Anthropogenic changes to the landscape, storm events and sea level rise are contributing to the erosion of beaches leading to an increase of the sediment load in near shore marine environments. Palm Beach, Florida is host to unique near shore hardbottom habitats. These areas are distinct from the vast expanses of surrounding sediments and play and important role of habitat and shelter for many different species. In this study, remotely sensed images from 2000-2015 were used to look at the movement of sediment and how it contributes to exposure rates of near shore hardbottom habitats in Palm Beach, Florida and how these factors affect the benthic community. GIS was used to determine areas of hardbottom with high exposure (exposed in >60% of aerial images), medium exposure (40-60%), and low exposure ( I strived to determine if one can detect a successional relationship of benthic communities in a dynamic environment with annual mapping. I also examined if areas with higher exposure rates have more complex successive communities than those with lower exposure rates, and what implications this has on near shore benthic communities. In situ surveys conducted at 117 sites determined the community structure (corals, octocorals, macroalgae, and hydroids). This study confirmed that periodic mapping was successful in identifying hardbottom burial and exposure, which fluctuate both spatially and temporally. This periodic mapping along with manual delineation did identify hardbottom burials and exposures that fluctuate between years and relate to benthic community differences. The near shore hardbottom coral reef communities aligned with the observed exposure categories with the greater coral species richness and octocoral morphologies found at sites classified as highly exposed. Statistical analyses showed differences in communities shallower and deeper than three meters’ depth. Increasing the frequency of imagery captures and in situ observation would further increase our comprehension of the metrics of hardbottom exposures in reference to community structure.

The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) was a period of massive range contraction for numerous taxa, including the water-dispersed mangrove species, Rhizophora mangle L. Following the LGM, R. mangle expanded poleward via propagule transport by ocean currents. In this study, we use microsatellite loci to characterize the genetic structure of nine R. mangle populations and compare potential expansion pathways that resulted in the colonization of the Florida peninsula and Caribbean islands. Results show comparatively greater genetic connectivity between the Caribbean mainland and Florida, a similar pattern between West Africa and Caribbean islands, and substantial admixture on the island of San Salvador, the Bahamas. We conclude that Florida and Caribbean island R. mangle populations were likely recolonized via different expansion pathways. Estimates of recent migration rates are low and populations are structured into three regions (Caribbean mainland, Caribbean islands, Florida). These findings provide insight for future management and conservation initiatives. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

A dinâmica de praia constitui conhecimento elementar em obras de engenharia e na compreensão da evolução costeira ao longo do Quaternário recente. Buscou-se avaliar a variação temporal de curto período da morfologia e do volume de sedimento em um segmento na porção sul da praia da Ilha Comprida, litoral sul de São Paulo. Os resultados permitiram algumas interpretações, tanto em escala diária, como sazonal. As morfologias e os volumes do trecho estudado apresentaram maior similaridade entre as campanhas de maio de 2005 e janeiro de 2006, com estágio morfodinâmico de praia dissipativa, e entre agosto e novembro de 2005, com estágio de praia intermediária do tipo banco e calha. As ondas de sul com alturas de até 1 m e período médio entre 7 e 8 s atuaram no processo de engordamento da praia emersa, enquanto que as ondas desta mesma direção com alturas a partir de 1,5 m e período médio entre 8 e 10 s exerceram papel erosivo. De forma inversa, as ondas de leste com até 1 m de altura e período médio entre 6 e 8 s exerceram papel erosivo e com até 1,5 m e período médio entre 6 e 7 s, papel deposicional. / The knowledge of beach dynamics is fundamental in any coastal engineering projects as well as in the coastal evolution comprehension during the Late Quaternary. The aim of this study is to evaluate the short-term variations in morphology and sediment volume in a beach segment located in the southern portion of the Ilha Comprida, southern coast of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The results allowed us to get important conclusions on daily and seasonal variations in beach morphology and behaviour. The morphology and volume data show similarity between may/2005 and jan/2006, with dissipative morphodynamic state characteristics, as well as between aug/2005 and nov/2005, characterized by an intermediate morphodynamic state. Southerly waves reaching 1m high and mean period between 7 and 8 s acts on the emerged part of the segment in a depositional way as well as southerly waves higher than 1,5 m and period between 8 and 10 s cause erosion in the same part of the beach profile. Easterly waves act in an opposite way, with lower heights causing erosion and higher causing deposition.

