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Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different Needs 1. Dauphin Island Sea Lab 2. University of South Alabama 3. ADCNR-State Lands Division Just Cebrian 1,2 , Shailesh Sharma 1,2 , Josh Goff 1 Carl Ferraro 3 , Ken Heck 1,2 and Sean Powers 1,2

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Page 1: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

Needs

1. Dauphin Island Sea Lab2. University of South Alabama3. ADCNR-State Lands Division

Just Cebrian1,2, Shailesh Sharma1,2, Josh Goff1Carl Ferraro3, Ken Heck1,2 and Sean Powers1,2

Page 2: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different
Page 3: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

Abundant refuge and food

Coastal builders

Filters of land-derivednutrients

Carbon sinks

We are losing precious habitat…

Page 4: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different
Page 5: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different
Page 6: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

How can restore these precious habitatsin cost-effective ways…or how can we

get “the most bang for the buck”?

Page 7: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

calmer andclearer water

What improvements could we expect aswe build oyster reefs (subtidal breakwaters)?

Page 8: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

Helen Wood Park

Northeast Point aux Pins

South Point aux PinsCoffee Island

Alabama Port

Page 9: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

ReefsMarshes Shoreline Submerged habitat Fisheries

accrual/erosion water-column

bottom

gillnetting

seining oysterrecruitment

footprintlow/high marshsuspended solidsparticulate organic matterphytoplankton

transparencynutrients

granulometryparticulate organic matter

benthic microalgaeseagrass

nutrients

infauna

floral zonation

Spartina density,morphology,biomassand nutrient storagenutrients in sedimentnekton and infauna

Page 10: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

Northeast Point aux Pins

Block 1

Block 2

Block 3

Block 4

Page 11: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

Loose Shell Aggregate: South and Northeast Point aux Pins

Page 12: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

Reef footprint

2013 Reef footprint 2013 Reef footprint

Page 13: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

Oyster density

Page 14: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

0

.001

.002

.003

.004

.005

.006

0

.001

.002

.003

.004

.005

.006

Pre-construction Post-construction

Blue Crab

Speckled Trout

CPU

E(fis

h/m

2 )

CPU

E(fis

h/m

2 )

Seine Abundance

Reef

Control

Pre-construction Post-construction

Positive impact on some economically important species

Page 15: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

4” Gillnet Abundance

0

.05

.1

.15

.2

.25

.3

.35

Pre-construction Post-construction

Reef

Control

Speckled Trout

CPU

E(fis

h/hr

)

2-way ANOVAp= 0.0049

Pre-construction Post-construction

Silver Perch

CP

UE

(fish

/hr)

Striped Mullet

Pre-construction Post-construction

Sheepshead

Post-constructionPre-construction0

.005

.01

.015

.02

.025

.03

.035

0

.005

.01

.015

.02

.025

.03

.035

0

.005

.01

.015

.02

.025

.03

.035

Positive impact on some economically important species

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Water quality and seagrasses

No significant impact on water clarity (lightpenetration) and quality (TSS, POM,chlorophyll and nutrients)

No significant effect on seagrassabundance and growth

When comparing reef vs. control plots:

Page 17: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

Shadow effect ? Reef deployment

Page 18: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

Shoreline and MarshesNo promoted values in reef vs. control plots after reefdeployment: sustained erosion across experimental area

need to look for evidenceof shadow effects

Page 19: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

Are the subtidal breakwaters at Northeast Point aux Pins working as expected?

they do for fisheries, perhaps for water qualityand seagrasses, but thus far no evidence forshoreline erosion and marshes

?

