The distribution of tidal saline wetlands (e.g., salt marshes and mangroves) is increasingly impacted by global environmental change, including human alteration of the world’s coasts and sea-level rise (Kennedy et al. 2002; Poff et al. 2002). Rates of salt marsh and mangrove loss appear to be accelerating (Nicholls et al. 1999).A better understanding of wetland accretionary dynamics, controls and constraints, and in particular responses to sea-level rise is required to inform the maintenance and restoration of these systems. Differences in wetland form and function result from a range of continentaland regional-scale processes (Mitsch and Gosselink 2000). Local geomorphology, climate regime, and hydrology result in differences in sediment supply, primary production and decomposition, subsidence, and autocompaction, resulting in variations in elevation among both salt marsh and mangrove sites. Combinations of these controls mean that individual wetland sites show different degrees of vulnerability to current and near-future environmental change. Several vulnerability assessment approaches have been developed during the past two decades, including the Global Vulnerability Assessment, first developed by Hoozemans et al. (1993) and recently refined in DINAS_COAST (McFadden et al. 2003), and the Coastal Vulnerability Index (Gornitz 1991; Hammar-Klose and Thieler 2001). These approaches offer valuable planning tools for coastal resource managers at the broad (i.e., global, continental, macro-regional) scale as they allow the identification of both patterns of relative vulnerability and vulnerability ‘hotspots’. However, the numerical scores that they produce cannot be easily assigned a precise physical meaning and

Coastal Wetland Vulnerability to Relative Sea-Level Rise: Wetland Elevation Trends and Process Controls

Climate change is a major threat to coral reef ecosystems worldwide. A key determinant of the fate of reef corals in a warming climate is their capacity to tolerate increasing thermal stress. Here, an increase in thermal tolerance is demonstrated for three major coral genera (Acropora, Pocillopora and Porites) following the exten- sive mass bleaching event that occurred on the Great Barrier Reef (Australia) in 1998. During the subsequent and more severe thermal stress event in 2002, bleaching severity was 30-100% lower than predicted from the relationship between severity and thermal stress in 1998, despite higher solar irradiances during the 2002 thermal event. Coral genera most susceptible to thermal stress (Pocillopora and Acropora) showed the greatest increase in tolerance. Although bleaching was severe in 1998, whole- colony mortality was low at most study sites. Therefore, observed increases in thermal tolerance cannot be explained by selective mortality alone, suggesting a capacity for acclimatization or adaptation. Although the vulnerability of coral reefs remains largely dependent on the rate and extent of climate change, such increase in thermal tolerance may delay the onset of mass coral mor- talities in time for the implementation of low-emission scenarios and effective management.

Major bleaching events can lead to increased thermal tolerance in corals

Path planning and trajectory design for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) is of great importance to the oceanographic research community because automated data collection is becoming more prevalent. Intelligent planning is required to maneuver a vehicle to high-valued locations to perform data collection. In this paper, we present algorithms that determine paths for AUVs to track evolving features of interest in the ocean by considering the output of predictive ocean models. While traversing the computed path, the vehicle provides near-real-time, in situ measurements back to the model, with the intent to increase the skill of future predictions in the local region. The results presented here extend preliminary developments of the path planning portion of an end-to-end autonomous prediction and tasking system for aquatic, mobile sensor networks. This extension is the incorporation of multiple vehicles to track the centroid and the boundary of the extent of a feature of interest. Similar algorithms to those presented here are under development to consider additional locations for multiple types of features. The primary focus here is on algorithm development utilizing model predictions to assist in solving the motion planning problem of steering an AUV to high-valued locations, with respect to the data desired. We discuss the design technique to generate the paths, present simulation results and provide experimental data from field deployments for tracking dynamic features by use of an AUV in the Southern California coastal ocean.

/pdf/planning-and-implementing-trajectories-for-autonomous-2p36kriiu4.pdf

Planning and Implementing Trajectories for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles to Track Evolving Ocean Processes Based on Predictions from a Regional Ocean Model

Patterns of recruitment in marine ecosystems can reflect the distribution of adults, dispersal by ocean currents, or patterns of mortality after settlement. In turn, patterns of recruitment can play an important role in determining patterns of adult abundance and community dynamics. Here we examine the biogeographic structure of recruitment variability along the U.S. West Coast and examine its association with temperature variability. From 1997 to 2004 we monitored monthly recruitment rates of dominant intertidal invertebrates, mussels and barnacles, at 26 rocky shore sites on the West Coast of the United States, from northern Oregon to southern California, a span of 1750 km of coastline. We examined spatial variation in the dynamics of recruitment rates and their relationship to coastal oceanography using satellite-derived time series of monthly sea surface temperature (SST). Recruitment rates showed a biogeographic structure with large regions under similar dynamics delimited by abrupt transitions. The seasonal peak in recruitment rates for both mussels and barnacles changed from a late summer-early fall peak in Oregon to winter or early spring in northern California, and then back toward summer in southern California. Recruitment rates varied greatly in magnitude across the latitudinal range. The barnacle Balanus glandula and mussels (Mytilus spp.) showed a decline of two orders of magnitude south of Oregon. In contrast, recruitment rates of barnacles of the genus Chthamalus showed a variable pattern across the region examined. The spatial distribution of associations between raw SST and recruitment rates for all species showed positive associations, indicating recruitment during warm months, for all species in Oregon, northern California, and several sites in south-central California. By considerably extending the spatial and temporal scales beyond that of previous studies on larval recruitment rates in this system, our study has identified major biogeographic breaks around Cape Blanco and Point Conception despite considerable spatial and temporal variation within each region and among species. These large differences in recruitment rates across biogeographic scales highlight the need for a better understanding of larval responses to ocean circulation patterns in the conservation and management of coastal ecosystems.

Spatial and temporal patterns of invertebrate recruitment along the west coast of the united states

Rapid change in climate is set to alter the delicate balance that exists between man and nature. It is more so for the region which are ecologically fragile. The literature to this effect points out that the poorest countries and communities are likely to suffer the most because of their geographic locations, low income and low institutional capacity, as well as their greater reliance on climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture. Even if climate mitigations plans are implemented properly there will be some degree of warming due to inertia of emissions already released. As such, there is a strong consensus about the need of adaptation to changing climatic conditions. Adaptation is believed to enhance the resilience against increasing climate variability. In this backdrop, the objective of the present paper is, therefore, to systematically and critically review the existing literature on the impacts of climate change and choice of adaptations across countries and draw insights for suggesting a comprehensive policy framework particularly for developing countries in this regard. The paper finds that the role of government and civil society is crucial for enabling efficient adaptation methods. Development policies and programs having synergy effect with climate change initiatives help adapt with the changing climate better. However, the availability of clean technology in developing countries will play the decisive role in controlling their growth rate of emission. This will be made feasible only when there is a better understanding of the problem between the developed and developing world about the eminent danger arising out of climate change.

A critical review of impact of and adaptation to climate change in developed and developing economies

This report discusses the impacts of global climate change on coastal and marine ecosystems. Primary conclusions of the report are as follows: 1) Temperature changes in coastal and marine ecosystems will influence organism metabolism and alter ecological processes such as productivity and species interactions. 2) Changes in precipitation and sea-level rise will have far-reaching consequences for the water balance of coastal ecosystems. 3) Climate change is likely to alter patterns of wind and water circulation in the ocean environment. 4) Critical coastal ecosystems such as wetlands, estuaries, and coral reefs are particularly vulnerable to climate change.

Coastal and marine ecosystems & global climate change: potential effects on u.s. resources

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Coastal and marine ecosystems & global climate change: potential effects on u.s. resources