In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden Wachstum und Entwicklung von 10 Schilfklonen (Phragmites australis) verglichen, um die genotypische Determinierung verschiedener Eigenschaften sowie den Einfluss der Standortfaktoren auf diese Eigenschaften zu untersuchen. Dabei sollen Aussagen zum Bestehen unterschiedlicher Ökotypen beim Schilf abgeleitet werden. Die Untersuchungen erfolgten auf sechs Pflanzfeldern, die im Rahmen von Renaturierungsmaßnahmen an den Ufern der Berliner Gewässer Seddinsee, Langer See und Havel im Frühjahr 1995 angelegt wurden. Die Anpflanzung erfolgt am Land, das Schilf wuchs in das Wasser vor. Die Herkunftsorte der Schilfklone unterschieden sich in der Nährstoffversorgung, der Substratqualität und der Exposition. Die Ergebnisse ließen deutliche Unterschiede in der Morphometrie der Halme (Halmlänge, Halmdurchmesser, Blattfläche pro Halm), der Halmbiomasse und der Balance zwischen Halmdichten und Halmlängen (bzw. Trockenmassen) zwischen den einzelnen Schilfklonen erkennen. Da dies beim Wachstum unter vergleichbaren Standortbedingungen gefunden wurde, kann eine genotypische Determinierung dieser Eigenschaften vermutet werden. Es konnte ebenfalls ein starker Einfluss der Umwelt auf das Wachstum des Schilfs festgestellt werden. Allgemein waren die Wachstumsbedingungen im Wasser deutlich besser als am Land. Die höchsten Halmbiomassen der einzelnen Schilfklone wurden daher im Wasser erreicht (zwischen 0,7 und 2,1 kg Trockenmasse pro m²), während die Werte am Land geringer waren (zwischen 0,6 und 1,0 kg/m²). Obwohl sich die Schilfklone an ihren ursprünglichen Standorten deutlich in den Stickstoffgehalten der Halme unterschieden, ergaben sich auf den Pflanzungen keine Unterschiede zwischen ihnen. Im Gegensatz dazu lagen die N-Werte bei jedem Schilfklon im Wasser erheblich höher als am Land. Dies lässt folgern, dass die Stickstoffgehalte der Halme in erster Linie vom Stickstoff-Angebot am jeweiligen Standort abhängen. Insgesamt deuten die Ergebnisse darauf hin, dass die Schilfklone genotypische Unterschiede in verschiedenen Merkmalen aufweisen können. Eine mögliche Nutzung zu einer Verbesserung des Erfolges von Pflanzmaßnahmen wird diskutiert. / In this study, growth and development of 10 reed clones (Phragmites australis) were compared to investigate genetically determined differences in various characteristics as well as the influence of site conditions on these characteristics. In addition, conclusions on the existence of different ecotypes were to be drawn. The study was performed on six experimental fields, established for shore renaturation on the lakes Seddinsee, Langer See and on the river Havel in Berlin in spring 1995. The plantations were established ashore, the reed expanded into the water. The sites of origin of the clones differed in nutrient supply, substrate quality and shore exposition. The results showed distinct differences between the individual reed clones regarding the morphometrics of the shoots (shoot length, culm diameter, leaf area per shoot), standing crop and the trade-off between shoot length (or dry matter) and shoot density. The fact that these results were found with clones that had grown under comparable site conditions seems to suggest a genotypic determination of these characteristics. A strong influence of the environment on the growth of the reed could also be deserved. In general, the conditions for growth were better in water than ashore. The highest standing crops of the individual reed clones were reached in water (between 0.7 and 2.1 kg drymatter pro m²), while the values ashore were lower (between 0.6 and 1.0 kg/m²). Although the reed clones at their original sites were clearly different in the nitrogen content of shoots, no differences were observed on the experimental fields. In contrast, the N-values of each clone were higher in water than ashore. This suggests that the nitrogen content of the shoots depends primarily on the nitrogen availability at the specific site. The results overall suggest that reed clones could exhibit genetically determined differences in various characteristics. A possible practical use to increase the efficiency of further reed plantations is discussed.

