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The goal of the Estuarine and MaRsh Geology (EMRG) Research Project is to study how and where short- and long-term marsh and estuarine coastal processes interact, how they influence coastal accretion or erosion, and how they pre-condition a marsh’s resiliency to storms, sea-level change, and human alterations along the northern Gulf of America (Grand Bay and Point aux Chenes, Mississippi and St. Marks, Florida).
A short marsh push core, exhibiting a sandy event layer on top, collected from Point aux Chênes, Mississippi marsh during sample collection in October 2018 for sediment and radiochemical analyses. (Credit: Alisha Ellis, USGS. Public domain.)
Marsh and Estuarine Coastal Processes
Interactions between coastal estuaries, marshes, and upland environments are a complex web of inter-related and inter-connected physical and ecological processes. The Estuarine and MaRsh Geology (EMRG) project focuses on how specific geologic and geomorphic variables such as sediment properties and shoreface slope, respectively, impact the erosion and accretion rates of marsh environments in both the short- and long-term. To do this we use field observations, oceanographic sensors, and field collected sediment samples paired with marsh-estuarine system models run for various scenarios such as with a modified geomorphology or sea-level change.
Project Objectives:
1) Define the key geologic and geomorphic variables that influence marsh width and elevation for each study area,
2) Quantify elevation and geomorphic gradients along natural boundaries (upland-marsh, marsh-estuary, estuary-ocean), and
3) Evaluate the importance of geo-variables and gradients on marsh resiliency through modeling marsh-estuary systems.
Sediment tiles, used for short-term sedimentation rates, are collected in November 2019 from Point aux Chênes, Mississippi marsh following a 3-month deployment; the sediment accumulated on the tile will be measured and analyzed for diatoms and sediment properties. (Public domain.)
1) Assess key metrics through field collection, laboratory analyses, and data mining that link geologic variables with physical forces (such as hydrodynamics and storm events) and ecological responses that can be mapped and assessed over space and time:
A. Organic matter accumulation, inorganic sedimentation, elevation change
Identify foraminifera microfossils as proxies of paleo-marsh type
B. Bathymetric changes
Collect multi-beam bathymetry to compare with past bathymetric maps
C. Shoreface slope and curvature
Derive metrics from multi-beam surveys and satellite imagery
Conduct shoreline survey using GPS during field work in Grand Bay and Pointe aux Chenes.
D. Geology of the marsh shoreline type and/or shallow stratigraphy
Characterize environments, sediment properties, and marsh shoreline types at the surface and, where possible, downcore
E. Short and long-term shoreline change and measurements of lateral sediment flux
Digitize historical topographic-sheets for comparison with modern shorelines to determine change in lateral extent of marsh platform
Collect field and sensor measurements of marsh edge erosion and sediment delivery
F. Marsh-upland boundary change rates
Identify foraminifera and diatom microfossils as proxies of paleo-marsh type, geomorphology, and environmental change
Map depth to peat to determine modern and past lateral and vertical marsh extent
2) Incorporate results from field derived bathymetry, sediment, shoreface, shoreline, and oceanographic data analyses into numerical models to define marsh-estuarine system processes including coastal hydrodynamics (tides, waves) and sediment transport. These models improve our understanding of the interactions and feedbacks between oceanographic processes, geology, geomorphology, and marsh ecology under scenarios of past, present, and future conditions (for example, storms, sea-level change and modified geomorphology) and identify where more information may be required to advance our knowledge of marsh resiliency.
Map of coastal Alabama and Mississippi, showing the Gulf of America, Mobile Bay, Mississippi Sound, and the Grand Bay estuary. The extent of a Delft3D flow, wave, and sediment transport model is shown by the red dashed line. An area of special interest surrounding Grand Bay is outlined by a dot-dashed blue line. (Public domain.)
The goal of the estuarine shoreline change project is to define shoreline positions for historical and modern wetland shorelines and calculate rates of change along the U.S. East and Gulf coasts.
The goal of the estuarine shoreline change project is to define shoreline positions for historical and modern wetland shorelines and calculate rates of change along the U.S. East and Gulf coasts.
This project assesses the physical controls of sediment and material exchange between wetlands and estuarine environments along the northern Gulf of America (Grand Bay Alabama/Mississippi and Vermilion Bay, Louisiana) and the Atlantic coast (Chincoteague Bay, Virginia/Maryland).
Sea-level and Storm Impacts on Estuarine Environments and Shorelines (SSIEES)
This project assesses the physical controls of sediment and material exchange between wetlands and estuarine environments along the northern Gulf of America (Grand Bay Alabama/Mississippi and Vermilion Bay, Louisiana) and the Atlantic coast (Chincoteague Bay, Virginia/Maryland).
