Brackish marshes erode twice as fast as saline marshes in the Mississippi Delta region

Marsh soil properties vary drastically across estuarine salinity gradients, which can affect soil strength and, consequently, marsh edge erodibility. Here, we quantify how marsh erosion differs between saline and brackish marshes of the Mississippi Delta. We analyzed long-term (1932–2015) maps of marsh loss and developed an algorithm to distinguish edge erosion from interior loss. We found that the edge erosion rate remains nearly constant at decadal timescales, whereas interior loss varies by more than 100%. On average, roughly half of marsh loss can be attributed to edge erosion, the other half to interior loss. Based on data from 42 cores, brackish marsh soils had a lower bulk density (0.17 vs. 0.27 g/cm³), a higher organic content (43% vs. 26%), a lower shear strength (2.0 vs. 2.5 kPa), and a lower shear strength in the root layer (13.8 vs. 20.7 kPa) than saline marsh soils. We then modified an existing marsh edge erosion model by including a salinity-dependent erodibility. By calibrating the erodibility with the observed retreat rates, we found that the brackish marsh is two to three times more erodible than the saline marshes. Overall, this model advances the ability to simulate estuarine systems as a whole, thus transcending the salinity boundaries often used in compartmentalized marsh models.     

Seasonal changes in surface level of a salt marsh creek

Nineteen surveys were carried out over a two-year period to determine the surface height of a salt marsh creek located on the north side of the River Esk, Cumbria, England. An AGA 112 electromagnetic distance measurer mounted on a Wild TI theodolite was used in conjunction with acrylic reflectors to follow the form of the ground. The results showed that there were no significant net trends in surface level, although seasonal variations of the order of 2 cm occurred. Vegetated areas responded in similar fashion to bare surfaces. It is thought that the elevational changes were attributable to the swelling of clay particles during the winter months rather than the effects of erosion and accretion.     

Laboratory measurements of the fall velocity of fine sediment in an estuarine environment

The study of the fall velocity variation of fine sediment in estuarine areas plays an important role in determining how various factors affect the flocculation process.Previous experimental studies have focused solely on the relation between the median fall velocity and influencing factors,while in the current study,the variation of the fall velocity in quiescent water also was examined.The experimental results showed that the vertical distribution of sediment concentration was more uneven,and larger variations occurred earlier during the settling process under higher salinity and/or sediment concentration conditions.The fall velocity initially increased then decreased over time,peaking at～20 min after settling began,and stabilizing at a value similar to that in freshwater,regardless of the initial sediment concentration and salinity combinations.Along the water depth,the fall velocity increased monotonically with a gradually decreasing gradient.The median fall velocity increased then decreased with increased salinity.The salinity at which the peak fall velocity occurred depended on the initial sediment concentration.The relation between the median fall velocity and initial sediment concentration displayed an obvious two-stage pattern(i.e.,accelerated flocculation and decelerated,hindered settling) at higher salinities;whereas the maximum median fall velocity was observed at two consecutive sediment concentration values under lower salinity conditions.Finally,an empirical equation estimating the median fall velocity of cohesive fine sediment was formulated,incorporating the effects of both salinity and sediment concentration.     

An idealized model study of flocculation on sediment trapping in an estuarine turbidity maximum

Flocculation has an important impact on particle trapping in estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM) through associated increases in particle settling velocity. To quantify the importance of the flocculation processes, a size-resolved flocculation model is implemented into an ocean circulation model to simulate fine-grained particle trapping in an ETM. The model resolves the particle size from robust small flocs, about 30 μm, to very large flocs, over 1000 μm. An idealized two-dimensional model study is performed to simulate along-channel variations of suspended sediment concentrations driven by gravitational circulation and tidal currents. The results indicate that the flocculation processes play a key role in generating strong tidal asymmetrical variations in suspended sediment concentration and particle trapping. Comparison with observations suggests that the flocculation model produces realistic characteristics of an ETM.     

