Monday, 9:30 AM in 552 AB (RICC)
(subject to change)
Intertidal restoration efforts in Tampa Bay, Florida have focused on renewal of mangrove habitat, but the mangroves may represent a recent vegetation change. Tampa Bay is situated at a climatic boundary between salt marsh to the north and mangrove wetland to the south. Today mangroves dominate the intertidal zone in Tampa Bay, but historic surveys of 100-150 years ago documented a mix of tidal marsh, mud flats, salt barrens and fringing mangroves. Charts from 1870 Coast and Geodetic Surveys and notes from Public Land Surveys were georectified and digitized to compare pre-settlement and modern coastal features. The conversion from non-mangrove to mangrove-dominated wetlands ranged from 40-100% across the bay. Variations were distributed along north/south and fresh/salt gradients. Sea level rise and warming trends may play a role in the spread of mangroves, but extenuating circumstances related to urbanization complicate the story. Increased development in Tampa Bay forced local governments to excavate ‘mosquito ditches’ throughout the intertidal zone, permanently altering tidal hydrology. In addition, dams and water diversion projects have reduced freshwater river discharge into Tampa Bay. This evaluation highlights the need for further investigations into historical coastal ecology, especially at ecosystem margins where species may face multiple forcing factors.
