RAPID: Short- and mid-term dynamics of water and sediment quality after Hurricane Idalia in the Apalachicola Bay

RAPID：阿巴拉契科拉湾飓风伊达利亚后水和沉积物质量的短期和中期动态

• 批准号: 2347006
• 负责人: Ebrahim Ahmadisharaf
• 金额: $ 20万
• 依托单位: Florida State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-10-15 至 2024-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2347006&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RAPID; Short; mid; term; dynamics

In August 2023, Hurricane Idalia created a unique opportunity to study the impact of hurricane events on coastal water and sediment quality in estuarine systems in terms of various parameters in short- and mid-term. The overarching goal of this RAPID project is to collect perishable coastal water and sediment quality data required for understanding short- and mid-term impacts of hurricane events on estuarine systems through studying an ecologically rich system, Apalachicola Bay in the Northern Florida Gulf. Although a number of studies have found an association between hurricanes and coastal water quality, a very limited number of studies have examined the relationship between post hurricane sediment quality and a range of coastal water quality parameters, including microplastics content. This RAPID project will investigate the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia to help fill an existing knowledge gap in the current understanding of such impacts. Collecting empirical data from this hurricane in terms of both coastal water and sediment quality at high frequency will provide a better understanding of the nature and impacts of hurricane events on estuarine systems. The outcomes of this project can be used to: (1) guide coastal planners to establish resilient estuarine environments; (2) provide a foundation to develop quantitative models for predicting the dynamics of coastal water and sediment quality after hurricane events in terms of a range of parameters; (3) assist emergency responders and managers to have a better understanding of indirect coastal water/sediment quality-related impacts of hurricanes and support the development of timely strategies for ecosystem health protection in estuarine systems; (4) inform and educate the public and stakeholders about the impacts of hurricanes on coastal water and sediment quality. Collaborating with the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve's Coastal Training Program will facilitate dissemination of project findings to a broader non-scientific audience. A database will be created on a comprehensive range of parameters relevant to both coastal water and sediment influencing estuarine health, which consequently endanger aquatic habitats. These parameters include nutrients (nitrate, organic carbon, ammonium, phosphate and chlorophyll-a), salinity, suspended solids, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen and microplastics (MP) content for water and organic carbon, and size distribution and MP content for sediment samples. This empirical database will help pave the way to understand the short- and mid-term impacts of hurricanes on coastal water and sediment quality. The project seeks to answer the following scientific questions: (1) how do hurricanes affect dynamics of estuaries in terms of various water/sediment quality parameters? and (2) how does the impact of hurricanes vary with space and time in terms of characteristics of various water and sediment quality parameters (physical, nutrients, metals and MP)? The main hypotheses are: (1) hurrciane-induced resuspension of sediments from the bay bed results in abnormal water and sediment quality in terms of nutrients, organics and MP; and (2) short-term impacts on coastal water and sediment quality due to hurricanes gradually disappears days after the event for nutrients but more gradually for MP. To test these hypotheses, the project will collect data and study them through performing four main tasks. The investigators will work with an unfunded collaborator—Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve (ANERR)—who have been collecting data on a range of water quality parameters in the Apalachicola Bay for two decades and is well familiar with the estuarine system. The main project tasks are: (1) deploy sensors to collect coastal water quality data; (2) conduct coastal water and sediment quality grab sampling; (3) analyze coastal water and sediment samples via laboratory experiments; (4) data processing.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

2023年8月，飓风Idalia创造了一个独特的机会，可以研究飓风事件对河口系统沿海水域和沉积物质量的短期和中期影响。这个快速项目的首要目标是收集易腐烂的沿海水和沉积物质量数据，通过研究北方佛罗里达湾生态丰富的阿巴拉契科拉湾，了解飓风事件对河口系统的短期和中期影响。尽管一些研究发现飓风与沿海水质之间存在关联，但只有非常有限的研究审查了飓风后沉积物质量与一系列沿海水质参数（包括微塑料含量）之间的关系。这个快速项目将调查飓风Idalia的后果，以帮助填补目前对这种影响的理解中存在的知识空白。从这场飓风中收集经验数据，在沿海水域和沉积物质量在高频率将提供一个更好的理解的性质和飓风事件对河口系统的影响。该项目的成果可用于：（1）指导沿海规划者建立具有复原力的河口环境;（2）为开发定量模型提供基础，以预测飓风事件后沿海水和沉积物质量动态的一系列参数;（3）协助应急人员和管理人员更好地了解间接沿海水/沉积物质量-（4）向公众和利益攸关方宣传和教育飓风对沿海水域和沉积物质量的影响。与阿巴拉契科拉国家河口研究保护区的海岸培训方案合作，将有助于向更广泛的非科学受众传播项目成果。将建立一个数据库，收集与影响河口健康的沿海水和沉积物有关的一系列参数，从而危及水生生境。这些参数包括营养物（硝酸盐、有机碳、铵、磷酸盐和叶绿素a）、盐度、悬浮固体、pH值、电导率、水和有机碳的溶解氧和微塑料含量，以及沉积物样品的粒度分布和微塑料含量。这一经验数据库将有助于为了解飓风对沿海水质和沉积物质量的短期和中期影响铺平道路。该项目试图回答以下科学问题：（1）飓风如何影响河口的各种水/沉积物质量参数的动态？以及（2）就各种水和沉积物质量参数（物理、养分、金属和MP）的特征而言，飓风的影响如何随空间和时间而变化？主要假设是：（1）飓风引起的湾床沉积物再悬浮导致营养盐、有机物和MP方面的水和沉积物质量异常;（2）飓风对沿岸水和沉积物质量的短期影响在事件发生后数天逐渐消失，但MP的影响更为缓慢。为了验证这些假设，该项目将收集数据，并通过执行四项主要任务进行研究。研究人员将与一个没有资金支持的合作者--阿巴拉契科拉国家河口研究保护区（ANERR）--合作，该保护区二十年来一直在收集阿巴拉契科拉湾一系列水质参数的数据，并且非常熟悉河口系统。项目的主要任务是：（1）部署传感器收集沿海水质数据;（2）进行沿海水质和沉积物质量抓取采样;（3）通过实验室实验分析沿海水质和沉积物样本;（4）数据处理。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。