The soil nitrogen dynamics in an inland salt marsh as affected by various experimental water levels

An 87‐day incubation experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of various water levels on the soil nitrogen content in an inland salt marsh of Xianghai, China. Soil samples were collected from depths in the range of 0 to 30 cm at 10‐cm intervals after 15, 54 and 87 days of incubation. The total nitrogen (TN), available nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen (NO₃^?‐N) and ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺‐N) contents and the nitrogen activation coefficient (NAC) were measured to investigate the soil nitrogen dynamics under three inundation treatments (?5, 0 and 5 cm). The results showed that TN was generally accumulated in all soil layers and exhibited a peak value in subsurface soils at the ?5‐cm inundation level at the end of the incubation period, whereas no obvious changes were observed in the TN contents in the bottom soils at the three inundation levels. Compared with the initial contents in the soils, the NO₃^?‐N and NH₄⁺‐N contents were significantly reduced in all soil layers at the 0‐cm and the 5‐cm inundation levels at the end of the incubation period. In general, the available nitrogen content was higher in the surface soils compared with the deeper soils at all inundation levels. The NAC values exhibited a pronounced change in the subsurface soils at all inundation levels, decreasing significantly from 0.17 to 0.04 at the 5‐cm inundation level; however, a higher mean NAC value (0.126) was found over the incubation period at the 0‐cm inundation level compared with the 5‐cm and the ?5‐cm inundation levels. Nitrogen was released from plants into the soil under all inundation treatments over the incubation period. The soil organic matter exerted positive loadings on the TN and NO₃^?‐N contents and negative loadings on the NH₄⁺‐N content at all inundation levels, and the water content generally exhibited a negative relationship with all forms of nitrogen. Additionally, the total phosphorus content exhibited a positive correlation with the TN and NO₃^?‐N contents. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Changes in topography and surface sediments by the Saemangeum dyke in an estuarine complex,west coast of Korea

The effects of a giant offshore dyke, Saemangeum, have been of special interest on both scientific and environmental aspects. Without any rival worldwide with regard to the ample scale and estuarine setting, the Saemangeum dyke and its vicinity (Saemangeum Area) should be an unprecedented experimental site for monitoring the consequence of the estuarine developments with dykes. In order to unravel geologic changes caused by the Saemangeum dyke, we collected a number of surface sediment samples and bathymetric profiles from a full coverage of the Saemangeum Area, and compared topography and sediment phase on the inter-annual (2002–2006, post-construction) and decadal (1982–2002, between pre- and post-construction) timescales.     

The estuarine chemistry and isotope systematics of U in the Amazon and Fly Rivers

Natural concentrations of ²³⁸U and δ²³⁴U values were determined in estuarine surface waters and pore waters of the Amazon and Fly (Papua New Guinea) Rivers to investigate U transport phenomena across river-dominated land–sea margins. Discharge from large, tropical rivers is a major source of dissolved and solid materials transported to the oceans, and are important in defining not only oceanic mass budgets, but also terrestrial weathering rates.On the Amazon shelf, salinity-property plots of dissolved organic carbon, pH and total suspended matter revealed two vastly contrasting water masses that were energetically mixed. In this mixing zone, the distribution of uranium was highly non-conservative and exhibited extensive removal from the water column. Uranium removal was most pronounced within a salinity range of 0–16.6, and likely the result of scavenging and flocculation reactions with inorganic (i.e., Fe/Mn oxides) and organic colloids/particles. Removal of uranium may also be closely coupled to exchange and resuspension processes at the sediment/water interface. An inner-shelf pore water profile indicated the following diagenetic processes: extensive (1 m) zones of Fe(III)—and, to a lesser degree, Mn(IV)—reduction in the absence of significant S(II) concentrations appeared to facilitate the formation of various authigenic minerals (e.g., siderite, rhodocrosite and uraninite). The pore water dissolved ²³⁸U profile co-varied closely with Mn(II). Isotopic variations as evidenced in δ²³⁴U pore waters values from this site revealed information on the origin and history of particulate uranium. Only after a depth of about 1 m did the δ²³⁴U value approach unity (secular equilibrium), denoting a residual lattice bound uranium complex that is likely an upper-drainage basin weathering product. This suggests that the enriched δ²³⁴U values represent a riverine surface complexation product that is actively involved in Mn–Fe diagenetic cycles and surface complexation reactions.In the Fly River estuary, ²³⁸U appears to exhibit a reasonably conservative distribution as a function of salinity. The absence of observed U removal does not necessarily imply non-reactivity, but instead may record an integration of concurrent U removal and release processes. There is not a linear correlation between δ²³⁴U vs. 1/²³⁸U that would imply simple two component mixing. It is likely that resuspension of bottom sediments, prolonged residence times in the lower reaches of the Fly River, and energetic particle–colloid interactions contribute to the observed estuarine U distribution. The supply of uranium discharged from humid, tropical river systems to the sea appears to be foremost influenced by particle/water interactions that are ultimately governed by the particular physiographic and hydrologic characteristics of an estuary.     

