Article
Oceanography
Karinna Nunez, Yinglong J. Zhang, Donna M. Bilkovic, Carlton Hershner
Summary: This study used the Tidal Marsh Model (TMM) and SCHISM to simulate changes in marsh systems in a subestuary of Chesapeake Bay under two scenarios of sea-level rise (SLR) over the next 50 years. The results showed that the sustainability of marshes is influenced by geomorphic settings and anthropogenic factors, with different rates of marsh decline observed under varying SLR scenarios.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kelly Elschot, Martin J. Baptist, Marinka E. B. van Puijenbroek
Summary: A global concern for coastal ecosystems is the predicted rise in sea-level for which salt marshes must keep pace. Variables that control this elevation change need to be identified to predict the adaptability of marshes to future sea-level rise. Grazing by livestock can significantly reduce the annual rates of elevation gain and affect the future adaptability of salt marshes to grow vertically for rising sea levels. Trampling by grazing cattle, along with other factors like precipitation deficit and extreme drought, can lead to biocompaction and reduce the total elevation change.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Celina Balderas Guzman, Kevin J. Buffington, Karen M. Thorne, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Michelle A. Hummel, Mark T. Stacey
Summary: With sea level rise threatening coastal development, decision-makers are acting by modifying shorelines. Coastal marshes, which are ecologically sensitive to tidal range, may be influenced by changes in tidal range. This study highlights the tradeoffs to consider when planning for sea level rise, based on modeling results.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xun Cai, Jian Shen, Yinglong J. Zhang, Qubin Qin, Lewis Linker
Summary: In this study, a numerical model was used to investigate the impact of sea-level rise on biogeochemical processes in the York River Estuary. The results showed that sea-level rise amplified tidal range and increased flooding duration, leading to enhanced porewater exchanges and phytoplankton production in the shallow-water regions. However, there were relatively minimal changes in dissolved nitrogen under sea-level rise.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Brian T. Klingbeil, Jonathan B. Cohen, Maureen D. Correll, Christopher R. Field, Thomas P. Hodgman, Adrienne Kovach, Erika E. Lentz, Brian J. Olsen, W. Gregory Shriver, Whitney A. Wiest, Chris S. Elphick
Summary: The study compared the predictions of static inundation and dynamic response models for tidal marsh degradation in 2030 and 2050, finding significant differences in predictions for 2030 but both models suggesting that the majority of tidal marsh in the northeastern USA may disappear by 2050.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Fan Li, Christine Angelini, James E. Byers, Christopher Craft, Steven C. Pennings
Summary: This study shows that tidal freshwater marsh plant and animal communities are vulnerable to long-term salinity changes but resilient to short saline pulses. While saline pulses did not impair most ecosystem functions, the decline of a single species in the pulse treatment was associated with reduced marsh accretion and no elevation gain, which are crucial for wetland survival in an era of rising seas.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Yvonne Milker, Tina Dura, Benjamin P. Horton
Summary: This study examines the response of foraminifera to rapid changes in relative sea-level (RSL) using observations from the tidal restoration of Ni-les'tun marsh over a six-year period. The findings suggest that foraminifera show a delayed colonization of new habitats following RSL changes, potentially due to their reproductive cycle and limited food availability. However, postdepositional taphonomic processes have minimal influence on the similarity between modern and fossil assemblages.
Article
Ecology
Aidan Barry, Sean Khan Ooi, Ashley M. M. Helton, Blaire Steven, Chris S. S. Elphick, Beth A. A. Lawrence
Summary: Tidal wetlands, which act as important blue carbon reservoirs, may be affected by sea-level rise (SLR), resulting in changes in carbon cycling and soil microbial communities. In this study, SLR scenarios and vegetation treatments were tested to determine their effects on CO2 fluxes, soil carbon mineralization rates, potential denitrification rates, and microbial community composition. The results showed that increasing inundation frequency due to SLR decreased the carbon sink strength and increased carbon emissions. However, SLR did not impact soil chemistry, microbial processes, or bacterial community structure. Vegetation treatments had a significant effect on carbon flux measurements, with S. alterniflora and S. patens showing higher CO2 uptake and ecosystem respiration compared to P. australis. The findings suggest that plant species play a central role in the carbon dynamics of vegetated tidal marshes undergoing rapid SLR.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chunwu Zhu, J. Adam Langley, Lewis H. Ziska, Donald R. Cahoon, J. Patrick Megonigal
Summary: Accelerating relative sea-level rise (RSLR) is threatening coastal wetlands, but rising CO2 concentrations may counterbalance this by stimulating carbon sequestration and vertical accretion. However, a study found that gradually rising ambient CO2 concentration did not increase plant production, and elevated CO2 only stimulated production for the first two decades. The decline in stimulation coincided with increases in relative sea level above a threshold that hindered root productivity. While elevated CO2 can moderate the negative impacts of RSLR on tidal wetland productivity, its benefits for coastal wetland resilience will diminish as RSLR rates accelerate.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sean Fettrow, Rodrigo Vargas, Angelia L. Seyfferth
Summary: The impact of sea level rise on carbon dynamics in tidal salt marsh soils remains unresolved. This study demonstrates that increasing sea level leads to an increase in lateral dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export, as a result of reductive dissolution of carbon-bearing iron (Fe) oxides. However, the overall global warming potential (GWP) decreases under sea level rise due to suppressed CO2 emissions from the soil.