Costões rochosos da região de São Sebastião são ecossistemas muito vulneráveis a derrames de petróleo, devido à proximidade do Terminal Petrolífero Almirante Barroso (TEBAR) da PETROBRÁS. Foram documentados 144 vazamentos nos últimos 14 anos, na região. No terminal circulam 30.000.000 toneladas de petróleo por ano, cerca de 55 % da circulação nacional. Pouco se sabe sobre a estrutura da comunidade existente nos costões do canal de São Sebastião, especialmente quanto aos efeitos do petróleo na biota. Os procedimentos de limpeza empregados nestes costões têm sido definidos, principalmente, com base em aspectos estéticos e não ecológicos, o que termina por gerar impactos adicionais muitas vezes mais sérios que os do próprio petróleo. O presente estudo visou avaliar os efeitos do petróleo, aplicado experimentalmente, e acompanhar a recuperação da comunidade após o jateamento com água a alta pressão, avaliando-se a eficiência deste método de limpeza, do ponto de vista ecológico. Pretendeu-se, com isso, definir critérios ecologicamente coerentes para a limpeza de costões rochosos na região. O local do experimento situa-se na praia de Barequeçaba, São Sebastião, S. P., onde uma faixa de costão rochoso previamente estudada recebeu experimentalmente 50 litros de petróleo durante sete dias consecutivos. Dos sete transectos permanentes de estudo, três permaneceram com óleo, dois foram jateados com água à pressão de 2500 libras por polegada quadrada (PSI), além dos dois transectos controle. As amostragens pós impacto duraram dois anos e meio. Concluiu-se que as aplicações de petróleo não causaram impacto perceptível na comunidade estudada, sendo que as maiores alterações observadas foram atribuídas às variações naturais, exceto para Siphonaria hispida, Acmaea subrugosa e Crassostrea rhizophorae, espécies que apresentaram alterações que podem estar relacionadas ao contato com o petróleo. A confirmação destas conclusões necessita de estudos específicos mais aprofundados. O jateamento foi um método de limpeza altamente impactante à comunidade, a qual necessitou de mais de dois anos para retornar às condições de equilíbrio. Concluiu-se que este método, assim como outros métodos de limpeza mecânica, com efeitos similares, devem ser evitados. / Rocky shores of São Sebastião region are vulnerable ecosystems to oil spills, due to the proximity of the Petroleum Terminal Almirante Barroso (TEBAR) from PETROBRÁS. It was documented 144 spills in the last 14 years, at the area. Few studies were done about the community structure of rocky shores on São Sebastião Channel, specially including the effects of petroleum on the biota. The cleaning procedures employed on these shores have been defined, mainly, on aesthetical basis and not ecological basis, generating additional impacts sometimes bigger than those caused by the oil itself. The present study focused the evaluation of the oil effects, when applied experimentally, and evaluated the community recovery process after high pressure water flushing. It was intended to compare the cleanup procedures on an ecological point of view. It is intended to define criteria ecologically coherent for the cleanup of rocky shores on the region. The study area is on Barequeçaba beach, São Sebastião, S.P., were one shore area, previously studied, received 50 liters of crude oil during 7 consecutive days. From the seven permanent study transects, 3 remained with oil, 2 were flushed with a 2500 PSI pressure. 2 transects were the controls. The sampling period was of 2 and a half year. It is concluded that the applications of crude oil didn\'t caused visible impact on the studied community, and the natural variations were responsible for the observed fluctuations, except for Siphonaria hispida, Acmaea subrugosa and Crassostrea rhizophorae, species that presented variations that could be related to the contact with the oil. To confirm these conclusions it must be done more accurate studies with these species. The flushing was a very destructive method to the community, which needed more than 2 years to return to the equilibrium state. It is concluded that this method, like the other mechanical cleanup techniques, with similar effects, must be avoided.

