USGS Scientists publish article on marsh erosion and migration in coastal Mississippi and Alabama
SPCMSC Research Ecologist Kathryn Smith first-authored a recently published manuscript titled "Shifts in marsh erosion, migration, and wave exposure over nearly two centuries of sea-level rise in the Gulf of Mexico."
This published research is one of the first studies to estimate coastal marsh shoreline erosion and upland boundary migration rates over a nearly two century time span in the northern Gulf of America. The authors compare these rates to coastal land loss rates and relate them to physical changes in barrier island movement and wave exposure. The paper highlights how marsh shoreline erosion has increased over time. While marsh migration has occurred at similar rates as shoreline erosion, hotspots of marsh erosion have caused an overall loss of marsh habitat. The westward movement and reduction of offshore barrier islands have increased marsh shoreline exposure to waves, and management actions that reduce wave exposure may slow marsh loss.