Tropicalization of the Northern Gulf of Mexico: Impacts of Salt Marsh Transition to Black Mangrove Dominance on Faunal Communities

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 1193-1205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Whitney A. Scheffel ◽  
Kenneth L. Heck ◽  
Matthew W. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Northern Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Faunal Communities ◽  
Black Mangrove

Summer Movements of the Gulf Killifish (Fundulus grandis) in a Northern Gulf of Mexico Salt Marsh

2014 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 1295-1300 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Reid Nelson ◽  
Deionta Sutton ◽  
Dennis R. DeVries
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Fundulus Grandis ◽  
Northern Gulf Of Mexico

scholarly journals Recovery of Salt Marsh Invertebrates Following Habitat Restoration: Implications for Marsh Restoration in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (7) ◽  
pp. 1711-1721 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew S. Baumann ◽  
Gail F. Fricano ◽  
Katie Fedeli ◽  
Claire E. Schlemme ◽  
Mary C. Christman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Habitat Restoration ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Structure Characteristic ◽  
Salt Marsh Restoration ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Marsh Restoration ◽  
Northern Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Annual Biomass

Abstract Recovery following salt marsh restoration in the northern Gulf of Mexico is investigated using meta-analysis for two salt marsh indicator invertebrates, the periwinkle snail (Littoraria irrorata) and amphipod crustaceans (Amphipoda). These invertebrates serve key marsh ecosystem functions including facilitating nutrient cycling and serving as prey for larger ecologically and economically important species. Recovery of periwinkles in restored marshes compared to reference sites is quantified by progression in population density and, because the species is long-lived (~ 10 years), in terms of biomass added per unit area each year following restoration. Amphipods are shorter-lived with high annual turnover; thus, recovery through time is estimated by the density of individuals rather than by biomass. The results of the analyses indicate progressive periwinkle recovery to equivalence with reference systems by year 4 in terms of density and year 6 with respect to annual biomass addition, while amphipod densities do not fully recover in the first 20 years following restoration. Although periwinkle recovery in terms of annual biomass addition reaches equivalence by year 6, the development of an age class structure characteristic of reference marshes would likely take longer because of the relatively long lifespan for this species. In addition to providing insight into the benefits of salt marsh restoration in the northern Gulf of Mexico, the approach described can be applied more generally to restoration scaling in a natural resource damage assessment context.

scholarly journals Modeling Coastal Marsh Restoration Benefits in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (7) ◽  
pp. 1804-1820 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gail F. Fricano ◽  
Matthew S. Baumann ◽  
Katie Fedeli ◽  
Claire E. Schlemme ◽  
Melissa Vernon Carle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Marsh Vegetation ◽  
Salt Marsh Restoration ◽  
Ecological Benefits ◽  
Marsh Restoration ◽  
Northern Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Marsh Community ◽  
Marsh Creation ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Extensive salt marsh restoration is expected in the northern Gulf of Mexico over the next several decades, funded in part by settlements from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Understanding the ecological benefits of restored marshes over time is integral to setting appropriate restoration targets and performance criteria and in determining the restoration area needed to achieve desired restoration goals and offset quantified natural resource injuries. We present a method for quantifying anticipated ecological benefits associated with marsh restoration projects, particularly marsh creation or enhancement through the placement of dredged material, in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Using salt marsh vegetation (percent cover, aboveground biomass, and belowground biomass) and indicator faunal species (periwinkle snails and amphipods) as representative marsh community components, we used resource equivalency analysis (REA) to model projected ecological benefits over time and quantified total net project benefits for a hypothetical marsh creation project in Barataria Bay, Louisiana. Sensitivity analysis of the resulting model suggests that the recovery trajectories for each marsh component were the most important drivers of modeled restoration benefits and that model uncertainty was greatest for marsh fauna, which has limited data availability compared to marsh vegetation and high natural variability. Longer-term monitoring at restored restoration sites and/or targeted monitoring of older restoration projects would reduce variability in the recovery trajectories for the marsh community components examined in this case study and improve the reliability of the REA model for projecting benefits associated with salt marsh restoration.

scholarly journals Estimating and Applying Fish and Invertebrate Density and Production Enhancement from Seagrass, Salt Marsh Edge, and Oyster Reef Nursery Habitats in the Gulf of Mexico

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philine S. E. zu Ermgassen ◽  
Bryan DeAngelis ◽  
Jonathan R. Gair ◽  
Sophus zu Ermgassen ◽  
Ronald Baker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Salt Marshes ◽  
Fish Habitat ◽  
Juvenile Fish ◽  
Oyster Reefs ◽  
Coastal Habitats ◽  
Marsh Edge ◽  
Northern Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Nursery Habitats

AbstractSeagrasses, oyster reefs, and salt marshes are critical coastal habitats that support high densities of juvenile fish and invertebrates. Yet which species are enhanced through these nursery habitats, and to what degree, remains largely unquantified. Densities of young-of-year fish and invertebrates in seagrasses, oyster reefs, and salt marsh edges as well as in paired adjacent unstructured habitats of the northern Gulf of Mexico were compiled. Species consistently found at higher densities in the structured habitats were identified, and species-specific growth and mortality models were applied to derive production enhancement estimates arising from this enhanced density. Enhancement levels for fish and invertebrate production were similar for seagrass (1370 [SD 317] g m–2 y–1for 25 enhanced species) and salt marsh edge habitats (1222 [SD 190] g m–2 y–1, 25 spp.), whereas oyster reefs produced ~650 [SD 114] g m–2 y–1(20 spp). This difference was partly due to lower densities of juvenile blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) on oyster reefs, although only oyster reefs enhanced commercially valuable stone crabs (Menippe spp.). The production estimates were applied to Galveston Bay, Texas, and Pensacola Bay, Florida, for species known to recruit consistently in those embayments. These case studies illustrated variability in production enhancement by coastal habitats within the northern Gulf of Mexico. Quantitative estimates of production enhancement within specific embayments can be used to quantify the role of essential fish habitat, inform management decisions, and communicate the value of habitat protection and restoration.

scholarly journals Effects of barrier island salt marsh restoration on marsh bird occurrence in the northern Gulf of Mexico

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 1610-1620
Author(s):  
Paige A. Byerly ◽  
J. Hardin Waddle ◽  
Alexis Romero Premeaux ◽  
Paul L. Leberg
Keyword(s):  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Barrier Island ◽  
Salt Marsh Restoration ◽  
Marsh Restoration ◽  
Marsh Bird ◽  
Northern Gulf Of Mexico
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