Plus de 70 % de la surface terrestre est recouverte par les mers et océans. Nombre de phénomènes tectoniques parmi les plus dévastateurs ont par ailleurs lieu en environnement océanique. On peut citer en exemple les zones de subduction, pouvant générer des mégaséismes associés à des tsunamis dévastateurs (Sumatra en 2004, Tohokuen 2011), mais aussi les failles décrochantes sous-marines. Dans de nombreux cas, les méthodes de géodésie spatiale ne permettent pas de discriminer entre un comportement bloqué ou asismique, les instruments étant situés trop loin de la zone potentiellement déformée par le processus tectonique. Il faut alors mettre au point de nouvelles techniques qui permettent de prolonger les réseaux d’observation classiques au large afin de cartographier la déformation sur l’intégralité de la zone. Cette thèse s’intéresse à deux méthodes de géodésie fond de mer permettant d’aider à l’évaluation du risque sismique. La première est la distancemétrie relative acoustique, avec comme zone d’application effective la mer de Marmara. Nos premiers résultats laissent supposer un comportement bloqué au niveau du segment de la faille nord-anatolienne immergé devant İstanbul. La seconde zone d’étude considérée est la subduction antillaise. L’échelle de travail nécessite une localisation des points observés dans un référentiel global. Nous étudions les phénomènes océaniques à considérer et détaillons une méthodologie dite GNSS/A (pour Acoustique), consistant en des interrogations acoustiques depuis une plateforme de surface précisément positionnée par GNSS, pour une future expérience de positionnement absolu au large de la Guadeloupe. / More than 70 % of the Earth surface is covered by seas and oceans. Several tectonic phenomena, among the most devastating, take place in ocean environment. For example, the subduction zones, which can generate mega-earthquakes associated with devastating tsunamis (Sumatra in 2004, Tōhoku in 2011), but also the underwater strike-slip faults. In many cases, methods of space geodesy cannot discriminate between a blocked or aseismic behavior, because the instruments are located too far from the area potentially deformed by the tectonic process. Thus, it is necessary to develop new techniques to extend conventional observation networks off-shore to map the deformation in the entire area. This thesis focuses on two seafloor geodesy methods, in order to assess the seismic risk evaluation. The first is the relative acoustic ranging, with an efective deployment of the Marmara Sea area. Our early results suggest a locked state at the segment of the North Anatolian fault of İstanbul. The second area considered is the Caribbean subduction. The working scale requires localization of the observed points in a global reference frame. We study ocean processes to consider, and detail a GNSS/A (Acoustic) methodology, consisting of acoustic interrogations from a precisely GNSS positioned surface platform, for a future absolute positioning experience of Guadeloupe.

Costões rochosos da região de São Sebastião são ecossistemas muito vulneráveis a derrames de petróleo, devido à proximidade do Terminal Petrolífero Almirante Barroso (TEBAR) da PETROBRÁS. Foram documentados 144 vazamentos nos últimos 14 anos, na região. No terminal circulam 30.000.000 toneladas de petróleo por ano, cerca de 55 % da circulação nacional. Pouco se sabe sobre a estrutura da comunidade existente nos costões do canal de São Sebastião, especialmente quanto aos efeitos do petróleo na biota. Os procedimentos de limpeza empregados nestes costões têm sido definidos, principalmente, com base em aspectos estéticos e não ecológicos, o que termina por gerar impactos adicionais muitas vezes mais sérios que os do próprio petróleo. O presente estudo visou avaliar os efeitos do petróleo, aplicado experimentalmente, e acompanhar a recuperação da comunidade após o jateamento com água a alta pressão, avaliando-se a eficiência deste método de limpeza, do ponto de vista ecológico. Pretendeu-se, com isso, definir critérios ecologicamente coerentes para a limpeza de costões rochosos na região. O local do experimento situa-se na praia de Barequeçaba, São Sebastião, S. P., onde uma faixa de costão rochoso previamente estudada recebeu experimentalmente 50 litros de petróleo durante sete dias consecutivos. Dos sete transectos permanentes de estudo, três permaneceram com óleo, dois foram jateados com água à pressão de 2500 libras por polegada quadrada (PSI), além dos dois transectos controle. As amostragens pós impacto duraram dois anos e meio. Concluiu-se que as aplicações de petróleo não causaram impacto perceptível na comunidade estudada, sendo que as maiores alterações observadas foram atribuídas às variações naturais, exceto para Siphonaria hispida, Acmaea subrugosa e Crassostrea rhizophorae, espécies que apresentaram alterações que podem estar relacionadas ao contato com o petróleo. A confirmação destas conclusões necessita de estudos específicos mais aprofundados. O jateamento foi um método de limpeza altamente impactante à comunidade, a qual necessitou de mais de dois anos para retornar às condições de equilíbrio. Concluiu-se que este método, assim como outros métodos de limpeza mecânica, com efeitos similares, devem ser evitados. / Rocky shores of São Sebastião region are vulnerable ecosystems to oil spills, due to the proximity of the Petroleum Terminal Almirante Barroso (TEBAR) from PETROBRÁS. It was documented 144 spills in the last 14 years, at the area. Few studies were done about the community structure of rocky shores on São Sebastião Channel, specially including the effects of petroleum on the biota. The cleaning procedures employed on these shores have been defined, mainly, on aesthetical basis and not ecological basis, generating additional impacts sometimes bigger than those caused by the oil itself. The present study focused the evaluation of the oil effects, when applied experimentally, and evaluated the community recovery process after high pressure water flushing. It was intended to compare the cleanup procedures on an ecological point of view. It is intended to define criteria ecologically coherent for the cleanup of rocky shores on the region. The study area is on Barequeçaba beach, São Sebastião, S.P., were one shore area, previously studied, received 50 liters of crude oil during 7 consecutive days. From the seven permanent study transects, 3 remained with oil, 2 were flushed with a 2500 PSI pressure. 2 transects were the controls. The sampling period was of 2 and a half year. It is concluded that the applications of crude oil didn\'t caused visible impact on the studied community, and the natural variations were responsible for the observed fluctuations, except for Siphonaria hispida, Acmaea subrugosa and Crassostrea rhizophorae, species that presented variations that could be related to the contact with the oil. To confirm these conclusions it must be done more accurate studies with these species. The flushing was a very destructive method to the community, which needed more than 2 years to return to the equilibrium state. It is concluded that this method, like the other mechanical cleanup techniques, with similar effects, must be avoided.

