Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Marsh Persistence Under Sea-Level Rise Is Controlled By Multiple, Geologically Variable Stressors, Molly Mitchell, Julie Herman, Donna M. Bilkovic, Carl Hershner

VIMS Articles

Introduction: Marshes contribute to habitat and water quality in estuaries and coastal bays. Their importance to continued ecosystem functioning has led to concerns about their persistence.

Outcomes: Concurrent with sea-level rise, marshes are eroding and appear to be disappearing through ponding in their interior; in addition, in many places, they are being replaced with shoreline stabilization structures. We examined the changes in marsh extent over the past 40 years within a subestuary of Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States, to better understand the effects of sea-level rise and human pressure on marsh coverage.

Sea Level Rise May Increase Extinction Risk Of A Saltmarsh Ontogenetic Habitat Specialist, David S. Johnson, Bethany L. Williams

VIMS Articles

Specialist species are more vulnerable to environmental change than generalist species. For species with ontogenetic niche shifts, specialization may occur at a particular life stage making those stages more susceptible to environmental change. In the salt marshes in the northeast U.S., accelerated sea level rise is shifting vegetation patterns from flood-intolerant species such as Spartina patens to the flood-tolerant Spartina alterniflora. We tested the potential impact of this change on the coffee bean snail, Melampus bidentatus, a numerically dominant benthic invertebrate with an ontogenetic niche shift. From a survey of eight marshes throughout the northeast U.S., small snails …

Multifaceted Biodiversity Hotspots Of Marine Mammals For Conservation Priorities, Camille Albouy, Valentine L. Delattre, Bastien Merigot, Christine N. Meynard, Fabien Leprieur

VIMS Articles

Aim: Identifying the multifaceted biodiversity hotspots for marine mammals and their spatial overlap with human threats at the global scale.

Assessing The Impact Of Local And Regional Influences On Nitrogen Loads To Buzzards Bay, Ma, Shanna C. Williamson, Jennie E. Rheuban, Et Al

VIMS Articles

Nitrogen and chlorophyll-a concentrations in estuarine systems often correlate positively with increased nitrogen input. To determine the interactions between nitrogen load, physical drivers, and water quality indicators, we estimated nitrogen inputs to 28 estuaries within the Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts (USA) watershed from 1985 to 2013. Estimates were derived by combining parcel specific wastewater disposal, point source wastewater discharge, land use, and atmospheric nitrogen deposition data with a previously verified nitrogen loading model. Linear regression analysis was used to quantify temporal trends in individual data sets and characterize relationships between variables. The land-use data indicated that fractional coverage of impervious surfaces …

Assessing National Biodiversity Trends For Rocky And Coral Reefs Through The Integration Of Citizen Science And Scientific Monitoring Programs, Rochelle Stuart-Smith, Gj Edgar, Et Al, Js Lefcheck

VIMS Articles

Reporting progress against targets for international biodiversity agreements is hindered by a shortage of suitable biodiversity data. We describe a cost-effective system involving Reef Life Survey citizen scientists in the systematic collection of quantitative data covering multiple phyla that can underpin numerous marine biodiversity indicators at high spatial and temporal resolution. We then summarize the findings of a continental- and decadal-scale State of the Environment assessment for rocky and coral reefs based on indicators of ecosystem state relating to fishing, ocean warming, and invasive species and describing the distribution of threatened species. Fishing impacts are widespread, whereas substantial warming-related change …