Effects of Shoreline Armoring on Beach Wrack Subsidies to the Nearshore Ecotone in an Estuarine Fjord

Heerhartz, Sarah M.; Dethier, Megan N.; Toft, Jason D.; Cordell, Jeffery R.; Ogston, A. S.

doi:10.1007/s12237-013-9754-5

Cited by 53 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Other mechanisms of impact include loss of connectivity across the land‐sea ecotone (Heerhartz et al . ), and hydrodynamic effects such as active erosion caused by wave reflection from seawalls (Ruggiero ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…For high-energy sandy beaches, two clear impacts are impoundment of sand that would otherwise "feed" the beach, and prevention of shoreline retreat (natural beach migration with erosion and sea-level rise) (e.g., Berry et al 2014), resulting in narrowing and coarsening of the beach. Other mechanisms of impact include loss of connectivity across the land-sea ecotone (Heerhartz et al 2014), and hydrodynamic effects such as active erosion caused by wave reflection from seawalls (Ruggiero 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Shoreline Armoring in an Inland Sea: Science‐Based Recommendations for Policy Implementation

Dethier

Toft

Shipman

2016

CONSERVATION LETTERS

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Shoreline armoring can impact a variety of ecosystem functions, goods and services provided by beaches. Shoreline managers struggle to balance genuine need for armoring to protect infrastructure versus unacceptable losses of ecosystem functions––whether these be in beaches, sand dunes, or marshes. We use our recent research effort in the Salish Sea, Washington, as a case study to illustrate how highlighting the negative consequences of shoreline armoring to publicly important ecosystem functions may help to strengthen implementation of policy and prioritize restoration actions. We focus on two distinct mechanisms of armoring impact that link strongly to key beach functions, and recommend: (1) where armoring is clearly necessary, place or move it as high on the beach as possible. Armoring emplaced relatively low on the shore is more likely to affect a variety of ecosystem functions from forage fish spawning to beach recreation; (2) prioritize protection or restoration (armor removal) of feeder bluffs that are critical for sediment supply to the beach; this sediment is essential to the maintenance of beach functions. In addition, we recommend that nature‐based alternatives to armoring be given preferential regulatory consideration and that outreach efforts clarify the advantages of these engineering methods.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shoreline Armoring in an Inland Sea: Science‐Based Recommendations for Policy Implementation

Dethier

Toft

Shipman

2016

CONSERVATION LETTERS

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“…Armored shorelines can also block supplies of fine or organic particles and new terrestrial material to the nearshore zone (Pilkey and Wright 1988;Griggs 2005;Nordstrom 2014). This can result in coarser sediments (Jennings et al 2001;Gabriel and Bodensteiner 2012;Strayer et al 2012), narrowing of beach zones (Hall and Pilkey 1991;Fletcher et al 1997;Dugan et al 2008), and reduced accumulation and retention of marine wrack and terrestrial organic debris (Heerhartz et al 2014) along armored shores. Ultimately, any of these changes to hydrodynamic and sediment depositional processes may influence the extent and position of nearshore habitats (e.g., sandy beaches, wetlands, and SAV beds) adjacent to armored shorelines (Bulleri and Chapman 2010).…”

Section: Physical Effects Of Armoringmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At local scales, shoreline armoring may also negatively influence waterbird communities. Artificial structures lack the structural complexity and refuge function of natural shorelines, so they support different assemblages of epibiota and fish with reduced biodiversity relative to assemblages on natural shorelines Bulleri and Chapman 2010;Sobocinski et al 2010;Strayer et al 2012;Heerhartz et al 2014Heerhartz et al , 2016. Consequently, armored shorelines offer reduced waterbird foraging habitat quality, which can lead to reductions in waterbird abundance and diversity (Dugan and Hubbard 2006;Dugan et al 2008).…”

Section: Effects Of Shoreline Armoring and Land Use On Waterbirdsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of Coastal Land Use and Shoreline Armoring on Estuarine Ecosystems: an Introduction to a Special Issue

Prosser

Jordan

Nagel

et al. 2017

Estuaries and Coasts

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The nearshore land-water interface is an important ecological zone that faces anthropogenic pressure from development in coastal regions throughout the world. Coastal waters and estuaries like Chesapeake Bay receive and process land discharges loaded with anthropogenic nutrients and other pollutants that cause eutrophication, hypoxia, and other damage to shallow-water ecosystems. In addition, shorelines are increasingly armored with bulkhead (seawall), riprap, and other structures to protect human infrastructure against the threats of sea-level rise, storm surge, and erosion. Armoring can further influence estuarine and nearshore marine ecosystem functions by degrading water quality, spreading invasive species, and destroying ecologically valuable habitat. These detrimental effects on ecosystem function have ramifications for ecologically and economically important flora and fauna. This special issue of Estuaries and Coasts explores the interacting effects of coastal land use and shoreline armoring on estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems. The majority of papers focus on the Chesapeake Bay region, USA, where 50 major tributaries and an extensive watershed (~167,000 km 2), provide an ideal model to examine the impacts of human activities at scales ranging from the local shoreline to the entire watershed. The papers consider the influence of watershed land use and natural versus armored shorelines on ecosystem properties and processes as well as on key natural resources.

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“…The raccoon (Procyon lotor) is an ideal host with which to test these hypotheses, as it thrives in many habitats and its well-studied parasites vary by location (e.g., Harkema and Miller 1964, Bafundo et al 1980, Hoberg and McGee 1982 and landscape features (e.g., Samson et al 2012). Although studies on ecotones often focus on forest/grassland or natural/urban transitions, here we examine the shoreline and riparian ecotones formed between terrestrial and aquatic systems (Zalewski et al 2001, Heerhartz et al 2014. To examine how these ecotones affect raccoon parasite communities, we first used published studies to identify core and satellite parasites.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infection at an ecotone: cross‐system foraging increases satellite parasites but decreases core parasites in raccoons

Weinstein

Wert

Kinsella³

et al. 2019

Ecology

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Ecotones can increase free‐living species richness, but little is known about how parasites respond to ecotones. Here, we use parasite communities in raccoons (Procyon lotor) to test the hypothesis that parasite communities can be divided into core and satellite species, each with fundamentally different responses to ecotones. We used published parasite surveys to classify parasites as common core or rare satellite species, and then surveyed raccoons in coastal California to examine how proximity to two aquatic ecotones altered parasite communities. Raccoons near ecotones had more satellite and fewer core parasite species. Specifically, the marine ecotone increased parasite diversity by adding satellite species to a persistent core community, whereas the freshwater ecotone shifted the community from core to satellite species without a net change in parasite richness. We hypothesize that increased parasite richness at the marine ecotone resulted from increased diet diversity, but that raccoons were sinks for some parasites. Increased exposure to rare parasites at ecotones has implications for wildlife health and provides insight into observed associations between ecotones and emerging disease.

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Effects of Shoreline Armoring on Beach Wrack Subsidies to the Nearshore Ecotone in an Estuarine Fjord

Cited by 53 publications

References 60 publications

Shoreline Armoring in an Inland Sea: Science‐Based Recommendations for Policy Implementation

Shoreline Armoring in an Inland Sea: Science‐Based Recommendations for Policy Implementation

Impacts of Coastal Land Use and Shoreline Armoring on Estuarine Ecosystems: an Introduction to a Special Issue

Infection at an ecotone: cross‐system foraging increases satellite parasites but decreases core parasites in raccoons

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