Impacts of Hurricane Mitch on seagrass beds and associated shallow reef communities along the Carribbean coast of Honduras and Guatemala

Michot, Thomas C.; Burch, James N.; Arrivillaga, Alejandro; Rafferty, Patricia S.; Doyle, Thomas W.; Kemmerer, R. Scott

doi:10.3133/ofr03181

Cited by 17 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Seagrasses are endowed with very fast growth rate, even without fertilizers or modern cultivation techniques. Some species can grow as much as 8 cm day -1 (Michot et al 2002). Their high productivity includes not only their own high growth rates but also the many small plants and other organisms that attach to their surfaces and live among the seagrass (Clarke and Kirkman 1989).…”

Section: Seagrassmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of climate change in increasing occurrences oceanic hazards as a potential threat to coastal ecology

Ghorai

Sen

2014

Nat Hazards

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Coastal ecosystems are inimitable in view of their frailty as compared to terrestrial ecosystems, and yet in their indispensability in preserving the terrestrial ecosystems being the first line of defence against hazards of oceanic origin. More often than not, these are more precious in terms of their natural, built, human and social capitals over land ecosystems; and yet more often than not these are subjected to ill considerate and unbridled anthropogenic stresses for gaining entrée to these capitals. The human 'undoings' albeit enhancement in climate change-induced degenerative-and often cataclysmic-marine influences in form of tropical and extratropical cyclones, tsunamis, hurricanes, etc. are only adding to the woes in so far as the stability of the coastal ecosystems-and their very existence as well-is concerned. In view of these impending threats on various coastal habitats due to increasing occurrence as well as ferocity of oceanic hazards coupled with anthropogenic stresses, adaptation and mitigation measures are called for to resuscitate and rejuvenate coastal landforms. Since man cannot dictate over nature, adaptation measures are necessitated to 'Better live with' the nature's furies while mitigation is required to 'Better deal with' the human-induced pressures. The present paper aims at (1) reviewing the role of climate change in increasing occurrences of oceanic hazards threatening the coastal ecosystems and (2) invoke perspicacious and percipient adaptation and mitigation measures to better deal with and live with these Nature's perils.

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Section: Seagrassmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of climate change in increasing occurrences oceanic hazards as a potential threat to coastal ecology

Ghorai

Sen

2014

Nat Hazards

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“…El Cambio Climático Global (CCG) inducido de manera antrópica promueve cambios de profunda implicación en los ecosistemas marinos, un ejemplo de ello es el efecto de las tormentas tropicales y huracanes en los ecosistemas costeros (Michot et al 2002, Heck Jr. & Byron 2005, Sheik 2005, raramente son eventos repetidos o ecológicamente predecibles. Los huracanes pueden inducir cambios en los hábitats terrestres y marinos, y juegan un rol importante en el clima del mundo, al transportar el exceso de calor y humedad de los trópicos, a latitudes templadas y boreales, además alteran el clima local a mediano plazo, resultado de la modificación de la cobertura vegetal y la evapotranspiración (Lugo 2000).…”

Section: Impacto Por Huracanes En Las Praderas De Thalassia Testudinuunclassified

“…La clase 7 presentó la mayor pérdida en su área a través del tiempo, esto puede asociarse a que al estar en una zona donde la profundidad del sedimento es menor, su textura es arenosa y dura por debajo (Mexicano-Cintora et al 2003), por lo que las raíces y rizomas no penetran fácilmente, además la acción mecánica de la onda de marea de los huracanes facilitan desgarrar, arrancar y romper las estructuras aéreas y subterráneas de los pastos marinos (Michot et al 2002). Adicionalmente, la escasa profundidad y la remoción de los sedimentos como un efecto del incremento en la turbulencia asociado al oleaje y las corrientes (Clarke & Kirkman 1989, Short & Neckles 1999, Arellano-Méndez 2004, deja al sistema de raíces y rizomas descubiertos, lo cual provoca su desarraigo y posterior desaparición, como se observó en Chandeleuer Sound, Lousiana durante el paso del huracán Camille (Posey & Alphin 2002).…”