Ecological impacts of tributyltin on estuarine communities in the Hastings River, NSW Australia

Oyster (Saccostrea commercialis) biomonitoring, assessment of oyster and gastropod (Bembicium auratum) abundance, and gastropod imposex were used to measure the significance of tributyltin (TBT) contamination in an intertidal mangrove forest. We studied the bioavailable levels of TBT in oysters approximately 1 km downstream and 2 km upstream from a TBT waste disposal site. We found observable declines in the abundance of oysters and gastropods correlated with the bioavailable TBT and these findings were confirmed by mapping oyster beds. Oyster cover near the disposal site ranged from 0% to 5% while downstream and upstream populations ranged in cover from 25–50% to 5–25%, respectively. Similarly, gastropod abundances at the disposal site were only 7% of the downstream population and 17% of the upstream population. Imposex was present in 90% of female B. auratum from populations near the disposal site but this effect declined more sharply than the population level effects.     

The 1974 spill of the Bouchard 65 oil barge: petroleum hydrocarbons persist in Winsor Cove salt marsh sediments

Petroleum hydrocarbons persist in salt marsh sediments in Winsor Cove (Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts) impacted from the 1974 spill of No. 2 fuel oil by the barge Bouchard 65. Intertidal sediment cores were collected from 2001 to 2005 and analyzed for total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs). TPHs content was greatest (as high as 8.7 mg g(-1) dry weight) in the surface sediments and decreased with distance landward. Select samples were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with values as high as 16.7 microg g(-1) for total naphthalenes and phenanthrenes/anthracenes. These remaining PAHs are mainly C(4)-naphthalenes and C(1)-, C(2)-, and C(3)-phenanthrenes/anthracenes revealing preferential loss of almost all of the naphthalenes and the parent compound phenanthrene. Inspection of the data indicates that biodegradation, water-washing and evaporation were major removal processes for many of the petroleum hydrocarbons in the marsh sediments. In addition, historical data and photographs combined with their recent counterparts indicate that erosion has physically removed these contaminants from this site.     

Seasonal variation in the transverse and layered structure of estuarine circulation in Ariake Bay, Japan

Seasonal variation in the transverse and layered structure of estuarine circulation in Ariake Bay, Japan was investigated by box model analysis using monthly salinity data from 1990 to 2000. Two-layered gravitational estuarine circulation was intensified from autumn to spring (vertically well mixed season) accompanied by a small river discharge. Two-layered circulation was weakened accompanying the transversely segregated cyclonic circulation in the upper layer during summer (stratified season) with a large river discharge. Such seasonal variation in the transverse and layered structure of estuarine circulation is because the bay width of Ariake Bay (20 km) is narrower than the external Rossby deformation radius (235 km) but wider than the internal Rossby deformation radius (3–5 km).     

