SEAGRASS IN THE CALOOSAHATCHEE RIVER ESTUARY: THE EFFECT OF ANNUAL RAINFALL PATTERNS

Seagrasses are important to estuarine health, influencing physical, chemical and biological environments of coastal waters. Seagrasses stabilize sediments, filter nutrients, and provide habitat for estuarine organisms. Understanding seagrass distribution and trends relative to freshwater input aids...

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Published inFlorida scientist Vol. 76; no. 2; pp. 107 - 120
Main Authors Orlando, Beth A., Doering, Peter H., Chamberlain, Robert H.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Orlando The Florida Academy of Sciences, Inc 01.04.2013
Florida Academy of Sciences, Inc
Subjects
Arithmetic mean
Brackish
Estuaries
Fresh water
Freshwater
Infestation
Marine
Rain
Salinity
Summer
Underwater acoustics
Water management
Water quality
USA, Florida, Caloosahatchee R
ASW, USA, Florida, Caloosahatchee Estuary
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Summary:Seagrasses are important to estuarine health, influencing physical, chemical and biological environments of coastal waters. Seagrasses stabilize sediments, filter nutrients, and provide habitat for estuarine organisms. Understanding seagrass distribution and trends relative to freshwater input aids resource management. From 1996–2009, hydroacoustic technology was used to assess spatial and temporal fluctuations in seagrass coverage of the Caloosahatchee River Estuary relative to annual rainfall. Three estuarine areas, with different salinity regimes and species composition, were monitored three times a year for percent seagrass coverage and plant height. Sampling was performed at the beginning (spring), middle (summer), and end (fall) of the seagrass growing season. Results showed that seagrass percent coverage, percent volume infestation and plant height increased with distance downstream. All three parameters were greatest in summer, intermediate in fall and lowest during spring months. Annual rainfall influenced seagrass abundance differently. During average and wet years, seagrass measurements were greatest in summer, while in dry years measurements were similar in summer and fall. Study results indicated that seagrasses in the Caloosahatchee River Estuary are sensitive to inter-annual changes in rainfall. While there is considerable year to year variation, seagrass coverage has been relatively stable over the 13 year study period.
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ISSN:0098-4590