Article
Environmental Sciences
Nebila Lichiheb, Mark Heuer, Bruce B. Hicks, Rick Saylor, Rodrigo Vargas, Alma Vazquez-Lule, Kari St Laurent, LaToya Myles
Summary: This study conducted high-resolution continuous measurements of atmospheric NH3 concentrations in a temperate tidal salt marsh in the eastern U.S., finding that tidal water levels significantly impact NH3 emissions. The largest fluxes were observed at low tide, while high tide occurring concurrently with midday peaks in solar irradiance led to a decrease in NH3 fluxes.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jie Cheng, Nan Jia, Ruishan Chen, Xiaona Guo, Jianzhong Ge, Fucang Zhou
Summary: Seaweed aquaculture plays a significant role in achieving sustainable development goals, but its large-scale development and unreasonable use may have negative impacts. Therefore, accurate monitoring of the seaweed aquaculture industry is crucial. This study used remote sensing and random forest algorithm to map the distribution of seaweed aquaculture along the Jiangsu coast of China, revealing a significant reduction in aquaculture scale under policy restrictions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jennifer S. Walker, Robert E. Kopp, Timothy A. Shaw, Niamh Cahill, Nicole S. Khan, Donald C. Barber, Erica L. Ashe, Matthew J. Brain, Jennifer L. Clear, D. Reide Corbett, Benjamin P. Horton
Summary: The study estimated sea-level budgets along the U.S. Atlantic coast, finding a faster rate of rise during the 20th century than any time in the past 2000 years.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Qiang Zhao, Le Yu, Xuecao Li, Dailiang Peng, Yongguang Zhang, Peng Gong
Summary: Earth system science has evolved rapidly due to global environmental changes and the emergence of Earth observation technology. Google Earth (GE) and Google Earth Engine (GEE) have become essential tools for monitoring, analyzing, and modeling Earth observation data, with GEE experiencing faster growth in applications compared to GE. These tools are widely used in multidisciplinary research areas, with GEE focusing more on big data and time-series analysis, while GE is primarily used for visualization purposes.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Denis L. Volkov, Kate Zhang, William E. Johns, Joshua K. Willis, Will Hobbs, Marlos Goes, Hong Zhang, Dimitris Menemenlis
Summary: The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) plays a crucial role in controlling regional climate, weather, sea levels, and ecosystems in the subpolar North Atlantic. Climate models predict that anthropogenic forcing may weaken the AMOC by the end of the century, leading to increased flood risk along the western boundary. Despite limited direct observations, recent studies show that AMOC-induced changes have already influenced the frequency of floods along the southeastern seaboard of the United States.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Geography
Carlton P. Anderson, Gregory A. Carter, Margaret C. B. Waldron
Summary: Coastal marshes play a vital role in providing ecosystem services, such as biodiversity, water quality, and erosion protection. This study aimed to determine precise elevation thresholds associated with coastal marshes and their transition zones, known as ecotones, and upland plant communities along Mississippi's Gulf of Mexico coast. The results showed that the transitions from marsh to ecotone and ecotone to upland occurred at approximately 0.40 m and 0.60 m elevation, respectively. Understanding these centimeter-scale dependencies will facilitate the modeling of marsh migration in response to various factors.
ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF GEOGRAPHERS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jesus M. Castillo, Blanca Gallego-Tevar, Eloy M. Castellanos, Manuel Enrique Figueroa, Anthony J. Davy
Summary: The study reveals that in the process of salt marsh succession, as halophytic species transition to those less tolerant of reducing conditions, the increasing sediment accretion gradually mitigates abiotic stress, promoting colonization and competition among different populations.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Thuy Thi Phuong Vu, Tien Dat Pham, Neil Saintilan, Andrew Skidmore, Hung Viet Luu, Quang Hien Vu, Nga Nhu Le, Huu Quang Nguyen, Bunkei Matsushita
Summary: A pixel-based algorithm and the Google Earth Engine platform were used to monitor the dynamics of mangroves in three provinces along the northern coast of Vietnam from 1990 to 2022. The study found that the mangrove area in these provinces showed fluctuations over time, with an overall increase in recent years. The restoration programs and policies implemented by the Vietnamese government and local authorities were identified as key drivers of this increase.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Brian T. Lamb, Maria A. Tzortziou, Kyle C. McDonald
Summary: This study developed advanced methodologies for monitoring tidal wetlands and adjacent deepwaters in the Mid-Atlantic and Gulf Coast United States, using satellite imagery to classify marshes and open water, assess marsh loss and salinity regimes, and map two invasive plant species. These results have important implications for improved monitoring and management of coastal wetlands ecosystems.
Article
Forestry
Paurava Thakore, Parusha Raut, Joydeep Bhattacharjee
Summary: Coastal forests in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, particularly the live-oak dominant chenier forests in southeast Louisiana, are disappearing rapidly. However, accurate data on forest loss and wetland extent for this region are lacking. This study used supervised machine learning algorithms and high-resolution satellite imagery to assess the rate of forest loss in the Louisiana Chenier Plains. The results showed a 35.73% loss of forest cover between 2003 and 2019, primarily due to conversion to saltmarsh. The findings highlight the urgent need to protect this imperiled ecosystem.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mariana C. Leon-Perez, Anthony S. Reisinger, James C. Gibeaut
Summary: A method was developed to detect and assess sargassum accumulations and their decaying stages along the shoreline and nearshore waters in the Caribbean. Three hotspots of sargassum accumulation were identified, and the presence of sargassum was observed throughout the study period. This research provides valuable information for understanding the impacts of sargassum and guiding mitigation efforts.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Carol Kim, Lorie W. Staver, Xuan Chen, Ashley Bulseco, Jeffrey C. Cornwell, Sairah Y. Malkin
Summary: We investigated the succession of soil microbial communities in newly constructed salt marshes using 16S rRNA amplicon sequences. The alpha diversity of subsurface horizons recovered to reference levels within 3 years, while alpha diversity in surface soils remained unchanged. Microbial community succession was faster in surface soils and slower in subsurface horizons. We found important taxa driving the trajectories towards reference conditions and observed co-development of sulfide and methane removal metabolisms in marsh soils.
Article
Geography, Physical
Huixuan Li, Cuizhen Wang, Yuxin Cui, Michael Hodgson
Summary: This study utilized a deep learning approach to map salt marshes in estuarine wetlands of South Carolina using multi-temporal images, successfully delineating the distribution of low marshes and high marshes and refining land cover details. The computational power of U-Net allowed for the mitigation of seasonality and tidal influence on marsh classification, making the approach easily adoptable in other coastal areas with available images.
ISPRS JOURNAL OF PHOTOGRAMMETRY AND REMOTE SENSING
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiaguang Li, Stephen Tooth, Kun Zhang, Yang Zhao
Summary: The article discusses the importance of developing new data-driven interdisciplinary approaches to improve the assessment and management of river systems in the face of rapid environmental change, especially in dealing with flooding. The study combines multiple Landsat images with precipitation datasets and high-resolution satellite imagery to visualize flooding and assess channel-floodplain dynamics along a 25 km reach of the Rio Colorado in Bolivia.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Gregory B. Noe, Norman A. Bourg, Ken W. Krauss, Jamie A. Duberstein, Cliff R. Hupp
Summary: The study evaluated the vegetation response of tidal freshwater forested wetlands along the Mattaponi and Pamunkey rivers in the Mid-Atlantic USA. Results showed downstream shifts in plant community composition, tree dominance, and tree growth as tidal influence increased. This highlights the complex interactions between river flow, salinity, and nutrient availability on the growth and composition of tidal freshwater forested wetlands.