore drift was hypothesised to result in plastic accumulation on the northern shores of beaches with estuarine effluents, however, this was not found. Fragments composed the largest percent of plastics (59%) found in Bayhead, whereas fibres dominated other estuaries with proportions ranging from 38% of total plastics in the uMgeni estuary to 66% in the Mdloti. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estuary Data Mapper (EDM)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Estuary Data Mapper is a tool for geospatial data discovery, visualization, and data download for any of the approximately 2,000 estuaries and associated watersheds in along the five US coastal regions

About Estuary Data Mapper (EDM)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Estuary Data Mapper is a tool for geospatial data discovery, visualization, and data download for any of the approximately 2,000 estuaries and associated watersheds in along the five US coastal regions.

Country-wide assessment of estuary health: An approach for integrating pressures and ecosystem response in a data limited environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Niekerk, L.; Adams, J. B.; Bate, G. C.; Forbes, A. T.; Forbes, N. T.; Huizinga, P.; Lamberth, S. J.; MacKay, C. F.; Petersen, C.; Taljaard, S.; Weerts, S. P.; Whitfield, A. K.; Wooldridge, T. H.

2013-09-01

Population and development pressures increase the need for proactive strategic management on a regional or country-wide scale - reactively protecting ecosystems on an estuary-by-estuary basis against multiple pressures is 'resource hungry' and not feasible. Proactive management requires a strategic assessment of health so that the most suitable return on investment can be made. A country-wide assessment of the nearly 300 functional South African estuaries examined both key pressures (freshwater inflow modification, water quality, artificial breaching of temporarily open/closed systems, habitat modification and exploitation of living resources) and health state. The method used to assess the type and level of the different pressures, as well as the ecological health status of a large number of estuaries in a data limited environment is described in this paper. Key pressures and the ecological condition of estuaries on a national scale are summarised. The template may also be used to provide guidance to coastal researchers attempting to inform management in other developing countries. The assessment was primarily aimed at decision makers both inside and outside the biodiversity sector. A key starting point was to delineate spatially the estuary functional zone (area) for every system. In addition, available data on pressures impacting estuaries on a national scale were collated. A desktop national health assessment, based on an Estuarine Health Index developed for South African ecological water requirement studies, was then applied systematically. National experts, all familiar with the index evaluated the estuaries in their region. Individual estuarine health assessment scores were then translated into health categories that reflect the overall status of South Africa's estuaries. The results showed that estuaries in the warm-temperate biogeographical zone are healthier than those in the cool-temperate and subtropical zones, largely reflecting the country's demographics and developmental pressures. A major finding was that, while a large number of South Africa's estuaries are still in an excellent to good condition, they tend to represent very small systems (<150 ha in size) in rural areas with few pressures. Larger systems, which are more important as nursery grounds because of their size, and also of higher economic and ecological importance, are in a fair to poor condition. This was due to pressures within the catchments influencing these downstream systems, and degradation as a result of direct development within the estuary functional zone.

40 CFR 35.9060 - Maximum Federal share.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Financial Assistance for the National Estuary Program § 35.9060 Maximum... development of a comprehensive conservation and management plan for the estuary as specified in the estuary...

40 CFR 35.9060 - Maximum Federal share.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Financial Assistance for the National Estuary Program § 35.9060 Maximum... development of a comprehensive conservation and management plan for the estuary as specified in the estuary...

40 CFR 35.9060 - Maximum Federal share.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Financial Assistance for the National Estuary Program § 35.9060 Maximum... development of a comprehensive conservation and management plan for the estuary as specified in the estuary...

40 CFR 35.9060 - Maximum Federal share.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Financial Assistance for the National Estuary Program § 35.9060 Maximum... development of a comprehensive conservation and management plan for the estuary as specified in the estuary...

40 CFR 35.9060 - Maximum Federal share.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Financial Assistance for the National Estuary Program § 35.9060 Maximum... development of a comprehensive conservation and management plan for the estuary as specified in the estuary...

Positive feedback fishery: Population consequences of `crab-tiling' on the green crab Carcinus maenas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheehan, E. V.; Thompson, R. C.; Coleman, R. A.; Attrill, M. J.