Coastal marshes across the Northern Gulf of Mexico are critical ecosystems, providing wildlife habitat, nursery for many species of fish, a carbon sink, and protection of communities from storm surge, but are vulnerable to coastal hazards, such as wave attack, sea level rise, and subsidence. While many marshes accrete vertically to compensate for rising sea level, marsh loss can occur...
To aid in geologic studies of sediment transport and environmental change of a coastal marsh, 1-centimeter (cm) foraminiferal subsamples were taken from seven sediment push cores collected in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GNDNERR), Mississippi (MS), in October 2016. The push cores were collected along two, shore-perpendicular transects at 5, 15, 25, and 50 meters (m)...
Sediment samples, including marsh and estuarine surface samples and marsh push and peat-auger cores, were collected from Point aux Chenes, Mississippi from October 23–26, 2018, and August 4, 2021. Marsh surface samples (top 1 centimeter (cm) of sediment; sample names appended with S), marsh push cores (core names appended with M) and peat-auger cores (core names appended with R) were...
The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) conducted an ellipsoidally referenced survey using a multibeam echosounder within Grand Bay and Point Aux Chenes Bay, Alabama/Mississippi May 7-10, 2019. The survey is a part of the Estuarine and Marsh Geology Research Project (EMRG) which focuses on evaluating the linkage between marsh shoreline...
This data release is an archive of sedimentary laboratory analytical data produced by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (USGS SPCMSC) for sediment cores and surface samples collected from coastal marshes in Georgia (GA), Virginia (VA), and Massachusetts (MA). Collaborators from USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC) and the...
The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) conducted a reconnaissance multibeam bathymetry (MBB) survey in Grand Bay Alabama/Mississippi on May 12th, 2016, as an assessment of the shallow water capabilities of a Teledyne Reson SeaBat T50-P multibeam echosounder. The survey is a part of an ongoing wetland/estuarine sediment study being...
To better understand sediment deposition in marsh environments, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (USGS-SPCMSC) selected four study sites (Sites 5, 6, 7, and 8) along the Point Aux Chenes Bay shoreline of the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GNDNERR), Mississippi. These datasets were collected to serve as baseline...
Microfossil (benthic foraminifera) samples were obtained from surficial grab (denoted with 'G') and push core (denoted with 'M') sediments collected in Grand Bay estuary, Mississippi and Alabama, to aid in the paleoenvironmental understanding of Grand Bay estuary. The data presented here were collected as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's Sea-level and Storm Impacts on Estuarine...
Using the numerical model ADCIRC, astronomic tides were simulated at Mobile Bay, Alabama under scenarios of Holocene geomorphic configurations representing the period of 3500 to 2300 years before present including a breach in the Morgan Peninsula and a land bridge at Pass aux Herons (see Figure 1), as described in Smith and others, 2020. Model inputs in the form of topography and...
This data release is an archive of sedimentary field and laboratory analytical data collected in Grand Bay, Alabama/Mississippi from 2014-2016 by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (USGS SPCMSC). This work, a component of the SPCMSC's Sea-level and Storm Impacts on Estuarine Environments and Shorelines (SSIEES) project, provides...
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center investigated the sedimentary and geochemical properties of the lower reaches of the Pascagoula River along the Mississippi coast of the Gulf of Mexico by collecting estuarine, riverine and marsh sediments. This was done in order to increase understanding of the region's environmental...
The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) conducted an ellipsoidally referenced survey using a multibeam echosounder within Grand Bay and Point Aux Chenes Bay, Alabama/Mississippi October 22-23, 2018. The survey is bridged between the former Sea level and Storm Impacts on Estuarine Environments and Shorelines project (SSIEES), which...
Marsh lateral shoreline erosion and shore-proximal sediment deposition
Salt marshes provide important economic and ecologic services but are vulnerable to habitat loss, particularly due to shoreline erosion from storms and sea level rise. Sediments eroded at the marsh edge are either delivered onto the marsh platform or into the estuary, the latter resulting in a net loss to the marsh sediment budget and released soil carbon.
Salt marshes provide important economic and ecologic services but are vulnerable to habitat loss, particularly due to shoreline erosion from storms and sea level rise. Sediments eroded at the marsh edge are either delivered onto the marsh platform or into the estuary, the latter resulting in a net loss to the marsh sediment budget and released soil carbon.
