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

2023年8月，飓风Idalia创造了一个独特的机会，从短期和中期的各种参数来研究飓风事件对河口系统沿岸水和沉积物质量的影响。该RAPID项目的总体目标是通过研究北佛罗里达湾的阿巴拉契科拉湾生态丰富的系统，收集易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的短期和中期影响。尽管许多研究发现飓风与沿海水质之间存在关联，但研究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）之间关系的研究数量非常有限。该RAPID项目将调查飓风“伊达利亚”的灾后情况，以帮助填补目前对此类影响认识的现有知识空白。从高频率的沿海水和沉积物质量方面收集这次飓风的经验数据将有助于更好地了解飓风事件的性质及其对河口系统的影响。本项目的研究成果可用于：(1)指导沿海规划者建立具有弹性的河口环境；(2)为建立基于一系列参数的飓风后海岸水沙质量动态定量模型提供了基础；(3)协助应急响应人员和管理人员更好地了解飓风对沿海水/沉积物质量的间接影响，并支持及时制定河口系统生态系统健康保护战略；(4)向公众和利益相关者宣传和教育飓风对沿海水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结果。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各种参数，从而危及水生生境。这些参数包括营养物质（硝酸盐、有机碳、铵、磷酸盐和叶绿素-a）、盐度、悬浮物、pH、电导率、溶解氧和水和有机碳的微塑料（MP）含量，以及沉积物样品的粒度分布和MP含量。这个经验数据库将有助于为了解飓风对沿海水和沉积物质量的短期和中期影响铺平道路。该项目旨在回答以下科学问题：(1)飓风如何在各种水/沉积物质量参数方面影响河口的动力学？(2)就各种水和沉积物质量参数（物理、营养、金属和MP）的特征而言，飓风的影响如何随时间和空间变化？主要假设为：(1)飓风引起的海湾沉积物再悬浮导致水体和沉积物的营养物、有机物和MP质量异常；(2)飓风对海岸水和沉积物质量的短期影响对营养物的影响在飓风发生几天后逐渐消失，而对MP的影响则逐渐消失。为了验证这些假设，该项目将通过执行四项主要任务来收集数据并进行研究。研究人员将与一个没有资金的合作者——阿巴拉契科拉国家河口研究保护区（ANERR）合作。ANERR已经收集了阿巴拉契科拉湾一系列水质参数的数据20年了，对河口系统非常熟悉。项目主要任务为：(1)部署传感器采集沿海水质数据；(2)进行海岸水沙质量抓取采样；(3)通过室内实验分析沿海水沙样品；(4)数据处理。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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。

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.