Article
Geography, Physical
Natascia Pannozzo, Nicoletta Leonardi, Iacopo Carnacina, Rachel Smedley
Summary: Research on the impact of storm surges and sea-level rise on salt marsh sediment budgets suggests that storm surges can promote resilience of the salt marsh and estuarine system, while sea-level rise may threaten stability of the marsh.
Article
Oceanography
Ali Reza Payandeh, Dubravko Justic, Haosheng Huang, Giulio C. Mariotti, Scott Hagen
Summary: Tidal range is a key factor in estuaries and is expected to change with sea level rise. This study investigates the effect of future sea level rise on tidal dynamics in Barataria Bay and finds that tidal range increases even with extensive land inundation.
CONTINENTAL SHELF RESEARCH
(2022)
Letter
Limnology
Xun Cai, Qubin Qin, Jian Shen, Yinglong J. Zhang
Summary: The study demonstrates two different responses of tidal marshes to sea-level rise: an increase in tidal range if marsh accretion can keep up, and a decrease in tidal range if marsh accretion falls behind. The interaction between tidal range changes and marsh evolution may enhance the resilience of marshes to sea-level rise.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tracy Elsey-Quirk, Elizabeth B. Watson, Kirk Raper, Danielle Kreeger, Bhanu Paudel, LeeAnn Haaf, Martha Maxwell-Doyle, Angela Padeletti, Erin Reilly, David J. Velinsky
Summary: This study examines the vulnerability of tidal wetlands in the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA to sea level rise. The analysis found that soil bulk density and belowground plant biomass were strong predictors of elevation change across all marsh types. It also revealed that salt marshes closer to the coast and with a higher degree of human modification experienced the greatest loss in marsh area.
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Huidi Liang, Wei Chen, Wenlong Liu, Tinglu Cai, Xinkai Wang, Xiaoming Xia
Summary: Sea level rise due to climate change has disproportionate effects on tidal processes and energy transport, especially for coastal communities. This study investigates the tidal responses to sea level rise in the Hangzhou Bay and finds that sea level rise amplifies tidal range, particularly in the shallow southern coast. Neglecting the heterogeneities in the spatial distribution of sea level rise tends to overestimate its effects.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Limnology
Ashley N. Bulseco, Joseph H. Vineis, Anna E. Murphy, Amanda C. Spivak, Anne E. Giblin, Jane Tucker, Jennifer L. Bowen
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2020)
Article
Microbiology
Anna E. Murphy, Ashley N. Bulseco, Ross Ackerman, Joseph H. Vineis, Jennifer L. Bowen
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Christopher A. Lynum, Ashley N. Bulseco, Courtney M. Dunphy, Sean M. Osborne, Joseph H. Vineis, Jennifer L. Bowen
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
(2020)
Article
Biology
Jennifer L. Bowen, Anne E. Giblin, Anna E. Murphy, Ashley N. Bulseco, Linda A. Deegan, David S. Johnson, James A. Nelson, Thomas J. Mozdzer, Hillary L. Sullivan
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kerry L. McNally, Cody R. Mott, Jeffrey R. Guertin, Jennifer L. Bowen
Summary: This study characterized the microbiome of the oral cavity and cloaca from wild-captured Kemp's ridley and green turtles in the west coast of Florida, revealing distinct microbial communities between body sites and turtle species. The core microbiome of the green turtle cloaca was primarily from the order Clostridiales, highlighting the importance of the turtle species in determining the microbiome. High prevalence of fibropapillomatosis in green turtles was also investigated, with changes in beta diversity associated with the severity of tumors.
