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Filter Total Items: 961
Digging into the geologic record of environmentally driven changes in coral-reef development Digging into the geologic record of environmentally driven changes in coral-reef development
This lesson uses data based on real-world geological archives to guide students toward understanding how climate and oceanography have impacted coral-reef growth over the last 5000 years. The objective of the lesson is for students to determine the relationship between environmental variability and coral-reef development over millennial timescales. In this activity, students will: 1...
Authors
Philip M. Gravinese, Richard B. Aronson, Lauren T. Toth
Application of decadal modeling approach to forecast barrier island evolution, Dauphin Island, Alabama Application of decadal modeling approach to forecast barrier island evolution, Dauphin Island, Alabama
Forecasting barrier island evolution provides coastal managers and stakeholders the ability to assess the resiliency of these important coastal environments that are home to both established communities and existing natural habitats. This study uses an established coupled model framework to assess how Dauphin Island, Alabama, responds to various storm and sea-level change scenarios...
Authors
Rangley C. Mickey, Elizabeth Godsey, P. Soupy Dalyander, Victor Gonzalez, Robert L. Jenkins, Joseph W. Long, David M. Thompson, Nathaniel G. Plant
Development of a modeling framework for predicting decadal barrier island evolution Development of a modeling framework for predicting decadal barrier island evolution
Predicting the decadal evolution of barrier island systems is important for coastal managers who propose restoration or preservation alternatives aimed at increasing the resiliency of the island and its associated habitats or communities. Existing numerical models for simulating morphologic changes typically include either long-term (for example, longshore transport under quiescent...
Authors
Rangley C. Mickey, Joseph W. Long, P. Soupy Dalyander, Robert L. Jenkins, David M. Thompson, Davina Passeri, Nathaniel G. Plant
Development of a process-based littoral sediment transport model for Dauphin Island, Alabama Development of a process-based littoral sediment transport model for Dauphin Island, Alabama
Dauphin Island, Alabama, located in the Northern Gulf of Mexico just outside of Mobile Bay, is Alabama’s only barrier island and provides an array of historical, natural, and economic resources. The dynamic island shoreline of Dauphin Island evolved across time scales while constantly acted upon by waves and currents during both storms and calm periods. Reductions in the vulnerability...
Authors
Robert L. Jenkins, Joseph W. Long, P. Soupy Dalyander, David M. Thompson, Rangley C. Mickey
Blind testing of shoreline evolution models Blind testing of shoreline evolution models
Beaches around the world continuously adjust to daily and seasonal changes in wave and tide conditions, which are themselves changing over longer time-scales. Different approaches to predict multi-year shoreline evolution have been implemented; however, robust and reliable predictions of shoreline evolution are still problematic even in short-term scenarios (shorter than decadal). Here...
Authors
Jennifer Montaño, Giovanni Coco, Jose Antolinez, Tomas Beuzen, Karin R. Bryan, Laura Cagigal, Bruno Castelle, Mark Davidson, Evan B. Goldstein, Raimundo Ibaceta, Déborah Idier, Bonnie C. Ludka, Sina Masoud-Ansari, Fernando Mendez, A. Brad Murray, Nathaniel G. Plant, Katherine Ratlif, Arthur Robinet, Ana Rueda, Nadia Sénéchal, Joshua Simmons, Kristen Splinter, Scott Stephens, Ian Townend, Sean Vitousek, Kilian Vos
Forecasting future beach width- A case study along the Florida Atlantic coast Forecasting future beach width- A case study along the Florida Atlantic coast
Historical cross-shore positions of the shoreline and dune base were used as inputs for a Kalman filter algorithm to forecast the positions of these features in the year 2028. The beach width was also computed as the cross-shore distance between the forecasted 2028 shoreline and dune-base positions. While it does not evaluate the suitability of a nesting beach or identify optimal nesting...
Authors
Joseph W. Long, Rachel E. Henderson, David M. Thompson
Seafloor change around the Mississippi barrier islands, 1920 to 2016—The influence of storm effects on inlet and island morphodynamics Seafloor change around the Mississippi barrier islands, 1920 to 2016—The influence of storm effects on inlet and island morphodynamics
The Mississippi Barrier Islands in the northern Gulf of Mexico experienced high rates of spatial change over recorded history. Wave-induced sediment transport induced island migration, landward retreat, and inlet evolution. These processes can be measured using repeat bathymetric surveys to analyze elevation change over time. This study analyzes digital elevation models created from...
Authors
James Flocks, Noreen A. Buster, Owen T. Brenner
A revised Holocene coral sea-level database from the Florida reef tract, USA A revised Holocene coral sea-level database from the Florida reef tract, USA
The coral reefs and mangrove habitats of the south Florida region have long been used in sea-level studies for the western Atlantic because of their broad geographic extent and composition of sea-level tracking biota. The data from this region have been used to support several very different Holocene sea-level reconstructions (SLRs) over the years. However, many of these SLRs did not...
Authors
Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Bernhard M Riegl, Lauren T. Toth
Underwater photographic reconnaissance and habitat data collection in the Florida Keys—A procedure for ground truthing remotely sensed bathymetric data Underwater photographic reconnaissance and habitat data collection in the Florida Keys—A procedure for ground truthing remotely sensed bathymetric data
Bathymetric geoprocessing analyses of the Florida Reef Tract have provided insights into trends of seafloor accretion and seafloor erosion over time and following major storm events. However, bathymetric surveys sometimes capture manmade structures and vegetation, which do not represent the desired bare-earth data. Therefore, ground truthing is essential to maintain the most accurate...
Authors
Zachery W. Fehr, Kimberly K. Yates
Event and decadal-scale modeling of barrier island restoration designs for decision support Event and decadal-scale modeling of barrier island restoration designs for decision support
An interdisciplinary project team was convened to develop a modeling framework that simulates the potential impacts of storms and sea level-rise to habitat availability at Breton Island, Louisiana (Breton) for existing conditions and potential future restoration designs. The model framework was iteratively developed through evaluation of model results at multiple checkpoints. A...
Authors
Joseph W. Long, P. Soupy Dalyander, Michael Poff, Brian Spears, Brett Borne, David M. Thompson, Rangley C. Mickey, Steve Dartez, Gregory Gandy
Cultivating future environmental stewards: A case study at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park Cultivating future environmental stewards: A case study at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park
Our study supports previous research suggesting that participation in citizen-science programs can significantly enhance student learning and attitudes about science, while simultaneously promoting environmental stewardship. Providing students with the opportunity to collect scientific data through citizen-science programs can increase their understanding of local ecosystems, enhance...
Authors
Veronica L. Frehm, Philip M. Gravinese, Lauren T. Toth
Assessing the water quality impacts of two Category-5 hurricanes on St. Thomas, Virgin Islands Assessing the water quality impacts of two Category-5 hurricanes on St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
Managing waterborne and water-related diseases is one of the most critical factors in the aftermath of hurricane-induced natural disasters. The goal of the study was to identify water-quality impairments in order to set the priorities for post-hurricane relief and to guide future decisions on disaster preparation and relief administration. Field investigations were carried out on St...
Authors
Sunny Jiang, Muyue Han, Srikiran Chandrasekaran, Yingcong Fang, Christina A. Kellogg