Seasonality and interannual variability of freshwater inflow to a large oligohaline estuary in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Quantity, timing, duration, and fluctuation of freshwater inflow are important factors affecting the development and health of aquatic and adjacent wetland ecosystems in coastal estuaries. This study assessed six decades of freshwater inflow from the Amite River, Tickfaw River, and Tangipahoa River watersheds to Lake Pontchartrain, a large oligohaline estuary in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, whose flood waters caused recent damage to the city of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. By utilizing the long-term (1940–2002) river discharge and climatic data from the three major tributary watersheds, monthly and annual freshwater inflows have been quantified and their spatial and temporal variations have been analyzed. On average, the three rivers discharged (±standard error) 0.27 ± 0.04 km³ freshwater monthly and 3.29 ± 0.15 km³ freshwater annually into the lake estuarine system, with the highest inflow from the Amite River (0.16 ± 0.03 m³ mon⁻¹, and 1.91 ± 0.09 km³ yr⁻¹) and the lowest inflow from the Tickfaw River (0.03 ± 0.00 km³ mon⁻¹, and 0.34 ± 0.02 km³ yr⁻¹). A distinct seasonality was evident with over 69% of the total annual inflow occurring during December and May (wet months) and with a low flow period from August to November (dry months). The monthly inflow during the wet months was positively correlated with the monthly precipitation (r² = 0.64), while the monthly inflow during the dry months was subject to evapotranspiration. Furthermore, the study found a 20-year low flow period from 1954–1973 (2.76 ± 0.24 km³ yr⁻¹) and a 24-year high flow period from 1975–1998 (3.84 ± 0.24 km³ yr⁻¹), coinciding with both the climate variation and population growth in the watersheds.     

Recent Trends in Geography Education in Louisiana

Geography at elementary and middle schools in Louisiana, USA., remains a social studies strand along with civics, economics, and history, with no state-required geography course at any level. But because schools may require more geography than the state standard, this research examines the extent to which K–12 students are exposed to geography in Louisiana, using an electronic survey and an interview with state department of education officials. Results suggest that geography remains underemphasized, but the 2011 implementation of new social studies standards, the Advanced Placement Human Geography course, and other initiatives offer promise for more geographically literate Louisiana citizens.     

Adaptive Transitions: The Long‐Term Perspective on Humans in Changing Coastal Settings

Adaptation is a key concept in long‐term human adjustments to climate change. Despite the centrality of human decisions and actions in adaptation, much of the climate change literature is thin on humanities and social science which are the primary approaches for understanding human activity. This situation is particularly pronounced in Louisiana's discussions about its disappearing coast line where research has concentrated in understanding biophysical processes and solutions prioritize short‐term adaptations. This paper reviews the relationship of adaptation and long‐term transitions in the global change discussion and traces how disjointed adaptations in coastal Louisiana have contributed to a perilous environmental situation there. It proposes a shift from discrete adaptations to efforts that incorporate interrelated biophysical and human adaptations that can sustain long‐term transitions.     

Floc size variability under strong turbulence: Observations and artificial neural network modeling

The flocculation of cohesive sediment in the presence of waves is investigated using high-resolution field observations and a newly-developed flocculation model based on artificial neural networks. Vertical profiles of suspended sediment concentration and turbulent intensity are estimated using measurements of current profile and acoustic backscatter. The vertical distribution of floc size is estimated using an artificial neural network (ANN) that is trained and validated using floc size measurements at one vertical level. Data analysis suggests a linear correlation between suspended sediment concentration and turbulence intensity. Observations and numerical simulations show that floc size is inversely related to sediment concentration, turbulence intensity and water temperature. The numerical results indicate that floc growth is supported by low concentration and low turbulence. In the vertical direction, mean size of flocs decreases toward the bottom, suggesting floc breakage due to increasing turbulence intensity toward the bed. A significant decrease in turbulent shear could occur within the bottom few-cm, related to increased damping of turbulence by sediment induced density stratification. The results of the numerical simulations presented here are consistent with the concept of a cohesive sediment particle undergoing aggregation-fragmentation processes, and suggest that the ANN can be a precise tool to study flocculation processes.     

URBAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING IN CALIFORNIA: AN EVALUATION

California's excellent road system has provided unmatched mobility for most of the state's residents. Recently, however, constraints on construction of high-capacity roads have threatened the future of unrestricted auto use. California's transportation planners have therefore shifted emphasis from expanding the transportation system to increasing its efficiency. No concomitant change has occurred, however, in state legislation or resource allocation. As a result, rather than being an integrated process, transportation planning and implementation are fragmented. This paper examines the origins and implications of this situation and possible remedies for it.     

