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A Reconstruction of Past Intense Hurricane Landfalls in Estero Bay Utilizing Back-Barrier Lagoonal Sediments
Title
A Reconstruction of Past Intense Hurricane Landfalls in Estero Bay Utilizing Back-Barrier Lagoonal Sediments.
Creator
Culligan, Nicholas
Abstract / Description
As hurricanes are one of nature’s most destructive forces, patterns in the recurrence intervals of intense hurricane landfalls are important to understand. Unfortunately, the modern instrumental record exists only as far back as 1860, which does not allow for geologically long-term hurricane trends to be studied. Paleotempestology is the study of ancient hurricane by means of sediment proxies, which allows for the hurricane record to be extended to before the modern record. Utilizing sediment...
Show moreAs hurricanes are one of nature’s most destructive forces, patterns in the recurrence intervals of intense hurricane landfalls are important to understand. Unfortunately, the modern instrumental record exists only as far back as 1860, which does not allow for geologically long-term hurricane trends to be studied. Paleotempestology is the study of ancient hurricane by means of sediment proxies, which allows for the hurricane record to be extended to before the modern record. Utilizing sediment cores that contain hurricane overwash layers (tempestites), the occurrence of hurricanes can be confirmed using moisture content, inorganic content, grain size analysis, and radiometric dating. Estero Bay is in a hurricane prone and extremely populated area. The recurrence interval for catastrophic hurricanes and the strength of the storm surge of hurricanes in this area is important to determine. This study utilizes paleotempestology to extend the hurricane record of Estero Bay and create a timeline for catastrophic hurricanes that have made landfall here. Additionally, this study serves to create a comprehensive guide to tempestite types found in Estero Bay and Southwest Florida. Hurricane Irma also occurred during the study period which allowed for the unique opportunity to study the tempestite deposition from a hurricane in which all parameters are known. Four confirmed tempestites from two sites ranging in age from 60-2000 years before present (YBP) were identified and classified. Additionally, characteristics and long-term trends of Estero Bay back-barrier lagoons were determined. This study is only the second paleotempestology study in Southwest Florida and the first which investigates an area that directly affects tens of thousands of people.
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Date Issued
2018-08-24
Identifier
fgcu_ETD_0259
Format
Document (PDF)
Impervious Surface Analysis of the Estero Bay Watershed in Lee County, Florida
Title
Impervious Surface Analysis of the Estero Bay Watershed in Lee County, Florida.
Creator
Burr, Derek C.S.
Abstract / Description
It is not known if the increases in water quality degradation are the result of flawed BMPs or the overall cumulative increases in impervious surface are thus making BMPs ineffective. Impervious surface runoff coefficients represent the fraction of rainfall that runs off an impervious structure and becomes storm water runoff. Research also has shown that increases in impervious surface because of human development are a direct indicator of the future water and ecosystem quality (Schueler,...
Show moreIt is not known if the increases in water quality degradation are the result of flawed BMPs or the overall cumulative increases in impervious surface are thus making BMPs ineffective. Impervious surface runoff coefficients represent the fraction of rainfall that runs off an impervious structure and becomes storm water runoff. Research also has shown that increases in impervious surface because of human development are a direct indicator of the future water and ecosystem quality (Schueler, 1994). The purpose of this thesis is to determine if there is any indication of a relationship between impervious surface changes and the water quality of the Estero Bay Watershed.
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Date Issued
2008
Identifier
fgcu_ETD_0414
Format
Document (PDF)
Influence of environmental factors on the spatial and temporal distributions and abundances of ichthyoplankton and gelatinous predators in Estero Bay, Florida, with inferences on estuarine trophodynamics
Title
Influence of environmental factors on the spatial and temporal distributions and abundances of ichthyoplankton and gelatinous predators in Estero Bay, Florida, with inferences on estuarine trophodynamics.
Creator
Evans, James T. III
Abstract / Description
It is well known that gelatinous zooplankton such as chaetognaths, hydromedusae and ctenophores are voracious predators of copepods and the eggs and larvae of fishes. Because gelatinous predators and ichthyoplankton often co-occur within estuaries, changes in environmental factors, many of which are driven by freshwater inflow, can influence zooplankton distribution and abundance, potentially altering trophic relationships. To determine how freshwater inflow shapes ichthyoplankton and...
