Sea-Level Rise Impact on a Salt Marsh System of the Lower St. Johns River

    Authors

    S. C. Hagen; J. T. Morris; P. Bacopoulos;J. F. Weishampel

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    J. Waterw. Port Coast. Ocean Eng.

    Keywords

    Climate change; Sea level rise; Sustainability; Salt marsh; Spartina; alterniflora; Standing biomass density; Hydroperiod; Mean low water; Mean high water; Lower St. Johns River; ELEVATION; ESTUARIES; TRENDS; Engineering, Civil; Engineering, Ocean; Water Resources

    Abstract

    The impact of sea-level rise on salt marsh sustainability is examined for the lower St. Johns River and associated salt marsh (Spartina alterniflora) system. A two-dimensional hydrodynamic model, forced by tides and sea-level rise, is coupled with a zero-dimensional marsh model to estimate the level of biomass productivity of S. alterniflora across the salt marsh landscape for present day and anticipated future conditions (i.e., when subjected to sea-level rise). The hydrodynamic model results show mean low water (MLW) to be highly spatially variable with a SD of +/- 0.18 m and mean high water (MHW) to be less spatially variable with a SD +/- 0.03 m. The spatial variability of MLW and MHW is particularly evident within the tidal creeks of the salt marsh. MLW and MHW are sensitive to sea-level rise and respond in a nonlinear fashion (i.e., MLW and MHW elevate by an amount that is not proportional to the level of sea-level rise). The coupled hydrodynamic-marsh model results illustrate the spatial heterogeneity of biomass productivity and indicate marsh vulnerability to sea-level rise. The model is then used to demonstrate an application of engineered accretion that can help sustain a marsh that is exposed to sea-level rise. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)WW.1943-5460.0000177. (C) 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.

    Journal Title

    Journal of Waterway Port Coastal and Ocean Engineering

    Volume

    139

    Issue/Number

    2

    Publication Date

    1-1-2013

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    118

    Last Page

    125

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000316871900005

    ISSN

    0733-950X

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