Interactions between freshwater input, light, and phytoplankton dynamics on the Louisiana continental shelf

We examined the effects of freshwater flow and light availability on phytoplankton biomass and production along the Louisiana continental shelf in the region characterized by persistent spring–summer stratification and widespread summer hypoxia. Data were collected on 7 cruises from 2005 to 2007, and spatially-averaged estimates of phytoplankton and light variables were calculated for the study area using Voronoi polygon normalization. Shelf-wide phytoplankton production ranged from 0.47 to 1.75 mg C m⁻² d⁻¹ across the 7 cruises. Shelf-wide average light attenuation (k_d) ranged from 0.19–1.01 m⁻¹ and strongly covaried with freshwater discharge from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers (R²=0.67). Interestingly, we observed that the euphotic zone (as defined by the 1% light depth) extended well below the pycnocline and to the bottom across much of the shelf. Shelf-wide average chlorophyll a (chl a) concentrations ranged from 1.4 to 5.9 mg m⁻³ and, similar to k_d, covaried with river discharge (R²=0.83). Also, chl a concentrations were significantly higher in plume versus non-plume regions of the shelf. When integrated through the water-column, shelf-wide average chl a ranged from 26.3 to 47.6 mg m⁻², but did not covary with river discharge, nor were plume versus non-plume averages statistically different. The high integrated chl a in the non-plume waters resulted from frequent sub-pycnocline chl a maxima. Phytoplankton production rates were highest in the vicinity of the Mississippi River bird's foot delta, but as with integrated chl a were not statistically different in plume versus non-plume waters across the rest of the shelf. Based on the vertical distribution of light and chl a, a substantial fraction of phytoplankton production occurred below the pycnocline, averaging from 25% to 50% among cruises. These results suggest that freshwater and nutrient inputs regulate shelf-wide k_d and, consequently, the vertical distribution of primary production. The substantial below-pycnocline primary production we observed has not been previously quantified for this region, but has important implications about the formation and persistence of hypoxia on the Louisiana continental shelf.     

Marsh vertical accretion via vegetative growth

Coastal marshes accrete vertically in response to sea-level rise and subsidence. Inadequate accretion and subsequent conversion of coastal marshes to open water generally is attributed to inadequate mineral sedimentation because mineral sedimentation is widely assumed to control accretion. Using ¹³⁷Cs dating to determine vertical accretion, mineral sedimentation, and organic matter accumulation, we found that accretion varied with organic accumulation rather than mineral sedimentation across a wide range of conditions in coastal Louisiana, including stable marshes where soil was 80% mineral matter. These results agreed with previous research, but no mechanism had been proposed to explain accretion via vegetative growth. In an exploratory greenhouse experiment, we found that flooding stimulated root growth above the marsh surface. These results indicated the need for additional work to determine if flooding controls accretion in some marshes by stimulating root growth on the marsh surface, rather than by mineral accumulation on the marsh surface. Restoration or management that focus on mineral sedimentation may be ineffective where a relationship between accretion and mineral sedimentation is assumed rather than tested.     

Relationships of Louisiana Colonial Land Claims with Potential Natural Vegetation and Historic Standing Structures: A GIS Approach*

Louisiana's French, Spanish, and British colonial administrations left a vivid imprint on the landscape in the form of unique cadastral survey systems. The collective distribution of these colonial land claims presents a picture of the colonial occupation of the state. Settlement shows up clearly along the waterways of the bayou state. Equally significant are the areas devoid of land claims. This paper discusses the compilation of the colonial Louisiana land claims map and demonstrates its utility to GIS-based historical geography and historic preservation. By merging this map with other digitized datasets such as potential natural vegetation and historic structures, the seemingly chaotic 18th century occupance of an extremely heterogeneous physical environment becomes patterned, and prior assumptions about the colonial settlement process may be tested with greater precision.     

Distribution and photoreactivity of chromophoric dissolved organic matter in northern Gulf of Mexico shelf waters

The distribution and photoreactivity of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in the northern Gulf of Mexico along the Louisiana coastal shelf were examined during three cruises in summer 2007, fall 2007, and summer 2008. The influence of the Mississippi River plume was clearly evident as CDOM levels (defined as a₃₀₅) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations were well-correlated with salinity during all cruises. Elevated CDOM and CDOM:DOC ratios of surface samples collected offshore of Atchafalaya Bay and the Breton-Chandeleur Sound complex indicated emanations of organic-rich waters from coastal wetlands are also an important source to nearshore shelf waters. Generally, CDOM and DOC levels were highest in surface waters and decreased with depth, but during summer 2007 and summer 2008, CDOM levels in near-bottom samples were occasionally higher than at mid-depths without concomitant increases in DOC. CDOM photobleaching was measured during 24 irradiations using a SunTest XLS+ solar simulator with photobleaching rate coefficients (k₃₀₅) ranging from 0.011 to 0.32 h⁻¹. For fall 2007 and summer 2008, higher k₃₀₅ values were generally observed in samples with higher initial CDOM levels. However, samples collected during summer 2007 did not exhibit a similar pattern nor were there differences in photobleaching rates between surface and bottom samples. Spectral slope coefficients (S_275-295 or S_350-400) and DOC levels were largely unchanged after 24 h irradiations. Modeled CDOM photobleaching for northern Gulf of Mexico mid-shelf waters predicts that during the summer when solar irradiance is high and the water column becomes stratified, nearly 90% of the CDOM in the upper 1 m may be lost to photobleaching, with losses up to 20% possible even at 10 m depth.