ENDANGERED SPECIES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xuefeng Peng, Qixing Ji, John H. Angell, Patrick J. Kearns, Jennifer L. Bowen, Bess B. Ward
Summary: Salt marsh sediments are key sites for nitrogen cycling and a significant source of nitrous oxide (N2O) production and consumption. Fertilization can impact nitrogen dynamics, increasing the importance of nitrification in N2O production. Changes in specific substrate utilization rates reveal shifts in microbial community composition and functional gene expression in response to long-term fertilization.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Torrance C. Hanley, Jennifer L. Bowen, Patrick J. Kearns, A. Randall Hughes
Summary: Nutrient enrichment affects plant species and soil microbes, with enriched environments promoting higher plant productivity but plants with different population histories may exhibit varied responses.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kerry L. McNally, Charles J. Innis, Adam Kennedy, Jennifer L. Bowen
Summary: The microbial communities in the oral and cloacal samples of cold-stunned Kemp's ridley turtles were found to change significantly throughout the rehabilitation process, influenced by factors such as environment, antibiotics, and disease status. The type of antibiotic administered during rehabilitation altered the microbial community composition, but overall taxonomic diversity remained consistent.
Article
Microbiology
Andrea Unzueta-Martinez, Heather Welch, Jennifer L. Bowen
Summary: The study identified a strong population-specific signal in the microbial community composition of oysters sampled in the wild, and found that even oysters reared in a common garden environment maintained distinct gill-associated microbial communities reflecting their wild population of origin. The majority of gill-associated microbes were resident members specific to each oyster population, but a small portion of the microbial communities was transient and moved among oyster populations, suggesting stochastic assembly also contributes to the oyster gill microbiome.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Kerry L. McNally, Jennifer L. Bowen, Jennifer O. Brisson, Adam Kennedy, Charles J. Innis
Summary: This study characterized the tracheal lavage microbiome of sea turtles and found that radiographic lung abnormalities do not correlate with the tracheal lavage microbiome. Culture-dependent methods under-represented the microbial community, many sea turtle pathogens were present in low abundance, and tracheal lavages were not representative of other sections of the respiratory tract. The complex pulmonary microbial community associated with pneumonia in sea turtles did not correlate well with the microbial community identified by tracheal lavage, highlighting the limitations of using tracheal lavage for identifying causative agents of pneumonia.
Letter
Limnology
Andrea Unzueta-Martinez, Alan M. Downey-Wall, Louise P. Cameron, Justin B. Ries, Katie E. Lotterhos, Jennifer L. Bowen
Summary: The study found that certain members of the oyster microbiome were more responsive to environmental conditions, while others were more closely linked to host condition. Different members of the oyster microbiome may contribute to the health and resistance of their hosts, with some members being more vulnerable to changing environmental conditions.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nathaniel B. Weston, Elise Rodriguez, Brian Donnelly, Elena Solohin, Kristen Jezycki, Sandra Demberger, Lori A. Sutter, James T. Morris, Scott C. Neubauer, Christopher B. Craft
Summary: The stability of coastal wetlands is influenced by sea level, plant primary production, sediment supply, and wetland vertical accretion. Human activities have impacted sediment delivery to coastal areas along the U.S East Coast. Wetlands in areas with low sediment supply may struggle to keep pace with rising sea levels. This study shows that the vertical accretion and carbon accumulation in tidal wetlands along the U.S East Coast can be explained by relative sea level rise, sediment concentration in rivers, and coastal temperature.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lauren Sage, Olivia Bassetti, Erin Johnson, Kabindra Shakya, Nathaniel Weston
Summary: Urban and ex-urban residents are increasingly using community gardens to supplement their diets, engage with neighbors, and learn new skills. However, the soils in these gardens can pose a threat to human health if contaminated with metals. This study analyzed the heavy metal content in the soils of 20 Philadelphia-region community gardens and the produce from 6 gardens, revealing that a significant portion of both soil and produce samples exceeded safe lead levels.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS AND BIOAVAILABILITY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sherlynette Perez Castro, Elena L. Peredo, Olivia U. Mason, Joseph Vineis, Jennifer L. Bowen, Behzad Mortazavi, Anakha Ganesh, S. Emil Ruff, Blair G. Paul, Anne E. Giblin, Zoe G. Cardon
Summary: The study reveals the high diversity of sulfur-cycling microbial communities in salt marsh rhizosphere sediments, with their distribution and genomic features influenced by geographical location and plant species.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Andrea Unzueta-Martinez, Elliot Scanes, Laura M. Parker, Pauline M. Ross, Wayne O'Connor, Jennifer L. Bowen
Summary: This study tracks the microbiomes of Sydney Rock Oyster throughout different developmental stages and finds that each larval stage has a distinct microbiome partially influenced by their parental microbiome. The study also identifies core microbes that persist across life stages and environmentally acquired microbial communities. These findings provide insights into the transmission and evolution of microbial communities in broadcast spawning marine invertebrates.
