Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Comparison Of Habitat And Geomorphic Changes On East Ship Versus Sand Islands Mississippi, 2007-2014, Carlton Peter Anderson

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

A COMPARISON OF HABITAT AND GEOMORPHIC CHANGES ON EAST SHIP VERSUS SAND ISLANDS MISSISSIPPI, 2007-2014

by Carlton Peter Anderson

May 2015

The islands of the Mississippi-Alabama (MS-AL) barrier island chain along the micro-tidal northern Gulf of Mexico are highly dynamic coastal features subject to rapid changes in habitat, geomorphology, and elevation by natural and anthropogenic disturbances, such as hurricanes, subsidence, sea-level rise, and dredging activities. The purpose of this study was to compare elevation, total volume, habitat-type coverage, and short-term change between “naturally” formed East Ship Island and “man-made” Sand Island (Disposal-Area 10). This study used a combination of …

Blue Carbon In Freshwater / Brackish Marshes On The Barrier Islands Of Virginia Aboveground Net Primary Productivity And Carbon Pools, Emily Caitlin Adams

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

"Blue carbon" is a relatively new concept describing carbon distributed tidally and sequestered via net production within coastal ecosystems, including seagrass beds, mangrove forests, and salt-water marshes. These systems sequester carbon at least 10 times faster than terrestrial systems. Fresh to brackish wetlands that receive irregular tidal influence due to overwash and storm events have not been typically studied as blue carbon systems. My objective was to quantify carbon pools within four interdunal fresh to brackish marshes on Hog Island, Virginia to determine their blue carbon potential. Marshes 1 and 2 were farthest from the ocean, below and above a …