USGS scientist collecting real-time kinematic (RTK) elevation and location data following oceanographic sensor deployment
A USGS scientist collects real-time kinematic (RTK) position (elevation, latitude, and longitude) data following oceanographic sensor deployment in Point aux Chenes Bay, Mississippi.
A USGS scientist collects real-time kinematic (RTK) position (elevation, latitude, and longitude) data following oceanographic sensor deployment in Point aux Chenes Bay, Mississippi.
Platform with oceanographic sensors that collect oceanographic data
Starboard platform with oceanographic sensors attached, wrapped in copper tape to deter biofouling, and ready for deployment to collect turbidity, conductivity, and other parameters.
Starboard platform with oceanographic sensors attached, wrapped in copper tape to deter biofouling, and ready for deployment to collect turbidity, conductivity, and other parameters.
Using personal watercraft to collect nearshore bathymetry data
A USGS scientist sits on a personal watercraft (PWC) equipped with scientific equipment to collect bathymetry data - or the depth of the water - at locations of interest in Point Aux Chenes Bay, Mississippi.
A USGS scientist sits on a personal watercraft (PWC) equipped with scientific equipment to collect bathymetry data - or the depth of the water - at locations of interest in Point Aux Chenes Bay, Mississippi.
Point aux Chênes, Mississippi marsh tile collection
Sediment tiles, used for short-term sedimentation rates, are collected in November 2019 from Point aux Chênes, Mississippi marsh following a 3-month deployment; the sediment accumulated on the tile will be measured and analyzed for diatoms and sediment properties.
Sediment tiles, used for short-term sedimentation rates, are collected in November 2019 from Point aux Chênes, Mississippi marsh following a 3-month deployment; the sediment accumulated on the tile will be measured and analyzed for diatoms and sediment properties.
Joseph Terrano of the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center prepares water level loggers to install near the marsh shoreline in Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi.
Joseph Terrano of the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center prepares water level loggers to install near the marsh shoreline in Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi.
USGS geologists study sediment exchange in estuary and marshes
Sediments in estuarine and marsh environments contain organic peat, or material derived from life, that plays an important role in ecosystem health. Here, USGS geologist Chris Smith of the St.
Sediments in estuarine and marsh environments contain organic peat, or material derived from life, that plays an important role in ecosystem health. Here, USGS geologist Chris Smith of the St.
A short marsh push core, exhibiting a sandy event layer on top, collected from Point aux Chênes, Mississippi marsh during sample collection in October 2018 for sediment and radiochemical analyses.
A short marsh push core, exhibiting a sandy event layer on top, collected from Point aux Chênes, Mississippi marsh during sample collection in October 2018 for sediment and radiochemical analyses.
Looking south along the Point aux Chênes, Mississippi marsh shoreline during sample collection in October 2018; sediment probe located at the shoreline is used to assist in aligning sample collection along shore perpendicular transect.
Looking south along the Point aux Chênes, Mississippi marsh shoreline during sample collection in October 2018; sediment probe located at the shoreline is used to assist in aligning sample collection along shore perpendicular transect.
Marsh shoreline inundation during high tide north of a marsh sampling site around Middle Bay in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi.
Marsh shoreline inundation during high tide north of a marsh sampling site around Middle Bay in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi.
Marsh shoreline inundation during high tide at a marsh sampling site around Middle Bay in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi.
Marsh shoreline inundation during high tide at a marsh sampling site around Middle Bay in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi.
Collecting sediment samples in the marshes of Grand Bay
Joseph Terrano of the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center retrieves a sediment sample from under the marsh grass. Scientists installed several Net Sediment Tiles (NST) on the surface of the marsh to measure sediment deposition.
Joseph Terrano of the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center retrieves a sediment sample from under the marsh grass. Scientists installed several Net Sediment Tiles (NST) on the surface of the marsh to measure sediment deposition.
Coastal wetlands are economically important ecosystems, but are at risk to erosion from waves, storms, and sea level rise. However, marshes can persist under rising sea level through vertical accretion and migration into adjacent higher-elevation habitats. We measured rates of marsh shoreline change and migration and compared the results for historical and modern periods in a largely...
Authors
Kathryn Smith, Joseph Terrano, Robert L. Jenkins, Jonathan Pitchford, Davina Passeri, Christopher G. Smith
Marsh environments, characterized by their flora and fauna, change laterally in response to shoreline erosion, water levels and inundation, and anthropogenic activities. The Grand Bay coastal system (USA) has undergone multiple large-scale geomorphic and hydrologic changes resulting in altered sediment supply, depositional patterns, and degraded barrier islands, leaving wetland salt...