Show moreIt is well known that gelatinous zooplankton such as chaetognaths, hydromedusae and ctenophores are voracious predators of copepods and the eggs and larvae of fishes. Because gelatinous predators and ichthyoplankton often co-occur within estuaries, changes in environmental factors, many of which are driven by freshwater inflow, can influence zooplankton distribution and abundance, potentially altering trophic relationships. To determine how freshwater inflow shapes ichthyoplankton and gelatinous predator assemblages and the potential interactions between them, zooplankton were collected monthly using oblique plankton tows at 16 stations throughout Estero Bay, Florida from January 2005 through December 2006. Samples were collected from the passes, open bay waters and tidal tributaries. Ichthyoplankton and gelatinous zooplankton were identified to the lowest practical taxon and data were analyzed using contour plots, and correlation and regression analyses. Distribution and abundance of ichthyoplankton were primarily influenced by reproductive timing, water temperature, salinity, prey availability, and freshwater inflow. Gelatinous predator abundances were primarily influenced by water temperature, prey availability, and freshwater inflow. Ichthyoplankton abundances were 2-fold higher in 2005 compared to 2006. Conversely, gelatinous predator abundances were 8-fold higher in 2006 compared to 2005. The high degree of interannual variability in abundances between years was likely related to differences in freshwater inflow. Data suggest flows >0.5 m3 s-1 would be sufficient to prevent a majority of the gelatinous predator taxa identified in this study from entering nursery habitat associated with the tributaries. This would result in less competition for resources and may increase survival rates of larval fishes.
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Date Issued
2011
Identifier
fgcu_ETD_0429
Format
Document (PDF)
Seagrass Abundance and Distribution in relation to Changing Environmental Factors in Estero Bay, Florida
Title
Seagrass Abundance and Distribution in relation to Changing Environmental Factors in Estero Bay, Florida.
Creator
Rickards, Lisa Marie
Abstract / Description
Seagrasses provide various ecological services including water filtration, sediment stabilization, provisioning of food and habitat, and carbon sequestration. However, seagrasses are declining globally, largely due to decreases in optical water quality. Estero Bay is a shallow estuary in Southwest Florida and has historically had extensive seagrass beds. Anecdotal reports suggest that seagrasses are seriously declining in the Bay, but trends in the monitoring data are difficult to interpret....
Show moreSeagrasses provide various ecological services including water filtration, sediment stabilization, provisioning of food and habitat, and carbon sequestration. However, seagrasses are declining globally, largely due to decreases in optical water quality. Estero Bay is a shallow estuary in Southwest Florida and has historically had extensive seagrass beds. Anecdotal reports suggest that seagrasses are seriously declining in the Bay, but trends in the monitoring data are difficult to interpret. In this analysis, we updated and integrated all available seagrass data for Estero Bay, as well as analyzed trends in seagrass abundance in relation to available environmental factors. In addition, we developed a new, Bay-wide monitoring technique to quantify seagrass health and extent, and utilized the method quarterly for a year (2017-2018). This monitoring effort was paired with water quality data collection to relate seagrass abundance to spatial and short-term temporal variation in environmental conditions. Optical water quality was measured as light attenuation and was also partitioned into three main components: chlorophyll a, turbidity, and colored dissolved organic matter. Analysis of historical transect monitoring data and aerial photography demonstrated that seagrass abundance and density are in serious decline in the Bay. Seagrass losses from 2003-2016 were best predicted by temperature and total phosphorus concentrations, which had negative and positive relationships with seagrass abundance, respectively. Analysis of our 2017-2018 data indicated that seagrass abundance was positively correlated with light availability and inversely correlated with macroalgae cover and turbidity. Both analyses were consistent with the hypothesis that eutrophication is a major contributor to poor optical water quality and seagrass declines, implying that efforts to reduce nutrient loading into the system are strongly needed.
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Date Issued
2018-08-09
Identifier
fgcu_ETD_0251
Format
Document (PDF)