Tide gate modulation of wetland function: decision support through engineering best practices

湿地功能的潮闸调节：通过工程最佳实践提供决策支持

• 批准号: 1702618
• 负责人: Mark Patterson
• 金额: $ 29.93万
• 依托单位: Northeastern University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-08-01 至 2021-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1702618&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Tide; gate; modulation; wetland; function

1702618 (Patterson). Tide gates are valves that are designed to protect life and property but often negatively affect wetlands. This research aims to develop best practices for their operation to maximize protection of people and ecosystem health. In the US, thousands of tide gates are maintained and operated by municipalities and conservation boards. How tide gates are operated affects risks of flooding and fire, and wetlands health, in competing ways. This project will develop new decision support tools for tide gate management using coupled models of water exchange, sediment movement and pollutant loading based on the EPA model QUAL2K, and objective functions for ecosystem services, water quality, and flood and fire risk. By coupling measurements and modeling, this research will move tide gate design and management well beyond prior understanding.Methodology includes advanced microbial sensors for nitrate, passive contaminant samplers for toxins, and autonomous sensors and vehicles. In cooperation with municipalities in Massachusetts, and a diverse range of stakeholders, tide gate function will be investigated in a large urban coastal marsh with a history of toxin exposure, a smaller urban marsh used recreationally, and a 'pristine' marsh. Decision support tools for tide gate operators will provide directed advice on when and how much to open tide gates under various scenarios, improving public safety and ecosystem health of critical wetlands. Two undergraduates working on 6 month co-ops, and a graduate student, will be trained. Online visualization of tide gate state, water chemistry, biota, and toxins at a dedicated web site will be used to educate managers, the public, and K12 programs. Workshops during years 2-3 will engage the user community during the development of the decision support tools. Public policy MS students will participate in capstone projects to investigate the overlap in regulations among federal, state and local entities to facilitate implementation of best practices, while Civil Engineering undergrads will be involved in required capstone projects and will look for opportunities for both groups to collaborate. This research potentially will increase the sustainability, resilience, and anti-fragility of coastal communities because existing tide gates will be better managed, reducing risk of fire and flooding (and toxin dispersal for some sites), while increasing ecosystem services like essential fish habitat and storm

1702618 (Patterson)。潮汐闸是为了保护生命和财产而设计的阀门，但往往对湿地产生负面影响。本研究旨在制定最佳操作方法，以最大限度地保护人类和生态系统健康。在美国，成千上万的防潮门由市政当局和保护委员会维护和运营。潮汐闸的运作方式影响着洪水和火灾的风险，以及湿地的健康。该项目将基于EPA QUAL2K模型，利用水交换、泥沙运动和污染物负荷的耦合模型，以及生态系统服务、水质、洪水和火灾风险的目标函数，开发新的潮门管理决策支持工具。通过耦合测量和建模，这项研究将使潮门的设计和管理远远超出先前的理解。方法包括硝酸盐的先进微生物传感器，毒素的被动污染物采样器，以及自主传感器和车辆。与马萨诸塞州的市政当局和各种利益相关者合作，将在一个具有毒素暴露历史的大型城市沿海沼泽、一个用于娱乐的小型城市沼泽和一个“原始”沼泽中调查潮汐门功能。潮闸经营者的决策支持工具将提供在不同情况下何时及打开多少潮闸的直接建议，以改善重要湿地的公共安全和生态系统健康。两名参加为期6个月的合作社工作的本科生和一名研究生将接受培训。在一个专门的网站上，潮汐门状态、水化学、生物群和毒素的在线可视化将用于教育管理人员、公众和K12项目。第2-3年期间的讲习班将在决策支持工具的开发期间吸引用户社区参与。公共政策硕士学生将参与顶点项目，以调查联邦、州和地方实体之间法规的重叠，以促进最佳实践的实施，而土木工程专业的本科生将参与所需的顶点项目，并寻找两个小组合作的机会。这项研究可能会增加沿海社区的可持续性、复原力和抗脆弱性，因为现有的退潮门将得到更好的管理，减少火灾和洪水的风险（以及某些地点的毒素扩散），同时增加生态系统服务，如基本的鱼类栖息地和风暴