Barrier island restoration and nourishment is necessary for sustaining coastal systems worldwide. In the Mississippi River Delta Plain, the lack of sediment supply, relative sea level rise, and reworking of abandoned delta lobes promote rapid disintegration of barriers, which can contribute to mainland storm impacts. Barrier island restorations that utilize higher quality sediments (Outer Continental Shelf- OCS) are expected to exhibit higher resiliency, withstanding coastal erosion, event-induced erosion, and ongoing transgression when compared to barriers nourished using lower quality nearshore (NS) sands. Additionally, use of OCS sediments increases sediment supply by adding material to the system supporting increased barrier longevity by maintaining a subaerial footprint longer compared to NS sediments. We used the Delft3D modeling suite to study barrier geomorphic trajectories nourished using OCS/NS sands, compared with control simulations with no nourishment. Resulting morphologies from 18 simulations with forcing that included annualized forcing, storms, and SLR are evaluated and compared.

[Truncated abstract] With rapidly increasing population densities along coastlines and rising global sea levels, coastal protection has become a major concern for coastal communities. Predicting sediment transport in nearshore regions, however, is one of the most challenging tasks faced by coastal researchers in designing coastal structures or beach nourishment schemes. Although nearshore sediment transport mainly occurs in the longshore direction, cross-shore sediment transport is crucial in determining the shoreline evolution and beach morphology . . . This study investigated the factors influencing sediment re-suspension and cross-shore suspended sediment flux in the frequency domain through a series of field measurements conducted at several different locations and a numerical model. Only oscillatory flow components were examined and the mean flow components were not considered. Although many different factors such as cross-shore location with respect to breaker line, significant wave height to water depth ratio (Hs/h), normalised horizontal velocity skewness (<u³>/‹u²›³/²), median grain size (d50), breaker type, and wave groupiness appeared to influence the magnitude of cross-shore suspended sediment flux, bed ripples was identified as the major contributing factor in changing the direction of suspended sediment flux due to incident swell waves. Moreover, the direction changed significantly with ripple type. High frequency measurements, obtained to examine the influence of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) on higher sediment suspension events observed under wave groups indicated that higher TKE was generated at the seabed by approaching wave groups, which in turn resulted in higher suspension events.°1

There is a tendency in archaeology dealing with watercraft landing sites in a wider context to assume a direct relationship between sites in coastal and shore-bound areas and the practise of landing, without any deeper practical or theoretical exploration of the reality of any such relationship. This problem has its origins in the poor archaeological and conceptual definitions of watercraft landing sites obstructing any real understanding of the role of these sites in the maritime cultural landscape. Landing sites are taken for granted and they are undervalued as an archaeological source of explanation; notwithstanding, the concept of the landing site is readily used in archaeology in order to underpin archaeological interpretations on the maritime activities of past societies. In order to break away from the simplified understandings of past water-bound strategies based on the undefined concept of the landing site, this dissertation suggests a definition of watercraft landing sites in a wider social sense as water-bound contact zones; places of social interaction that can be archaeologically identified and investigated. This perspective integrates the understanding of the intentional character of human activity related to watercraft landing with the remaining archaeological traces. Archaeological definitions of landing sites that can be tested against the archaeological data are provided, and thereby, the dissertation contributes with the possibility to archaeologically evaluate and approach the social function of watercraft landing sites. This dissertation demonstrates that there can be an archaeology of landing sites.