Sea Level Rise in Delaware Bay, U.S.A.: Adaptations of Spawning Horseshoe Crabs (Limulus polyphemus) to the Glacial Past, and the Rapidly Changing Shoreline of the Bay
Sea Level Rise in Delaware Bay, U.S.A.: Adaptations of Spawning Horseshoe Crabs (Limulus polyphemus) to the Glacial Past, and the Rapidly Changing Shoreline of the Bay
复制标题
美国特拉华湾海平面上升：产卵鲎（鲎）对过去冰川和快速变化的海湾海岸线的适应
DOI：
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发表时间：
2015
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
M. L. Botton
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
R. E. Loveland;M. L. Botton
在漫长的地质历史中，马蹄蟹已被证明善于寻找合适的桑迪海滩产卵栖息地。古地理学研究表明，最近一次海平面上升（SLR）发生在特拉华州湾至少6,000年。将20世纪30年代的航拍照片与当代卫星图像进行比较，清楚地表明海岸线沿着特拉华州湾的新泽西海岸线沿着向陆地移动。在这段时间里，由于产卵海滩的丧失或退化，马蹄蟹产卵的生境受到了不利影响，而这种影响在某种程度上被潮汐小溪和桑迪三角洲等“边缘生境”中的沙子沉积所抵消。在SLR时期，海滩-沼泽系统向陆地的自然运动得到了充分的证明，但在某些地方，由于建造了舱壁、丁坝和码头，海岸线变硬，这种运动受到了损害。这直接减少了马蹄蟹在这些海滩上的生产力，从而减少了水鸟对这些海滩的利用。最近对SLR和风暴的反应强调了对沿海财产的保护;然而，已经做出了一些努力，通过营养来恢复海滩生态系统。鉴于SLR是一个持续的过程，保护已开发海岸线的海滩营养项目将需要以相当大的成本作出长期承诺。从马蹄蟹保护和栖息地保护的角度来看，我们建议考虑财产收购和放弃的策略，从而使一个更自然的海滩的SLR的反应。
Horseshoe crabs have proven adept at locating suitable areas of sandy beach spawning habitat throughout their long geological history. Paleogeographic studies have shown that the most recent period of sea level rise (SLR) has been occurring in Delaware Bay for at least 6,000 years. Comparison of aerial photographs from the 1930s with contemporary satellite imagery clearly indicates a landward movement of the shoreline along the New Jersey coastline of Delaware Bay. Habitat for horseshoe crab spawning has been adversely impacted over this period of time by the loss or degradation of spawning beaches, which to some extent has been offset by the deposition of this sand in “marginal habitats” such as tidal creeks and sandy deltas. The well-documented natural landward movement of a beach-marsh system in a time of SLR has been compromised in some locations by the hardening of the coastline through construction of bulkheads, groins and jetties. This directly reduces the productivity of these beaches for horseshoe crabs, and, consequently, their use by shorebirds. The response to SLR and storms in the recent past has emphasized the protection of coastal property; however, there has been some effort to restore beach ecosystems through nourishment. Given that SLR is an ongoing process, beach nourishment projects to protect a developed shoreline will require a long-term commitment at considerable cost. From the perspective of horseshoe crab conservation and habitat preservation, we suggest that consideration be given to the strategy of property buy-outs and abandonment, thus enabling a more natural beach response to SLR.