内陆盐沼湿地土壤碳氮磷剖面分布的季节动态特征

本文以向海湿地为例探讨了内陆盐沼湿地土壤剖面中碳氮磷等生源要素的季节动态变化特征及其影响因素.结果表明,内陆盐沼湿地土壤中有机碳、全氮和全磷含量与土壤深度之间存在显著负相关,在剖面中均表现为由表层向下层其含量不断减少的趋势,且具有明显的季节波动特征,除表层土壤碳氮含量随季节变化呈持续增加外,生源要素剖面分布的季节变化基本表现为先减少后增加的趋势.有机碳、全氮和全磷含量之间关系密切,且三者受土壤粒度的影响都非常显著.土壤pH值仅与土壤有机碳之间存在显著的相关关系,而对全氮和全磷含量的影响则不显著.     

Optical properties of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in surface and pore waters adjacent to an oil well in a southern California salt marsh

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) optical properties were measured in surface and pore waters as a function of depth and distance from an oil well in a southern California salt marsh. Higher fluorescence and absorbances in pore vs. surface waters suggest soil pore water is a reservoir of CDOM in the marsh. Protein-like fluorophores in pore waters at distinct depths corresponded to variations in sulfate depletion and Fe(II) concentrations from anaerobic microbial activity. These variations were supported by fluorescence indexes and are consistent with differences in optical molecular weight and aromaticity indicators. Fluorescence indices were consistent with autochthonous material of aquatic origin in surface waters, with more terrestrial, humified allochthonous material in deeper pore waters. CDOM optical properties were consistent with significantly enhanced microbial activity in regions closest to the oil well, along with a three-dimensional excitation/emission matrix fluorescence spectrum peak attributable to oil, suggesting anaerobic microbial degradation of oil.     

Effects of an estuarine plume-associated bloom on the carbonate system in the lower reaches of the Pearl River estuary and the coastal zone of the northern South China Sea

We observed a phytoplankton bloom downstream of a large estuarine plume induced by heavy precipitation during a cruise conducted in the Pearl River estuary and the northern South China Sea in May–June 2001. The plume delivered a significant amount of nutrients into the estuary and the adjacent coastal region, and enhanced stratification stimulating a phytoplankton bloom in the region near and offshore of Hong Kong. A several fold increase (0.2–1.8 μg Chl L⁻¹) in biomass (Chl a) was observed during the bloom. During the bloom event, the surface water phytoplankton community structure significantly shifted from a pico-phytoplankton dominated community to one dominated by micro-phytoplankton (>20 μm). In addition to increased Chl a, we observed a significant drawdown of pCO₂, biological uptake of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and an associated enhancement of dissolved oxygen and pH, demonstrating enhanced photosynthesis during the bloom. During the bloom, we estimated a net DIC drawdown of 100–150 μmol kg⁻¹ and a TAlk increase of 0–50 μmol kg⁻¹. The mean sea–air CO₂ flux at the peak of the bloom was estimated to be as high as ∼−18 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹. For an average surface water depth of 5 m, a very high apparent biological CO₂ consumption rate of 70–110 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹ was estimated. This value is 2–6 times higher than the estimated air–sea exchange rate.     

Assessing the severity of disturbance for intertidal and subtidal macrobenthos: The phylum-level meta-analysis approach in tropical estuarine sites of northeastern Brazil

The phylum-level meta-analysis approach was applied to assess the status of disturbance of intertidal and subtidal macrobenthos in two estuaries in northeastern Brazil that are subject to different sources of pollution. Previously published estuarine data were included in the body of knowledge considered in the meta-analysis, to improve the reliability of the assessment of the Brazilian samples. Further multivariate and distributional techniques were applied to discriminate differences between estuaries and assess the pollution status of each. Phylum-level multivariate comparisons based on community attributes succeeded in discriminating the estuaries, and species distributions against abundance separated the estuaries in terms of pollution status. The meta-analysis indicated an almost indistinguishable moderate pollution status for both systems. Addition of new comparative data to the meta-analysis did not improve its sensitivity. Although the meta-analysis yielded satisfactory results in detecting disturbance in tropical estuaries, the method is not very sensitive to differences in sources of pollution.     