Authors
Alisha Ellis, Christopher G. Smith, Kathryn Smith, Jessica Jacobs
The effects of interior headland restoration on estuarine sediment transport processes were assessed through process-based numerical modeling. Three proposed interior headland restoration scenarios in the Grand Bay estuary (Mississippi/Alabama) were modeled using Delft3D to understand impacts on suspended sediment concentrations, bed level morphology, and sediment fluxes under present...
Authors
Robert L. Jenkins, Davina Passeri, Christopher G. Smith, David Thompson, Kathryn Smith
Shoreline change analysis is an important environmental monitoring tool for evaluating coastal exposure to erosion hazards, particularly for vulnerable habitats such as coastal wetlands where habitat loss is problematic world-wide. The increasing availability of high-resolution satellite imagery and emerging developments in analysis techniques support the implementation of these data...
Authors
Kathryn Smith, Joseph Terrano, Jonathan Pitchford, Michael Archer
The persistence of coastal marsh is dependent on its ability to maintain elevation relative to sea level, particularly for marshes experiencing high rates of shoreline erosion due to wave-attack, storms, and sea level rise. Sediments eroded at the marsh edge are either delivered onto the marsh platform or into the estuary, the latter resulting in a net loss of marsh sediments and soil...
Authors
Kathryn Smith, Joseph Terrano, Nicole Khan, Christopher G. Smith, Jonathan Pitchford
Grand Bay estuary in coastal Mississippi and Alabama (USA) has undergone significant geomorphic changes over the last few centuries as a result of anthropogenic (bridge, road, and hardened shoreline construction) and climatic (extreme storm events) processes, which reduce freshwater input, sediment supply, and degrade barrier islands. To investigate how geomorphic changes may have...
Exploration of oxygen-depleted marine environments has consistently revealed novel microbial taxa and metabolic capabilities that expand our understanding of microbial evolution and ecology. Marine blue holes are shallow karst formations characterized by low oxygen and high organic matter content. They are logistically challenging to sample, and thus our understanding of their...
Authors
N.V. Patin, Z.A. Dietrich, A. Stancil, M. Quinan, J.S. Beckler, E. Hall, J Culter, Christopher G. Smith, Martial Taillefert, F.J. Stewart
Bay–marsh systems, composed of an embayment surrounded by fringing marsh incised by tidal channels, are widely distributed coastal environments. External sediment availability, marsh-edge erosion, and sea-level rise acting on such bay–marsh complexes may drive diverse sediment-flux regimes. These factors reinforce the ephemeral and dynamic nature of fringing marshes: material released by...
A high degree of uncertainty exists for understanding and predicting coastal estuarine response to changing climate, land-use, and sea-level conditions, leaving geologic records as a best-proxy for constraining potential outcomes. With the majority of the world's population focused in coastal regions, understanding how local systems respond to global, regional, and even local pressures...
Authors
Christopher G. Smith, Miriam Jones, Lisa Osterman, Davina Passeri
High‐biomass blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Pyrodinium bahamense occur most summers in Tampa Bay, Florida, USA, posing a recurring threat to ecosystem health. Like many dinoflagellates, P. bahamense forms immobile resting cysts that can be deposited on the seafloor—creating a seed bank that can retain the organism within the ecosystem and initiate future blooms when cysts germinate...
Authors
Cary Lopez, Aliza Karim, Susan Murasko, Marci Marot, Christopher Smith, Alina Corcoran
This study documented surface distributions of live and dead foraminiferal assemblages in the low-gradient tidal marshes of the barrier island and estuarine complex of the eastern Mississippi Sound (Grand Bay, Pascagoula River, Fowl River, Dauphin Island). A total of 71,833 specimens representing 38 species were identified from a gradient of different elevation zones across the study...
Authors
Christian Haller, Christopher G. Smith, Pamela Hallock, Albert Hine, Lisa Osterman, Terrence McCloskey
The carbonate sediments of the Western Australian shelf in the Indian Ocean host diverse assemblages of benthic foraminifera. Environments of the shelf are dominated by the southward-flowing Leeuwin Current, which impacts near-surface circulation and influences biogeographic ranges of Indo-Pacific warm-water foraminifera. Analyses of outer ramp to upper slope sediments (127–264 m water...
Authors
Christian Haller, Pamela Hallock, Albert C. Hine, Christopher G. Smith
The Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) in southern Mississippi was established to provide recreational and educational opportunities along with facilitating science-based coastal management; therefore, Grand Bay is the subject of numerous short and long-term environmental studies. The reserve is an important location for research and conservation.
