More Than Half of Hudson River Tidal Marshes Were Created Accidentally by Humans

Abstract (from Wiley Online Library): Tidal marsh restoration and creation is growing in popularity due to the many and diverse set of services these important ecosystems provide. However, it is unclear what conditions within constructed settings will lead to the successful establishment of tidal marsh. Here we provide documentation for widespread and rapid development of tidal freshwater wetlands for a major urban estuary as an unintended result of early industrial development. Anthropogenic backwater areas established behind railroad berms, jetties, and dredge spoil islands resulted in the rapid accumulation of clastic material and the subsequent initiation of emergent marshes. In one case, historical aerial photos...

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Final Report for Understanding Sediment Availability to Reduce Tidal Marsh Vulnerability to Sea Level Rise in the Northeast

Tidal marshes along the Northeast U.S. Atlantic coastline are a valuable natural resource threatened by historical activities, coastal development, and sea level rise. Given their importance, billions of dollars have recently been allocated for tidal marsh restoration and creation. However, it remains unclear where and under what conditions restoration efforts are most likely to succeed. A critical factor controlling marsh survival and adaptability to rising sea level is an adequate supply of sediment for supporting upward growth of marshes, yet sediment availability and the factors that control its delivery remain poorly constrained. The primary goal of this project was to identify the primary sediment sources...

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Salt marsh response to inlet switch-induced increases in tidal inundation

Abstract (from AGUPubsOnline): There is widespread concern that rapidly rising sea levels may drown salt marshes by exceeding the rate at which these important ecosystems can build elevation. A significant fraction of marshes reside within backbarrier estuaries, yet little attention has been paid to how changes in inlet geometry influences estuarine tides and marshes. In 1898, a coastal storm eroded a new inlet through the barrier beach that fronts the North-South Rivers Estuary in Massachusetts, USA. The new inlet shortened the North River by 5.6 km and lengthened the South River channel by the same amount. Modern measurements of tidal attenuation suggest that channel shortening abruptly increased mean high tide...

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