Rapid salt-marsh erosion in Grand Bay, Mississippi
Detailed Description
This time-lapse video shows lateral erosion of a salt marsh in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, part of an embayment near the city of Pascagoula, Mississippi, on the US Gulf coast. Wave action over the course of 6.5 months led to about 1.5 meters of erosion. Researchers from the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center are studying the influence of wave attack and sediment supply on wetland vulnerability and ecosystem services. Learn more about estuaries research at the USGS by visiting the Estuarine Processes, Hazards, and Ecosystems project web page at https://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/project-pages/estuaries/
Details
Start Year: 08/2016
End Year: 01/2017
Image Dimensions: 1280 x 720
Date Taken:
Length: 00:01:26
Location Taken: Grand Bay, MS, US
Transcript
This time-lapse video shows lateral erosion of a salt marsh
in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve,
part of an embayment near the city of Pascagoula, Mississippi,
on the US Gulf coast
Tidal wetlands like those in Grand Bay
are an important geomorphic and ecological feature of the coastal zone.
During the 6.5 month period represented in this video,
the salt marsh eroded by about 1.5 meters,
a rate equivalent to more than 3 meters, or 10 feet, per year.
Researchers from the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
are studying the influence of wave attack and sediment supply
on wetland vulnerability and ecosystem services.
USGS research in tidal wetlands supports coastal resource managers
by providing decision-making tools to help them identify
vulnerable areas and optimal restoration sites.
Learn more about estuaries research at the USGS by visiting
the Estuarine Processes, Hazards, and Ecosystems project web page.