2008-11-01

Collection of marine invertebrates for use as fishing bait is a substantial activity in many parts of the world, often with unknown ecological consequences. As new fisheries develop, it is critical for environmental managers to have high quality ecological information regarding the potential impacts, in order to develop sound management strategies. Crab-tiling is a largely unregulated and un-researched fishery, which operates commercially in the south-west UK. The target species is the green crab Carcinus maenas. Those crabs which are pre-ecdysis and have a carapace width greater than 40 mm are collected to be sold to recreational anglers as bait. Collection involves laying artificial structures on intertidal sandflats and mudflats in estuaries. Crabs use these structures as refugia and are collected during low tide. However, the effect that this fishery has on populations of C. maenas is not known. The impact of crab-tiling on C. maenas population structure was determined by sampling crabs from tiled estuaries and non-tiled estuaries using baited drop-nets. A spatially and temporarily replicated, balanced design was used to compare crab abundance, sizes and sex ratios between estuaries. Typically, fisheries are associated with a reduction in the abundance of the target species. Crab-tiling, however, significantly increased C. maenas abundance. This was thought to be a result of the extra habitat in tiled estuaries, which probably provides protection from natural predators, such as birds and fish. Although crabs were more abundant in tiled estuaries than non-tiled estuaries, the overall percentage of reproductively active crabs in non-tiled estuaries was greater than in tiled estuaries. As with most exploited fisheries stocks, crabs in exploited (tiled) estuaries tended to be smaller, with a modal carapace width of 20-29 mm rather than 30-39 mm in non-tiled estuaries. The sex ratio of crabs however; was not significantly different between tiled and non-tiled estuaries. These results illustrate the potential to manage fished populations using habitat provision to mitigate the effects of fishing pressure.

Unraveling the environmental and anthropogenic drivers of bacterial community changes in the Estuary of Bilbao and its tributaries.

PubMed

Aguirre, Mikel; Abad, David; Albaina, Aitor; Cralle, Lauren; Goñi-Urriza, María Soledad; Estonba, Andone; Zarraonaindia, Iratxe

2017-01-01

In this study, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to characterize the changes in taxonomic composition and environmental factors significantly influencing bacterial community structure across an annual cycle in the Estuary of Bilbao as well as its tributaries. In spite of this estuary being small and characterized by a short residence time, the environmental factors most highly correlated with the bacterial community mirrored those reported to govern larger estuaries, specifically salinity and temperature. Additionally, bacterial community changes in the estuary appeared to vary with precipitation. For example, an increase in freshwater bacteria (Comamonadaceae and Sphingobacteriaceae) was observed in high precipitation periods compared to the predominately marine-like bacteria (Rhodobacterales and Oceanospirillales) that were found in low precipitation periods. Notably, we observed a significantly higher relative abundance of Comamonadaceae than previously described in other estuaries. Furthermore, anthropic factors could have an impact on this particular estuary's bacterial community structure. For example, ecosystem changes related to the channelization of the estuary likely induced a low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration, high temperature, and high chlorophyll concentration period in the inner euhaline water in summer (samples with salinity >30 ppt). Those samples were characterized by a high abundance of facultative anaerobes. For instance, OTUs classified as Cryomorphaceae and Candidatus Aquiluna rubra were negatively associated with DO concentration, while Oleiphilaceae was positively associated with DO concentration. Additionally, microorganisms related to biological treatment of wastewater (e.g Bdellovibrio and Zoogloea) were detected in the samples immediately downstream of the Bilbao Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). There are several human activities planned in the region surrounding the Estuary of Bilbao (e.g. sediment draining, architectural changes, etc.) which will likely affect this ecosystem. Therefore, the addition of bacterial community profiling and diversity analysis into the estuary's ongoing monitoring program would provide a more comprehensive view of the ecological status of the Estuary of Bilbao.

Species Sorting of Benthic Invertebrates in a Salinity Gradient – Importance of Dispersal Limitation

PubMed Central

Josefson, Alf B.