Correcting for potential 222Rn loss in 210Pb dating of sediments from the South Adriatic Pit

Measurement of ²²⁶Ra activity concentrations is often used to estimate supported levels of ²¹⁰Pb for purposes of geochronology. However, the implicit assumption that supported ²¹⁰Pb and ²²⁶Ra are in secular radioactive equilibrium may not always be true because of the migration of an intermediate product, gaseous ²²²Rn. As a consequence, supported ²¹⁰Pb activity concentration might be lower than the measured ²²⁶Ra value, which was the case in a core collected from the South Adriatic Pit. Here we present a new approach to improve the determination of supported ²¹⁰Pb, which is based on correction of ²²⁶Ra activity concentrations using the average (²¹⁰Pb/²²⁶Ra) activity ratio in deeper sediment layers. Using this approach, sedimentation rates for the South Adriatic Pit with a constant rate of supply model and a constant initial concentration model were 0.054 g/cm²/a and 0.070 g/cm²/a, respectively.     

Partition-coordinated control of soil and water loss for chestnut forests in the Yanshan Mountain Region,China

Soil erosion from chestnut forests is one of the most important factors causing land degradation in the Yanshan Mountain Region. A 2-year field study was done to compare the effects on erosion of a control plot(CP), a repaired and maintained horizontal ditch built with an engineering baffle every 6 m(MP 1),and a repaired and maintained horizontal ditch built with an engineering baffle every 8 m(MP 2). The results showed that the slope runoff of chestnut forests was influenced by rainfall characteristic factors.No single rainfall characteristic factor showed dominance for hill slope runoff. The runoff reduction effect of the partition-coordinated erosion control measures(MP 1 and MP 2) was substantial for chestnut forests under high rainfall intensity conditions. However, the runoff reduction efficiency was higher under the conditions of heavy rainfall and low average rainfall intensity than for storms with higher intensity and lower total rainfall. The reduction effect of the partition-coordinated erosion control measures on the runoff and sediment yield of chestnut forest slopes was MP 2 > MP 1 > CP. The runoff reduction rate and erosion reduction rate of MP 2 reached 61.70% and 97.41%, respectively, and that for MP 1 was 54.15% and 85.31%, respectively. Therefore, after a comprehensive comparison, MP 2 was determined to be more effective for soil erosion control for a sloping chestnut forest.     

Comparison of benthic invertebrate assemblages at Spartina alterniflora marshes reestablished after an oil spill and existing marshes in the Arthur Kill (NY/NJ)

In January 1990, an oil spill damaged salt marshes along the banks of the Arthur Kill (New York and New Jersey, USA). In the years following the spill, Spartina alterniflora seedlings were planted at a number of the oil damaged sites and successfully reestablished at these sites. In 1996, the National Marine Fisheries Service began a study to compare the benthic invertebrate assemblages at the reestablished S. alterniflora marshes to those at nearby existing marshes in the Arthur Kill. Oligochaetes, nematodes, and the small tube-building polychaete, Manayunkia aestuarina were the dominant taxa in the study. Significant differences were found in the abundances of all invertebrate individuals, oligochaetes, and nematodes between the September and May sampling times but not between reestablished and existing marshes. Although benthic invertebrate community structure was similar at reestablished and existing marshes three to four years after planting, the functional similarity of these marshes was not assessed in this study.     