The goal of the Estuarine and MaRsh Geology (EMRG) Research Project is to study how and where short- and long-term marsh and estuarine coastal processes interact, how they influence coastal accretion or erosion, and how they pre-condition a marsh’s resiliency to storms, sea-level change, and human alterations along the northern Gulf of America (Grand Bay and Point aux Chenes, Mississippi and St. Marks, Florida).
A short marsh push core, exhibiting a sandy event layer on top, collected from Point aux Chênes, Mississippi marsh during sample collection in October 2018 for sediment and radiochemical analyses. (Credit: Alisha Ellis, USGS. Public domain.)
Marsh and Estuarine Coastal Processes
Interactions between coastal estuaries, marshes, and upland environments are a complex web of inter-related and inter-connected physical and ecological processes. The Estuarine and MaRsh Geology (EMRG) project focuses on how specific geologic and geomorphic variables such as sediment properties and shoreface slope, respectively, impact the erosion and accretion rates of marsh environments in both the short- and long-term. To do this we use field observations, oceanographic sensors, and field collected sediment samples paired with marsh-estuarine system models run for various scenarios such as with a modified geomorphology or sea-level change.
Project Objectives:
1) Define the key geologic and geomorphic variables that influence marsh width and elevation for each study area,
2) Quantify elevation and geomorphic gradients along natural boundaries (upland-marsh, marsh-estuary, estuary-ocean), and
3) Evaluate the importance of geo-variables and gradients on marsh resiliency through modeling marsh-estuary systems.
Sediment tiles, used for short-term sedimentation rates, are collected in November 2019 from Point aux Chênes, Mississippi marsh following a 3-month deployment; the sediment accumulated on the tile will be measured and analyzed for diatoms and sediment properties. (Public domain.)
1) Assess key metrics through field collection, laboratory analyses, and data mining that link geologic variables with physical forces (such as hydrodynamics and storm events) and ecological responses that can be mapped and assessed over space and time:
A. Organic matter accumulation, inorganic sedimentation, elevation change
Identify foraminifera microfossils as proxies of paleo-marsh type
B. Bathymetric changes
Collect multi-beam bathymetry to compare with past bathymetric maps
C. Shoreface slope and curvature
Derive metrics from multi-beam surveys and satellite imagery
Conduct shoreline survey using GPS during field work in Grand Bay and Pointe aux Chenes.
D. Geology of the marsh shoreline type and/or shallow stratigraphy
Characterize environments, sediment properties, and marsh shoreline types at the surface and, where possible, downcore
E. Short and long-term shoreline change and measurements of lateral sediment flux
Digitize historical topographic-sheets for comparison with modern shorelines to determine change in lateral extent of marsh platform
Collect field and sensor measurements of marsh edge erosion and sediment delivery
F. Marsh-upland boundary change rates
Identify foraminifera and diatom microfossils as proxies of paleo-marsh type, geomorphology, and environmental change
Map depth to peat to determine modern and past lateral and vertical marsh extent
2) Incorporate results from field derived bathymetry, sediment, shoreface, shoreline, and oceanographic data analyses into numerical models to define marsh-estuarine system processes including coastal hydrodynamics (tides, waves) and sediment transport. These models improve our understanding of the interactions and feedbacks between oceanographic processes, geology, geomorphology, and marsh ecology under scenarios of past, present, and future conditions (for example, storms, sea-level change and modified geomorphology) and identify where more information may be required to advance our knowledge of marsh resiliency.
Map of coastal Alabama and Mississippi, showing the Gulf of America, Mobile Bay, Mississippi Sound, and the Grand Bay estuary. The extent of a Delft3D flow, wave, and sediment transport model is shown by the red dashed line. An area of special interest surrounding Grand Bay is outlined by a dot-dashed blue line. (Public domain.)
The goal of the estuarine shoreline change project is to define shoreline positions for historical and modern wetland shorelines and calculate rates of change along the U.S. East and Gulf coasts.
The goal of the estuarine shoreline change project is to define shoreline positions for historical and modern wetland shorelines and calculate rates of change along the U.S. East and Gulf coasts.
This project assesses the physical controls of sediment and material exchange between wetlands and estuarine environments along the northern Gulf of America (Grand Bay Alabama/Mississippi and Vermilion Bay, Louisiana) and the Atlantic coast (Chincoteague Bay, Virginia/Maryland).
Sea-level and Storm Impacts on Estuarine Environments and Shorelines (SSIEES)
This project assesses the physical controls of sediment and material exchange between wetlands and estuarine environments along the northern Gulf of America (Grand Bay Alabama/Mississippi and Vermilion Bay, Louisiana) and the Atlantic coast (Chincoteague Bay, Virginia/Maryland).