2016-01-01

The relative importance of environment and dispersal related processes for community assembly has attracted great interest over recent decades, but few empirical studies from the marine/estuarine realm have examined the possible effects of these two types of factors in the same system. Importance of these processes was investigated in a hypothetical metacommunity of benthic invertebrates in 16 micro-tidal estuaries connected to the same open sea area. The estuaries differed in size and connectivity to the open sea and represented a salinity gradient across the estuaries. The Elements of Metacommunity Structure (EMS) approach on estuary scale was complemented with a mechanistic variance partitioning approach on sample scale to disentangle effects of factors affecting assembly of three trait groups of species with different dispersivity. A quasi-Clementsian pattern was observed for all three traits, a likely response to some latent gradient. The primary axis in the pattern was most strongly related to gradients in estuary salinity and estuary entrance width and correlation with richness indicated nestedness only in the matrix of the most dispersive trait group. In the variance partitioning approach measures of turnover and nestedness between paired samples each from different estuaries were related to environmental distance in different gradients. Distance between estuaries was unimportant suggesting importance of factors characterizing the estuaries. While the high dispersive species mainly were sorted in the salinity gradient, apparently according to their tolerance ranges towards salinity, the two less dispersive traits were additionally affected by estuary entrance width and possibly also area. The results exemplify a mechanism of community assembly in the marine realm where the niche factor salinity in conjunction with differential dispersal structure invertebrates in a metacommunity of connected estuaries, and support the idea that dispersive species are more controlled by the environment than less dispersive species. PMID:28006014

Tropical land-sea couplings: Role of watershed deforestation, mangrove estuary processing, and marine inputs on N fluxes in coastal Pacific Panama.

PubMed

Valiela, Ivan; Elmstrom, Elizabeth; Lloret, Javier; Stone, Thomas; Camilli, Luis

2018-07-15

We review data from coastal Pacific Panama and other tropical coasts with two aims. First, we defined inputs and losses of nitrogen (N) mediating connectivity of watersheds, mangrove estuaries, and coastal sea. N entering watersheds-mainly via N fixation (79-86%)-was largely intercepted; N discharges to mangrove estuaries (3-6%), small compared to N inputs to watersheds, nonetheless significantly supplied N to mangrove estuaries. Inputs to mangrove estuaries (including watershed discharges, and marine inputs during flood tides) were matched by losses (mainly denitrification and export during ebb tides). Mangrove estuary subsidies of coastal marine food webs take place by export of forms of N [DON (62.5%), PN (9.1%), and litter N (12.9%)] that provide dissimilative and assimilative subsidies. N fixation, denitrification, and tidal exchanges were major processes, and DON was major form of N involved in connecting fluxes in and out of mangrove estuaries. Second, we assessed effects of watershed forest cover on connectivity. Decreased watershed forest cover lowered N inputs, interception, and discharge into receiving mangrove estuaries. These imprints of forest cover were erased during transit of N through estuaries, owing to internal N cycle transformations, and differences in relative area of watersheds and estuaries. Largest losses of N consisted of water transport of energy-rich compounds, particularly DON. N losses were similar in magnitude to N inputs from sea, calculated without considering contribution by intermittent coastal upwelling, and hence likely under-estimated. Pacific Panama mangrove estuaries are exposed to major inputs of N from land and sea, which emphasizes the high degree of bi-directional connectivity in these coupled ecosystems. Pacific Panama is still lightly affected by human or global changes. Increased deforestation can be expected, as well as changes in ENSO, which will surely raise watershed-derived loads of N, as well as significantly change marine N inputs affecting coastal coupled ecosystems. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Downloading and Installing Estuary Data Mapper (EDM)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Estuary Data Mapper is a tool for geospatial data discovery, visualization, and data download for any of the approximately 2,000 estuaries and associated watersheds in along the five US coastal regions

About the Climate Ready Estuaries Program

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Climate Ready Estuaries program is a partnership between EPA and the National Estuary Programs to address climate change in coastal areas. It has helped coastal communities prepare for climate change since 2008.

Frequent Questions about Estuary Data Mapper (EDM)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Estuary Data Mapper is a tool for geospatial data discovery, visualization, and data download for any of the approximately 2,000 estuaries and associated watersheds in along the five US coastal regions

Bar dynamics and channel junctions in scale-experiments of estuaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leuven, J.; Braat, L.; van Dijk, W. M.; Haas, T. D.; Kleinhans, M. G.

