Extensive coral mortality and critical habitat loss following dredging and their association with remotely-sensed sediment plumes

MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN

卷:145

Article

Cunning, Ross^1,2  Silverstein, Rachel N.³  Barnes, Brian B.⁴  Baker, Andrew C.¹ 

[1] Univ Miami, Dept Marine Biol & Ecol, Rosenstiel Sch Marine & Atmospher Sci, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149 USA

[2] John G Shedd Aquarium, Daniel P Haerther Ctr Conservat & Res, 1200 South Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605 USA

[3] Miami Waterkeeper, 2103 Coral Way,2nd Floor, Miami, FL 33145 USA

[4] Univ S Florida, Coll Marine Sci, 140 7th Ave South,MSL119, St Petersburg, FL 33701 USA

关键词: Dredging;    Sedimentation;    Coral reefs;    Remote sensing;    Port of Miami;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.05.027

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Dredging poses a potential threat to coral reefs, yet quantifying impacts is often difficult due to the large spatial footprint of potential effects and co-occurrence of other disturbances. Here we analyzed in situ monitoring data and remotely-sensed sediment plumes to assess impacts of the 2013-2015 Port of Miami dredging on corals and reef habitat. To control for contemporaneous bleaching and disease, we analyzed the spatial distribution of impacts in relation to the dredged channel. Areas closer to dredging experienced higher sediment trap accumulation, benthic sediment cover, coral burial, and coral mortality, and our spatial analyses indicate that > 560,000 corals were killed within 0.5 km, with impacts likely extending over 5-10 km. The occurrence of sediment plumes explained similar to 60% of spatial variability in measured impacts, suggesting that remotely-sensed plumes, when properly calibrated against in situ monitoring data, can reliably estimate the magnitude and extent of dredging impacts.

【 授权许可】

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