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，Idalia飓风创造了一个独特的机会，以在短期和中期的各种参数方面研究飓风事件对沿海水和沉积物质量的影响。这个快速项目的总体目标是收集可腐烂的沿海水和沉积物质量数据，以了解飓风事件对河口系统对河口系统的短期和中期影响，通过研究一个生态丰富的系统，佛罗里达州北部的Apalachicola湾。尽管许多研究发现飓风与沿海水质之间存在关联，但大量的研究研究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。这个快速的项目将调查Idalia飓风的后果，以帮助填补当前对此类影响的现有知识差距。以高频的沿海水和沉积物质量来从这一飓风中收集经验数据将更好地了解飓风对河口系统的性质和影响。该项目的结果可用于：（1）指导沿海计划者建立弹性的河口环境； （2）为建立定量模型提供了基础，以预测飓风事件后沿海水和沉积物质量的动态，以一系列参数为单位； （3）帮助应急人员和经理更好地了解飓风的间接沿海水/沉积物质量相关影响，并支持及时的河口系统生态系统健康保护策略的制定； （4）告知和教育公众和利益相关者有关飓风对沿海水和沉积物质量的影响。与Apalachicola国家河口研究保护区的沿海培训计划合作将有助于向更广泛的非科学受众传播项目发现。将在与沿海水和沉积物相关的全面参数上创建数据库，影响Etiqurine健康，从而危及水生栖息地。这些参数包括养分（硝酸盐，有机碳，铵，磷酸盐和叶绿素-A），盐度，悬浮固体，pH，电导率，溶解的氧气和微型氧气（MP）水和有机碳的含量，以及沉积物样品的尺寸分布和MP含量。这个经验数据库将有助于铺平道路，以了解飓风对沿海水和沉积物质量的短期和中期影响。该项目试图回答以下科学问题：（1）飓风如何在各种水/沉积物质量参数方面影响河口的动态？ （2）在各种水和沉积物质量参数（物理，营养，金属和MP）的特征方面，飓风的影响如何随空间和时间而变化？主要的假设是：（1）赫尔克里亚人引起的海湾床沉积物的重悬于沉积物中，导致水和沉积物质量异常，在养分，有机物和MP方面； （2）事件发生后几天，由于营养成分几天后，由于飓风而导致的沿海水和沉积物质量的短期影响逐渐消失，但在MP中逐渐消失。为了检验这些假设，该项目将通过执行四个主要任务来收集数据并研究它们。调查人员将与一位无资金的合作者 - 阿帕拉奇科拉国家河口研究保护区（ANERR）合作，他们一直在收集有关阿帕拉奇科拉湾一系列水质参数的数据已有二十年了，并且对河口系统非常熟悉。主要项目任务是：（1）部署传感器来收集沿海水质数据； （2）进行沿海水和沉积物质量抢次采样； （3）通过实验室实验分析沿海水和沉积物样品； （4）数据处理。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并通过使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响审查标准来评估被认为是宝贵的支持。