Impact of Hurricane Harvey on Galveston Bay Saltmarsh Nekton Communities

Oakley, Jenny W.; Guillen, George J.

doi:10.1007/s12237-019-00581-7

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Since 2015, the Texas coast has experienced several flooding events related to extreme storms: Memorial Day Flood of 2015; Tax Day Flood of 2016, Hurricane Harvey in 2017, and Hurricane Imelda in 2019. Each of these floods impacted Central Texas nearshore ecosystems, including salt marshes (Congdon et al, 2019;Oakley and Guillen, 2019) and oyster beds (Kiaghadi and Rifai, 2019). It has been assumed that floodwaters would not impact the benthic reef ecosystem at 20-30 m depth; however, three months after Tax Day flooding in 2016, a localized mortality event occurred on a portion of the East Bank (EB) of the FGB.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On a Reef Far, Far Away: Anthropogenic Impacts Following Extreme Storms Affect Sponge Health and Bacterial Communities

et al. 2021

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Terrestrial runoff can negatively impact marine ecosystems through stressors including excess nutrients, freshwater, sediments, and contaminants. Severe storms, which are increasing with global climate change, generate massive inputs of runoff over short timescales (hours to days); such runoff impacted offshore reefs in the northwest Gulf of Mexico (NW GoM) following severe storms in 2016 and 2017. Several weeks after coastal flooding from these events, NW GoM reef corals, sponges, and other benthic invertebrates ∼185 km offshore experienced mortality (2016 only) and/or sub-lethal stress (both years). To assess the impact of storm-derived runoff on reef filter feeders, we characterized the bacterial communities of two sponges, Agelas clathrodes and Xestospongia muta, from offshore reefs during periods of sub-lethal stress and no stress over a three-year period (2016—2018). Sponge-associated and seawater-associated bacterial communities were altered during both flood years. Additionally, we found evidence of wastewater contamination (based on 16S rRNA gene libraries and quantitative PCR) in offshore sponge samples, but not in seawater samples, following these flood years. Signs of wastewater contamination were absent during the no-flood year. We show that flood events from severe storms have the capacity to reach offshore reef ecosystems and impact resident benthic organisms. Such impacts are most readily detected if baseline data on organismal physiology and associated microbiome composition are available. This highlights the need for molecular and microbial time series of benthic organisms in near- and offshore reef ecosystems, and the continued mitigation of stormwater runoff and climate change impacts.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On a Reef Far, Far Away: Anthropogenic Impacts Following Extreme Storms Affect Sponge Health and Bacterial Communities

et al. 2021

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“…Although various studies document the impacts of terrestrial runoff on coral reefs, few works in 2019. Each of these floods impacted Central Texas nearshore ecosystems, including salt marshes (18,19) and oyster beds (20). In addition, a significant decline in surface water salinity occurred near the East Bank in the FGB following the 2015 flooding event, but it was assumed floodwaters would not impact the benthic reef ecosystem at 20-30 m depth.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On a Reef Far, Far Away: Anthropogenic Impacts Following Extreme Storms Affect Sponge Health and Bacterial Communities

Shore

Sims

Grimes

et al. 2020

Preprint

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SummaryTerrestrial runoff can negatively impact marine ecosystems through stressors including excess nutrients, freshwater, and contaminants. Severe storms, which are increasing with global climate change, generate massive inputs of runoff over short timescales (hours to days); such runoff impacted offshore reefs in the northwest Gulf of Mexico (NW GoM) following severe storms in 2016 and 2017. Several weeks after coastal flooding from these events, NW GoM reefs experienced mortality (2016 only) and/or sub-lethal stress (both years). To assess the impact of storm-derived runoff on reef filter feeders, we characterized the microbiomes of two sponges, Agelas clathrodes and Xestospongia muta, during periods of lethal stress, sub-lethal stress, and no stress over a three-year period (2016-2018). Increased anaerobes during lethal stress indicate hypoxic conditions were associated with the 2016 mortality event. Additionally, we found evidence of wastewater contamination (based on 16S libraries and quantitative PCR) in sponges 185 km offshore following storms (2016 and 2017), but not during the non-flooding year (2018). We show that water quality changes following severe storms can impact offshore benthic organisms, highlighting the need for molecular and microbial time series from near- and offshore reef ecosystems, and for the continued mitigation of stormwater runoff and climate change impacts.Originality-Significance StatementStressors associated with terrestrial runoff have contributed to substantial population declines in nearshore marine ecosystems worldwide over the last three decades. It has been assumed that offshore marine ecosystems (>100 km from land) are largely unaffected by terrestrial runoff. Our findings, however, suggest that flooding events can significantly impact offshore marine organisms, based on the detection of shifted microbiomes and human pathogens in offshore sponges after extreme storm events across two separate years, and lack of detection in a non-flooding year.