Page 20: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

Coffee Island

Page 21: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

Live Adults Live Spat

Tota

l # o

f ind

ivid

uals

Total oyster abundance over time

6/23/2010

9/16/2010

1/19/2011

5/10/2011

Oyster abundance

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

2- Reefball 3- BaggedShell

4- Reefblk 5- Reefblk 6- Reefball 8- BaggedShell

Extension-Reefball

Extension-Bagged

Shell

Mea

n O

yste

r A

bund

ance

Oyster abundance among treatment types

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0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

Control Oyster Shell Reef Ball REEFBLKM

ean

CPU

E (fi

sh/m

2 )

Seine

Pre-Restoration

Post-Restoration

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

5cm 10cm 5cm 10cm

Mea

n C

PUE

(fish

/hr)

Gillnet

Control

Bagged Shell

Reef Ball

Reef Blk

Pre-Restoration Post-Restoration

Fisheries

Page 23: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

Water quality, seagrass, shoreline and marshes

No promoted values in reef vs. control plots after reefdeployment need to look for evidence of shadow effects

Page 24: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

Are the subtidal breakwaters at Coffee Island working as expected?

and this is also the case the other sites withsubtidal reefs: South Point aux Pins, Alabama Port and Helen Wood Park

they do for fisheries, but thus far no evidence forwater quality, seagrasses, shoreline erosion and marshes

Page 25: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

So the subtidal reefs deployed in all of these projects dodefinitely enhance fisheries. There is potential evidence they may also enhance water quality, seagrass, shorelines andmarshes, but more work is needed for conclusive results

Page 26: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

An alternative approach: breakwaters right by the shoreline Marshes Shoreline

accrual/erosionlow/high marsh

floral zonationSpartina density

sediment characteristics

nekton

oysterrecruitment

Breakwater

elevation profiles

Page 27: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

Helen Wood Park

Northeast Point aux Pins

South Point aux PinsCoffee Island

Alabama Port

Little Bay

Page 28: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

February 2008January 2012 0.2 km

Page 29: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

Wave Attenuating Units (WAU): Little Bay

Page 30: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

January 2012 0.2 km50 m

Restored Marsh

Original Marsh

WAU Complex

Wave Attenuating Unit

1 3 52 4

Page 31: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

Elevation profiles

April 20131

2

3

4

5

WAU

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Nekton• Fish:

– Mullet– Croaker– Pinfish– Bay Anchoy– Silverside– Sheepshead Minnow– Killifish sp.– Sailfin Molly– Darter Goby– Tongue fish

• Invertebrates– Blue Crab– White Shrimp– Grass Shrimp– Mud Crab

Page 35: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

Intertidal breakwaters at Little Bay

• Sediment is compacting and stabilizing; erosion gaps between consecutive WAD complexes does not seem to be a problem

• Marsh plants are well established ; mostly Spartina alterniflorabut there are others (S. patens, Distichlis spicata, succulents)

• Oysters are settling on the WAUs and seem to maintain fair survivorship, although the settling densities are not high.

• Large amounts of nekton visiting the restored marsh

seem to be enhancing the marsh

Page 36: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different

So wrapping it all up togetherSubtidal reefs: definite fisheries enhancement and potentially other benefits (seagrasses, marshes)… at any rate it seems clear they may have some limitations, such as fully reverting shoreline erosion

Intertidal reefs: definite shoreline stabilization perhaps methodof choice if shoreline/marsh stabilization is the main goal?

Different living shoreline designs offer different options to managers given their priority needs and budget requirements

More research needed for a better “a la carte” menu, particularlyintegrating multidisciplinary approaches and parties

Page 37: Restoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for ...conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2016/presentations/8_1420_Cebrian.pdfRestoring Coastal Alabama: Different Approaches for Different
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Thank You!!!!!• ADCNR State Lands, Coastal Section• TNC• Marine Resources Division• NOAA• Numerous techs, interns and graduate

students at DISL: Stan Bosarge, Lynn Moore, Jared McKee, Rachel Gamble, Nick Bawden, Luke Dodd, Kate Nixon, Carrie Robbins, Michelle Beumer, and Nicole Waite

• J & W Marine (Reef Construction)– Reed, Jessie, and Jason