Coastal marshes across the Northern Gulf of Mexico are critical ecosystems, providing wildlife habitat, nursery for many species of fish, a carbon sink, and protection of communities from storm surge, but are vulnerable to coastal hazards, such as wave attack, sea level rise, and subsidence. While many marshes accrete vertically to compensate for rising sea level, marsh loss can occur...
To aid in geologic studies of sediment transport and environmental change of a coastal marsh, 1-centimeter (cm) foraminiferal subsamples were taken from seven sediment push cores collected in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GNDNERR), Mississippi (MS), in October 2016. The push cores were collected along two, shore-perpendicular transects at 5, 15, 25, and 50 meters (m)...
Sediment samples, including marsh and estuarine surface samples and marsh push and peat-auger cores, were collected from Point aux Chenes, Mississippi from October 23–26, 2018, and August 4, 2021. Marsh surface samples (top 1 centimeter (cm) of sediment; sample names appended with S), marsh push cores (core names appended with M) and peat-auger cores (core names appended with R) were...
The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) conducted an ellipsoidally referenced survey using a multibeam echosounder within Grand Bay and Point Aux Chenes Bay, Alabama/Mississippi May 7-10, 2019. The survey is a part of the Estuarine and Marsh Geology Research Project (EMRG) which focuses on evaluating the linkage between marsh shoreline...
This data release is an archive of sedimentary laboratory analytical data produced by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (USGS SPCMSC) for sediment cores and surface samples collected from coastal marshes in Georgia (GA), Virginia (VA), and Massachusetts (MA). Collaborators from USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC) and the...
The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) conducted a reconnaissance multibeam bathymetry (MBB) survey in Grand Bay Alabama/Mississippi on May 12th, 2016, as an assessment of the shallow water capabilities of a Teledyne Reson SeaBat T50-P multibeam echosounder. The survey is a part of an ongoing wetland/estuarine sediment study being...
To better understand sediment deposition in marsh environments, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (USGS-SPCMSC) selected four study sites (Sites 5, 6, 7, and 8) along the Point Aux Chenes Bay shoreline of the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GNDNERR), Mississippi. These datasets were collected to serve as baseline...
Microfossil (benthic foraminifera) samples were obtained from surficial grab (denoted with 'G') and push core (denoted with 'M') sediments collected in Grand Bay estuary, Mississippi and Alabama, to aid in the paleoenvironmental understanding of Grand Bay estuary. The data presented here were collected as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's Sea-level and Storm Impacts on Estuarine...
Using the numerical model ADCIRC, astronomic tides were simulated at Mobile Bay, Alabama under scenarios of Holocene geomorphic configurations representing the period of 3500 to 2300 years before present including a breach in the Morgan Peninsula and a land bridge at Pass aux Herons (see Figure 1), as described in Smith and others, 2020. Model inputs in the form of topography and...
This data release is an archive of sedimentary field and laboratory analytical data collected in Grand Bay, Alabama/Mississippi from 2014-2016 by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (USGS SPCMSC). This work, a component of the SPCMSC's Sea-level and Storm Impacts on Estuarine Environments and Shorelines (SSIEES) project, provides...
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center investigated the sedimentary and geochemical properties of the lower reaches of the Pascagoula River along the Mississippi coast of the Gulf of Mexico by collecting estuarine, riverine and marsh sediments. This was done in order to increase understanding of the region's environmental...
The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) conducted an ellipsoidally referenced survey using a multibeam echosounder within Grand Bay and Point Aux Chenes Bay, Alabama/Mississippi October 22-23, 2018. The survey is bridged between the former Sea level and Storm Impacts on Estuarine Environments and Shorelines project (SSIEES), which...
Marsh lateral shoreline erosion and shore-proximal sediment deposition
Salt marshes provide important economic and ecologic services but are vulnerable to habitat loss, particularly due to shoreline erosion from storms and sea level rise. Sediments eroded at the marsh edge are either delivered onto the marsh platform or into the estuary, the latter resulting in a net loss to the marsh sediment budget and released soil carbon.
Salt marshes provide important economic and ecologic services but are vulnerable to habitat loss, particularly due to shoreline erosion from storms and sea level rise. Sediments eroded at the marsh edge are either delivered onto the marsh platform or into the estuary, the latter resulting in a net loss to the marsh sediment budget and released soil carbon.