Section: Discusionunclassified

“…Gran parte de la fragmentación de las praderas de T. testudinum ocurrida en Bahía de la Ascensión fue ocasionada tras el paso de los huracanes, el transporte de sedimentos que disminuye la cantidad de la luz en la columna de agua y aumento del material depositario (Michot et al 2002, Byron & Heck Jr. 2006, Steward et al 2006, Cabaço et al 2008) que entierra las praderas; esto se ha observado en la pérdida de praderas de Zostera marina en el Pacífico Mexicano debido a una significativa limitación de la luz por la resuspensión del material del fondo. Marba et al (1994) estudiaron este efecto tras el paso del huracán Gilberto (septiembre 1988) en las praderas de T. testudinum en la costa del Caribe Mexicano, se observaron diferencias en la longitud internodal que se atribuyó al incremento en la depositación de sedimentos.…”

Section: Discusionunclassified

“…Aunque el efecto del Cambio Climático Global sobre los huracanes aún no se comprende en su totalidad, éste puede afectar su velocidad máxima e intensidad (Lugo, 2000, Michot et al 2002, provocando efectos en las praderas de pastos marinos, que son medibles a distintas escalas de tiempo y espacio, y que van desde acciones mecánicas, a efectos en la hidrología y calidad del agua.…”

Section: Discusionunclassified

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Impacto por huracanes en las praderas de Thalassia testudinum (Hydrocharitaceae) en el Caribe Mexicano

Arellano-Méndez¹,

Liceaga-Correa²,

Herrera-Silveira³

et al. 2010

RBT

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Hurricane impact on Thalassia testudinum (Hydrocharitaceae) beds in the Mexican Caribbean.Hurricanes have increased in strength and frequency as a result of global climate change. This research was conducted to study the spatio-temporal distribution and changes of Thalassia testudinum, the dominant species in Bahia de la Ascension (Quintana Roo, Mexico), when affected by heavy weather conditions. To complete this objective, a 2001 Landsat ETM+ image and the information from 525 sampling stations on morpho-functional and coverage of T. testudinum were used, and the seeds generated for the classification of eight benthic habitats. To quantify the changes caused by two hurricanes, we used two images, one of 1988 (Gilberto) and another of 1995 (Roxanne); other three data sets (2003, 2005 and 2007) were also used to describe the study area without major weather effects. Six categorial maps were obtained and subjected to analysis by 8 Landscape Ecology indexes, that describe the spatial characteristics, structure, function, change of the elements (matrix-patch-corridor), effects on ecosystems, connectivity, edges, shape and patch habitat fragmentation. Models indicate that T. testudinum may be classified as a continuum (matrix), since the fragments were not observed intermittently, but as a progression from minimum to maximum areas in reference to their coverage (ecological corridors). The fragments do not have a regular shape, indicating that the impacts are recent and may be due to direct effects (high-intensity hurricanes) or indirect (sediment). Fragments of type "bare soils" have a discontinuous distribution, and are considered to be the sites that have remained stable over a long timescale. While more dense coverage areas ("beds", "medium prairie" and "prairie") have low fragmentation and high connection of fragments. Features have an irregular perimeter and radial growth of formal; suggesting that the impact of meteors has no effect on the resilience of T. testudinum in this ecosystem, indicating good environmental quality to grow in this bay. Rev. Biol. Trop. 59 (1): 385-401. Epub 2011 March 01.

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Hurricane Effects on Seagrass and Associated Nekton Communities in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Correia,

Alford,

Belgrad

et al. 2023

Estuaries and Coasts

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Impacts of Hurricane Mitch on seagrass beds and associated shallow reef communities along the Carribbean coast of Honduras and Guatemala

Cited by 17 publications

References 14 publications

Role of climate change in increasing occurrences oceanic hazards as a potential threat to coastal ecology

Role of climate change in increasing occurrences oceanic hazards as a potential threat to coastal ecology

Impacto por huracanes en las praderas de Thalassia testudinum (Hydrocharitaceae) en el Caribe Mexicano

Hurricane Effects on Seagrass and Associated Nekton Communities in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

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