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Trends in surface elevation and accretion in a retrograding delta in coastal Mississippi, USA from 2012–2016

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Abstract

The Grand Bay estuary is in the north-central Gulf of Mexico and lacks riverine sediment input for marsh elevation maintenance. This study quantified trends in surface elevation change and accretion along an elevation gradient within the estuary. Elevation change rates were compared to short (13.71 mm/yr; 95% CI: -2.38–29.81), medium (6.97 mm/yr; 95% CI: 3.31–10.64), and long-range (3.50 mm/yr; 95% CI: 2.88–4.11) water level rise (WLR) rates for the region. Elevation change rates ranged from 0.54 mm/yr (95% CI: -0.63–1.72) to 5.45 mm/yr (95% CI: 4.27–6.62) and accretion rates ranged from 0.82 mm/yr (95% CI: -0.16–1.80) to 3.89 mm/yr (95% CI: 2.90–4.89) among marsh zones. Only the elevation change rate at a Juncus roemerianus marsh located high in the tidal frame was lower than long- (P < 0.001) and medium-range WLR rates (P < 0.01). The elevation change rate at a lower elevation J. roemerianus marsh was higher than the long-range WLR rate (P < 0.05). No marsh zones had elevation change rates that were significantly different from short-range WLR. These results suggest that J. roemerianus marshes higher in the tidal frame are the most vulnerable to increases in sea level. Lower elevation marshes had higher rates of elevation change driven by sediment accretion and biogenic inputs. Other local research suggests that shoreline erosion is a threat to marsh persistence but provides elevation capital to interior marshes. Marsh migration is a potential solution for marsh persistence in this relatively undeveloped area of the Gulf Coast.

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Data availability

The elevation and accretion datasets analyzed during the current study are available from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Centralized Data Management Office at https://cdmo.baruch.sc.edu/get/landing.cfm. This data and other generated datasets (e.g., water level rise data) can be provided by the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Lindsay Spurrier, Cher Griffin, and Daniel Taylor for assistance with data collection and curation.

Funding

This work was funded in part by an award from the Office for Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (award number NA21NOS4200046) and the Mississippi Tidelands Trust Program administered by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Point, MS, USA

    Jonathan L. Pitchford, Kimberly Cressman, Jay McIlwain & Michael J. Archer

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, New College, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

    Julia A. Cherry

  3. School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA

    Brook T. Russell

  4. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, State Lands Coastal Section, Spanish Fort, AL, USA

    William V. Underwood

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  1. Jonathan L. Pitchford
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Contributions

Study conception and design were performed by JLP, KC, JAC, BTR, and WVU. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by JLP, KC, BTR, JM, and MJA. The first draft of the manuscript was written by JLP, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Jonathan L. Pitchford.

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Pitchford, J.L., Cressman, K., Cherry, J.A. et al. Trends in surface elevation and accretion in a retrograding delta in coastal Mississippi, USA from 2012–2016. Wetlands Ecol Manage 30, 461–475 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-022-09871-7

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