2017-12-01

The evolution of channels and bars in estuaries has high socio-economic relevance, with strong implications for navigation, dredging and ecology. However, the spatial and temporal evolution of channels and bars in estuaries is poorly understood. Here, we study feedbacks of bar morphodynamics on widening and narrowing of estuaries. Therefore, we conducted an experiment in a 20 m long and 3 m wide tilting flume (the 'Metronome'), in which we monitored the evolution of a self-formed estuary that developed from an intial straight channel into an irregular planform with multiple channels, braided bars and a meandering ebb channel. At locations where the estuary width is confined, major channel junctions occur, while the zones between the junctions are characterised by high braiding indices, periodically migrating channels and a relatively large estuary width. The junction locations were forced by the in- and outflow locations on the sides of the ebb-tidal delta and at the location where the channel pattern transitions from multiple channels into a single channel. In the middle of the estuary, self-confinement occurred by sedimentation on the sides of the estuary, which caused another major junction. The channel orientation at the junctions steers the morphodynamics of channels and bars immediately landward and seaward, because the orientation of inflow from the ebb-tidal delta and landward river perpetually varies. In natural systems major junction locations are mostly forced by inherited geology or human engineering. However, this study concludes that even without external forcing, the estuary planform will not converge to an ideal shape but will self-confine at major junctions and widens in the adjacent zones, resulting in an irregular planform shape.

amoA Gene Abundances and Nitrification Potential Rates Suggest that Benthic Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria and Not Archaea Dominate N Cycling in the Colne Estuary, United Kingdom

PubMed Central

Li, Jialin; Nedwell, David B.; Beddow, Jessica; Dumbrell, Alex J.; McKew, Boyd A.; Thorpe, Emma L.

2014-01-01

Nitrification, mediated by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), is important in global nitrogen cycling. In estuaries where gradients of salinity and ammonia concentrations occur, there may be differential selections for ammonia-oxidizer populations. The aim of this study was to examine the activity, abundance, and diversity of AOA and AOB in surface oxic sediments of a highly nutrified estuary that exhibits gradients of salinity and ammonium. AOB and AOA communities were investigated by measuring ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) gene abundance and nitrification potentials both spatially and temporally. Nitrification potentials differed along the estuary and over time, with the greatest nitrification potentials occurring mid-estuary (8.2 μmol N grams dry weight [gdw]−1 day−1 in June, increasing to 37.4 μmol N gdw−1 day−1 in January). At the estuary head, the nitrification potential was 4.3 μmol N gdw−1 day−1 in June, increasing to 11.7 μmol N gdw−1 day−1 in January. At the estuary head and mouth, nitrification potentials fluctuated throughout the year. AOB amoA gene abundances were significantly greater (by 100-fold) than those of AOA both spatially and temporally. Nitrosomonas spp. were detected along the estuary by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) band sequence analysis. In conclusion, AOB dominated over AOA in the estuarine sediments, with the ratio of AOB/AOA amoA gene abundance increasing from the upper (freshwater) to lower (marine) regions of the Colne estuary. These findings suggest that in this nutrified estuary, AOB (possibly Nitrosomonas spp.) were of major significance in nitrification. PMID:25326303

Spatial Abundance, Diversity, and Activity of Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria in Coastal Sediments of the Liaohe Estuary.

PubMed

Chang, Yongkai; Fan, Jingfeng; Su, Jie; Ming, Hongxia; Zhao, Wen; Shi, Yan; Ji, Fengyun; Guo, Limei; Zan, Shuaijun; Li, Bochao; Guo, Hao; Guan, Daoming

2017-05-01

Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) play an important role in nitrification in estuaries. The aim of this study was to examine the spatial abundance, diversity, and activity of AOB in coastal sediments of the Liaohe Estuary using quantitative PCR, high-throughput sequencing of the amoA gene coding the ammonia monooxygenase enzyme active subunit, and sediment slurry incubation experiments. AOB abundance ranged from 8.54 × 10 4 to 5.85 × 10 6 copies g -1 of wet sediment weight and exhibited an increasing trend from the Liaohe Estuary to the open coastal zone. Potential nitrification rates (PNRs) ranged from 0.1 to 336.8 nmol N g -1 day -1 along the estuary to the coastal zone. Log AOB abundance and PNRs were significantly positively correlated. AOB richness decreased from the estuary to the coastal zone. High-throughput sequencing analysis indicated that the majority of amoA gene sequences fell within the Nitrosomonas and Nitrosomonas-like clade, and only a few sequences were clustered within the Nitrosospira clade. This finding indicates that the Nitrosomonas-related lineage may be more adaptable to the specific conditions in this estuary than the Nitrosospira lineage. Sites with high nitrification rates were located in the southern open region and were dominated by the Nitrosomonas-like lineage, whereas the Nitrosospira lineage was found primarily in the northern estuary mouth sites with low nitrification rates. Thus, nitrification potentials in Liaohe estuarine sediments in the southern open region were greater than those in the northern estuary mouth, and the Nitrosomonas-related lineage might play a more important role than the Nitrosospira lineage in nitrification in this estuary.