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“…It was hypothesized that changes in salinity gradients from the freshwater plume would allow for nearshore families to extend farther over the shelf, which is supported by studies in the southern GOM (Espinosa‐Fuentes & Flores‐Coto, 2004; Sanvicente‐Añorve et al, 1998) and Australia (Thorrold & Mckinnon, 1995). Within the first month following Hurricane Harvey, parallel studies found downstream displacement of freshwater and oligohaline fish species in Galveston Bay (Oakley & Guillen, 2019) and observed freshwater phytoplankton and zooplankton species near the Bay's inlet (Du, Park, Dellapenna, & Clay, 2019; Liu et al, 2019). It is possible that families or species within nearshore assemblages also extended their distribution farther over the shelf within the first few weeks (less than 1 month) following Hurricane Harvey.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Australia (Thorrold & Mckinnon, 1995). Within the first month following Hurricane Harvey, parallel studies found downstream displacement of freshwater and oligohaline fish species in Galveston Bay (Oakley & Guillen, 2019) and observed freshwater phytoplankton and zooplankton species near the Bay's inlet (Du, Park, Dellapenna, & Clay, 2019;Liu et al, 2019). It is possible that families or species within nearshore assemblages also extended their distribution farther over the shelf within the first few weeks (less than 1 month) following Hurricane Harvey.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neritic larval fish assemblages across the Texas shelf in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico following Hurricane Harvey

McAskill

Tolan

Zapfe

et al. 2023

Fisheries Oceanography

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Fall is an important time of year for fish recruitment in the Gulf of Mexico, with many commercially and recreationally important species spawning during this period.Changes in temperature and salinity regimes through seasonally abnormal freshwater input may change spawning patterns and displace larvae. Such an event occurred off the coast of Galveston Bay, Texas, when a freshwater flood plume formed from unprecedented rainfall related to Hurricane Harvey at the end of August 2017. This study investigated the effects of a large-scale flood plume on larval fish assemblages, collected at nearshore and shelf zones 1 and 2 months after Hurricane Harvey. Samples from 2017 were compared to historical datasets collected by NOAA Fisheries in September (2000-2004 and 2006-2016) and October (2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012). Evidence of lowered water temperature and salinity was found in both September and October 2017. Larval community composition changed along cross-shelf gradients and with increasing distance from shore. We also found evidence of 2017 assemblages differing from historical data, with the September 2017 assemblage more closely resembling those from October historical samples. Observed differences in 2017 assemblages were most likely explained by an earlier onset in fall sciaenid spawning, suggesting that decreases in water temperature occurring during hurricanes have the potential to alter fish spawning patterns.

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Impact of Hurricane Harvey on Galveston Bay Saltmarsh Nekton Communities

Cited by 8 publications

References 21 publications

On a Reef Far, Far Away: Anthropogenic Impacts Following Extreme Storms Affect Sponge Health and Bacterial Communities

On a Reef Far, Far Away: Anthropogenic Impacts Following Extreme Storms Affect Sponge Health and Bacterial Communities

On a Reef Far, Far Away: Anthropogenic Impacts Following Extreme Storms Affect Sponge Health and Bacterial Communities

Neritic larval fish assemblages across the Texas shelf in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico following Hurricane Harvey

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