USGS scientist collecting real-time kinematic (RTK) elevation and location data following oceanographic sensor deployment
A USGS scientist collects real-time kinematic (RTK) position (elevation, latitude, and longitude) data following oceanographic sensor deployment in Point aux Chenes Bay, Mississippi.
A USGS scientist collects real-time kinematic (RTK) position (elevation, latitude, and longitude) data following oceanographic sensor deployment in Point aux Chenes Bay, Mississippi.
Platform with oceanographic sensors that collect oceanographic data
Starboard platform with oceanographic sensors attached, wrapped in copper tape to deter biofouling, and ready for deployment to collect turbidity, conductivity, and other parameters.
Starboard platform with oceanographic sensors attached, wrapped in copper tape to deter biofouling, and ready for deployment to collect turbidity, conductivity, and other parameters.
Using personal watercraft to collect nearshore bathymetry data
A USGS scientist sits on a personal watercraft (PWC) equipped with scientific equipment to collect bathymetry data - or the depth of the water - at locations of interest in Point Aux Chenes Bay, Mississippi.
A USGS scientist sits on a personal watercraft (PWC) equipped with scientific equipment to collect bathymetry data - or the depth of the water - at locations of interest in Point Aux Chenes Bay, Mississippi.
Point aux Chênes, Mississippi marsh tile collection
Sediment tiles, used for short-term sedimentation rates, are collected in November 2019 from Point aux Chênes, Mississippi marsh following a 3-month deployment; the sediment accumulated on the tile will be measured and analyzed for diatoms and sediment properties.
Sediment tiles, used for short-term sedimentation rates, are collected in November 2019 from Point aux Chênes, Mississippi marsh following a 3-month deployment; the sediment accumulated on the tile will be measured and analyzed for diatoms and sediment properties.
Joseph Terrano of the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center prepares water level loggers to install near the marsh shoreline in Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi.
Joseph Terrano of the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center prepares water level loggers to install near the marsh shoreline in Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi.
USGS geologists study sediment exchange in estuary and marshes
Sediments in estuarine and marsh environments contain organic peat, or material derived from life, that plays an important role in ecosystem health. Here, USGS geologist Chris Smith of the St.
Sediments in estuarine and marsh environments contain organic peat, or material derived from life, that plays an important role in ecosystem health. Here, USGS geologist Chris Smith of the St.
A short marsh push core, exhibiting a sandy event layer on top, collected from Point aux Chênes, Mississippi marsh during sample collection in October 2018 for sediment and radiochemical analyses.
A short marsh push core, exhibiting a sandy event layer on top, collected from Point aux Chênes, Mississippi marsh during sample collection in October 2018 for sediment and radiochemical analyses.
Looking south along the Point aux Chênes, Mississippi marsh shoreline during sample collection in October 2018; sediment probe located at the shoreline is used to assist in aligning sample collection along shore perpendicular transect.
Looking south along the Point aux Chênes, Mississippi marsh shoreline during sample collection in October 2018; sediment probe located at the shoreline is used to assist in aligning sample collection along shore perpendicular transect.
Marsh shoreline inundation during high tide north of a marsh sampling site around Middle Bay in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi.
Marsh shoreline inundation during high tide north of a marsh sampling site around Middle Bay in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi.
Marsh shoreline inundation during high tide at a marsh sampling site around Middle Bay in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi.
Marsh shoreline inundation during high tide at a marsh sampling site around Middle Bay in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi.
Collecting sediment samples in the marshes of Grand Bay
Joseph Terrano of the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center retrieves a sediment sample from under the marsh grass. Scientists installed several Net Sediment Tiles (NST) on the surface of the marsh to measure sediment deposition.
Joseph Terrano of the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center retrieves a sediment sample from under the marsh grass. Scientists installed several Net Sediment Tiles (NST) on the surface of the marsh to measure sediment deposition.
Coastal wetlands are economically important ecosystems, but are at risk to erosion from waves, storms, and sea level rise. However, marshes can persist under rising sea level through vertical accretion and migration into adjacent higher-elevation habitats. We measured rates of marsh shoreline change and migration and compared the results for historical and modern periods in a largely...
Authors
Kathryn Smith, Joseph Terrano, Robert L. Jenkins, Jonathan Pitchford, Davina Passeri, Christopher G. Smith
Marsh environments, characterized by their flora and fauna, change laterally in response to shoreline erosion, water levels and inundation, and anthropogenic activities. The Grand Bay coastal system (USA) has undergone multiple large-scale geomorphic and hydrologic changes resulting in altered sediment supply, depositional patterns, and degraded barrier islands, leaving wetland salt...