Properties of suspended sediment in the estuarine turbidity maximum of the highly turbid Humber Estuary system, UK

Measurements are presented of the properties of suspended particulate matter (SPM) in the estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM) of the upper Humber and Ouse estuaries during transient, relatively low freshwater inflow conditions of September 1995. Very high concentrations of near-bed SPM (more than 100 g l⁻¹) were observed in the low-salinity (less than 1), upper reaches. SPM within the ETM consisted largely of fine sediment (silt and clay) that existed as microfloc and macrofloc aggregates and individual particles. Primary sediment particles were very fine grained, and typically, about 20–30% was clay-sized at high water. The clay mineralogy was dominated by chlorite and illite. There was a pronounced increase in particle size in the tidal river, up-estuary of the ETM. The mean specific surface area (SSA) of near-bed SPM within the ETM was 22 m² g⁻¹ on a spring tide and 24 m² g⁻¹ on a neap tide. A tidal cycle of measurements within a near-bed, high concentration SPM layer during a very small neap tide gave a mean SSA of 26 m² g⁻¹. The percentage of silt and clay in surficial bed sediments along the main channel of the estuary varied strongly. The relatively low silt and clay percentage of surficial bed sediments (about 10–35%) within the ETM’s region of highest near-bed SPM concentrations and their low SSA values were in marked contrast to the overlying SPM. The loss on ignition (LOI) of near-bed SPM in the turbid reaches of the estuary was about 10%, compared with about 12% for surface SPM and more than 40% in the very low turbidity waters up-estuary of the ETM. Settling velocities of Humber–Ouse SPM, sampled in situ and measured using a settling column, maximized at 1.5 mm s⁻¹ and exhibited hindered settling at higher SPM concentrations.     

Herbicides implicated as the cause of severe mangrove dieback in the Mackay region, NE Australia: consequences for marine plant habitats of the GBR World Heritage Area

Herbicides, particularly diuron, were correlated with severe and widespread dieback of the dominant mangrove, Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. var. eucalyptifolia (Val.) N.C. Duke (Avicenniaceae), its reduced canopy condition, and declines in seedling health within three neighbouring estuaries in the Mackay region of NE Australia. This unusual species-specific dieback, first observed in the early 1990s, had gotten notably worse by 2002 to affect >30 km(2) of mangroves in at least five adjacent estuaries in the region. Over the past century, agricultural production has responded well to the demands of increasing population with improvements in farm efficiency assisted by significant increases in the use of agricultural chemicals. However, with regular and episodic river flow events, these chemicals have sometimes found their way into estuarine and nearshore water and sediments where their effects on marine habitats have been largely unquantified. Investigations over the last three years in the Mackay region provide compelling evidence of diuron, and possibly other agricultural herbicides, as the most likely cause of the severe and widespread mangrove dieback. The likely consequences of such dieback included declines in coastal water quality with increased turbidity, nutrients and sediment deposition, as well as further dispersal of the toxic chemicals. The implications of such findings are immense since they describe not only the serious deterioration of protected and beneficial mangrove habitat but also the potential for significant direct and indirect effects on other highly-valued estuarine and marine habitats in the region, including seagrass beds and coral reefs of the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. This article reviews all key findings and observations to date and describes the essential correlative and causative evidence.     

Sponges and sediments as monitoring tools of metal contamination in the eastern coast of the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia

Sediments and sponges were collected from various locations along the eastern coast of the Red Sea, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Total concentrations of Cd, Zn, Ag, Cu, Pb, As and Hg in the sediments were measured. Metal contamination was not significant in most of the studied sites and only one site was moderately polluted by Zn, Cu, and Pb. Sponges accumulated specific metals readily even though the metal exposure was low in the ambient environment. Contrasting interspecies differences in metal accumulation patterns were observed among the nine collected species of sponges. Significant positive correlations were found between the metal concentrations in the two species of sponges collected from the same sites. The strong ability to accumulate specific metals and the diversity of sponges that live in the Red Sea coastal areas make them a promising biomonitor of metal contamination in the areas.