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COURSE INFO PROVIDER: SWSPCP Webinar
COURSE TITLE: Before the Ghosts Appear: Identifying the Effects of Chronic Saltwater Intrusion on Coastal Floodplain Swamps Using Remote Sensing

INSTRUCTORS Elliott White, Jr.

COURSE DESCRIPTION Title: Before the Ghosts Appear: Identifying the Effects of Chronic Saltwater Intrusion on Coastal Floodplain Swamps Using Remote Sensing

ABSTRACT:
Studying chronic, low-level saltwater intrusion (SWI) impacts on coastal floodplain swamps (CFS) over large spatiotemporal scales is challenging and resource intensive, however, remote sensing (RS) techniques offer an alternate approach to traditional field methods that can be used to answer a broad array of ecological questions. In this study, I developed a suite of hypotheses based upon expected changes to phenology and vegetation characteristics resulting from chronic, low-level SWI. CFS sites were selected across the northern Gulf of Mexico with water quality data being used to partition sites into upstream and downstream with downstream sites currently experiencing chronic, low-level SWI. Enhanced vegetation index (EVI) data were calculated at each site using surface reflectance data from the MODIS Terra satellite over the period from 2000 to 2018. Four hypotheses, out of nine, were supported ≥ 80% across all sites. The hypotheses that were best supported were centered on descriptive statistics of median and distribution, whereas the other five hypotheses relied on change (i.e. slope) over time as a central component. The inherent intra- and interannual variation in CFS EVI can mask any long-term trends that maybe occurring at a given site. The ecologically-based approach developed here offers future researchers a low cost way to monitor and investigate CFS that are suspected of chronic, low-level SWI.

BIO:
Elliott White Jr. is a research associate in the Environmental Sciences department at the University of Virginia. Elliott’s research seeks to capture and understand the effects sea level rise (SLR) and saltwater intrusion (SWI) on coastal wetlands across large geographic gradients. His current research efforts involve mapping loss and conversion of Atlantic Coast and northern Gulf of Mexico wetlands due to SWI and SLR over the past 30 years. Next steps of this research will be finding coastal wetlands that are vulnerable and generating probability driven maps of future wetland coverage. The goal of this research is to guide future research and conservation efforts. His doctoral research sought to understand how coastal floodplain swamp gaseous carbon flux, nitrogen storage, vegetative community structure and composition, and health shift with the landward advance of riverine and groundwater isohalines. Elliott’s doctoral research covered a large geographic range taking place across the northern Gulf Mexico in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. He received his PhD in environmental engineering sciences from the University of Florida in 2019 and his BS in biology and animal ecology from Iowa State University in 2015.

Credit Points: 0.06

SYLLABUS/TOPICAL OUTLINE 1. (15 minutes) Solutions to the challenge of studying salt-water intrusion impacts on coastal floodplain swamps at large spatiotemporal scales; 2. (15 minutes) Study: Hypothesis tests and methods used to determine the changes in phenology and vegetation characteristics in coastal floodplain swamps, due to chronic low-level saltwater intrusion; 3. (15 minutes) Results and discussion outlined in the study above; 4. (15 minutes) Questions and answers.

COURSE CONTACT

Louis Mantini
9225 CR 49, Live Oak, FL 32060
lfm@srwmd.org
P: 386.647.3144
F:

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