Abstract
Reduced sediment loading contributes to tidal marsh loss, making evaluations of sediment dynamics useful in assessing marsh resilience to sea-level rise. Tidal marsh construction can offset these losses, but sediment dynamics are less commonly assessed in these systems. Some studies suggest sediment dynamics should develop over time; however, these studies often focus on accumulation at a single time and/or place, without considering sediment composition (i.e., organic vs. inorganic). We compared seasonal sediment dynamics between a natural and 34-year-old constructed tidal marsh with limited hydrologic connectivity. In July 2021, we established permanent sampling points along one tidal creek in each marsh and made monthly measurements of sedimentation, organic matter accumulation, and surface scour for one year. We found that sedimentation and organic matter accumulation were lower in the constructed marsh, while surface scour was similar between sites. Additionally, the relationship between distance from the tidal creek mouth and sedimentation differed between marshes (positive in natural, negative in constructed), as did organic matter accumulation (no relationship in natural, positive in constructed). However, we found that both marshes followed similar seasonal trends in sediment accumulation (highest in summer, lowest in winter). Observed differences in sedimentation between marshes appear to be marsh-specific (due to limited hydrologic connectivity in the constructed marsh), as sedimentation rates between other natural and restored marshes in the region did not differ. Collectively, these results suggest that consideration of sedimentation rates, including spatial and temporal variation, is critical to develop adequate sedimentary dynamics in restored and constructed marshes.
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Data Availability
The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are available in the “Fowl-River-Sedimentation-Project” repository (https://github.com/dybie1jm/Fowl-River-Sedimentation-Project).
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Acknowledgements
With gratitude for his leadership on this study, co-authors Sharbaugh, Rinehart, and Cherry dedicate this paper to Jacob Dybiec (1st author), who passed away unexpectedly on July 3, 2023. The authors would like to thank Sarah Nelson, Spencer Bartle, Emily Fromenthal, Abbey Wiggins, Amanda Pasierbowicz, and Taylor Ledford for assistance with data collection and data processing. We also thank George Crozier for introducing us to the study site, Barry Vittor of Barry A. Vittor & Associates, Inc. for providing site history information, and George McKean at North American Gulf Terminals, Inc. for granting us permission to access the constructed marsh. This work was partially funded as a leveraged project by the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant (NOAA Award NA18OR4170080), and by an Arts and Sciences Support for Undergraduate Research (ASSURE) award provided by the University of Alabama’s College of Arts and Sciences.
Funding
The region-wide sedimentation survey was partially funded as a leveraged project by the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant (NOAA Award NA18OR4170080), and by an Arts and Sciences Support for Undergraduate Research (ASSURE) award provided by the University of Alabama’s College of Arts and Sciences.
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation and data collection were performed by Jacob Dybiec, Morgan Sharbaugh, and Shelby Rinehart. Data analysis and writing of all versions of this manuscript were performed by Jacob Dybiec, Morgan Sharbaugh, and Shelby Rinehart. Julia Cherry provided funding to conduct the study from her research overhead account in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alabama. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
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Jacob M. Dybiec is deceased. This paper is dedicated to his memory.
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Dybiec, J.M., Sharbaugh, M., Rinehart, S. et al. Seasonal Sediment Dynamics in a Constructed and Natural Tidal Marsh in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Wetlands 43, 70 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-023-01719-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-023-01719-x