Authors
Alisha Ellis, Christopher G. Smith, Kathryn Smith, Jessica Jacobs
The effects of interior headland restoration on estuarine sediment transport processes were assessed through process-based numerical modeling. Three proposed interior headland restoration scenarios in the Grand Bay estuary (Mississippi/Alabama) were modeled using Delft3D to understand impacts on suspended sediment concentrations, bed level morphology, and sediment fluxes under present...
Authors
Robert L. Jenkins, Davina Passeri, Christopher G. Smith, David Thompson, Kathryn Smith
Shoreline change analysis is an important environmental monitoring tool for evaluating coastal exposure to erosion hazards, particularly for vulnerable habitats such as coastal wetlands where habitat loss is problematic world-wide. The increasing availability of high-resolution satellite imagery and emerging developments in analysis techniques support the implementation of these data...
Authors
Kathryn Smith, Joseph Terrano, Jonathan Pitchford, Michael Archer
The persistence of coastal marsh is dependent on its ability to maintain elevation relative to sea level, particularly for marshes experiencing high rates of shoreline erosion due to wave-attack, storms, and sea level rise. Sediments eroded at the marsh edge are either delivered onto the marsh platform or into the estuary, the latter resulting in a net loss of marsh sediments and soil...
Authors
Kathryn Smith, Joseph Terrano, Nicole Khan, Christopher G. Smith, Jonathan Pitchford
Grand Bay estuary in coastal Mississippi and Alabama (USA) has undergone significant geomorphic changes over the last few centuries as a result of anthropogenic (bridge, road, and hardened shoreline construction) and climatic (extreme storm events) processes, which reduce freshwater input, sediment supply, and degrade barrier islands. To investigate how geomorphic changes may have...
Exploration of oxygen-depleted marine environments has consistently revealed novel microbial taxa and metabolic capabilities that expand our understanding of microbial evolution and ecology. Marine blue holes are shallow karst formations characterized by low oxygen and high organic matter content. They are logistically challenging to sample, and thus our understanding of their...
Authors
N.V. Patin, Z.A. Dietrich, A. Stancil, M. Quinan, J.S. Beckler, E. Hall, J Culter, Christopher G. Smith, Martial Taillefert, F.J. Stewart
Bay–marsh systems, composed of an embayment surrounded by fringing marsh incised by tidal channels, are widely distributed coastal environments. External sediment availability, marsh-edge erosion, and sea-level rise acting on such bay–marsh complexes may drive diverse sediment-flux regimes. These factors reinforce the ephemeral and dynamic nature of fringing marshes: material released by...
A high degree of uncertainty exists for understanding and predicting coastal estuarine response to changing climate, land-use, and sea-level conditions, leaving geologic records as a best-proxy for constraining potential outcomes. With the majority of the world's population focused in coastal regions, understanding how local systems respond to global, regional, and even local pressures...
Authors
Christopher G. Smith, Miriam Jones, Lisa Osterman, Davina Passeri
High‐biomass blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Pyrodinium bahamense occur most summers in Tampa Bay, Florida, USA, posing a recurring threat to ecosystem health. Like many dinoflagellates, P. bahamense forms immobile resting cysts that can be deposited on the seafloor—creating a seed bank that can retain the organism within the ecosystem and initiate future blooms when cysts germinate...
Authors
Cary Lopez, Aliza Karim, Susan Murasko, Marci Marot, Christopher Smith, Alina Corcoran
This study documented surface distributions of live and dead foraminiferal assemblages in the low-gradient tidal marshes of the barrier island and estuarine complex of the eastern Mississippi Sound (Grand Bay, Pascagoula River, Fowl River, Dauphin Island). A total of 71,833 specimens representing 38 species were identified from a gradient of different elevation zones across the study...
Authors
Christian Haller, Christopher G. Smith, Pamela Hallock, Albert Hine, Lisa Osterman, Terrence McCloskey
The carbonate sediments of the Western Australian shelf in the Indian Ocean host diverse assemblages of benthic foraminifera. Environments of the shelf are dominated by the southward-flowing Leeuwin Current, which impacts near-surface circulation and influences biogeographic ranges of Indo-Pacific warm-water foraminifera. Analyses of outer ramp to upper slope sediments (127–264 m water...
Authors
Christian Haller, Pamela Hallock, Albert C. Hine, Christopher G. Smith
The Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) in southern Mississippi was established to provide recreational and educational opportunities along with facilitating science-based coastal management; therefore, Grand Bay is the subject of numerous short and long-term environmental studies. The reserve is an important location for research and conservation.
