Jan 22, 2014 ... 1/22/2014. 5. Black Needlerush. Storm Wrack. Photo by: Will Underwood.
Groundsel. Marsh Elder. Saltmarsh Hay. Lower Beach. Upper Beach.
1/22/2014
An Introduction to Mississippi Mainland Natural Beaches
Introduction to Mississippi Beaches Christina Mohrman NOAA Environmental Cooperative Science Center Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Petit Bois Island Mainland Natural Beach
Mississippi Beaches N Biloxi Gulfport Pascagoula
Barrier Islands
Natural Beaches
Photo by: Thomas Mohrman
Biloxi/Gulfport Mainland Natural Beach
Mississippi has the largest man-made beach in the world 26 miles from Biloxi to Gulfport
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Natural beaches are imperiled in Mississippi because of their rarity, restricted range, and threats that make them vulnerable to f th decline further d li
Mainland Natural Beach Grand Battures
There are less than 1,000 acres of natural beach in Mississippi Photo by: Will Underwood
Saltmarsh Hay (Spartina patens)
Important Plants
Coastal Panicgrass (Panicum amarum) g y ((Ipomoea stolonifera) p f ) Beach Morning Glory Groundsel (Baccharis halimifolia) Marsh Elder (Iva frutescens)
Saltmarsh Hay
Coastal Panicgrass
Beach Morning Glory Marsh Elder
Plants are important sand stabilizers
Groundsel
Plants are indicators of elevation
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Important Animals Terrapins and Birds
Diamondback Terrapin
Beach Nesting–Summer Birds
Wilson’s Plover Photo by: Olivia Graves
Least Tern
Black Skimmer Photo by: Olivia Graves
Photo by: Olivia Graves
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Ruddy Turnstone
Winter Birds
Photo by: Olivia Graves
Western Sandpipers
Black-bellied Plover
Photo by: Jake Walker
Photo by: Olivia Graves
• Elevation Profile/Beach Parts • Beaches are dynamic – Constantly being reworked: deposition, erosion, overwash
• Beaches buffer wind, water, and waves • Beaches support nesting and foraging
Ecological Processes Ecosystem Functions
Upper Beach Upper Beach
Salt Marsh
Lower Beach MS Sound
Mainland Natural Beach Profile – Cross View
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Storm Wrack
Important for Terrapin Nesting Upper Beach and Berm
Black Needlerush
Important for Bird Nesting Lower Beach Important for Bird Foraging Important for Bird Foraging Swash
Saltmarsh Hay Groundsel Marsh Elder Surf
Photo by: Will Underwood
Photo by: Janet Wright
Beaches are dynamic
Overwash
New sand deposited from offshore Erosion
Overwash Photo by: Will Underwood
Photo by: Will Underwood
Nesting Habitat
Photo by: Tom Mohrman
Erosion – exposed marsh platform
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Foraging and Roosting Habitat
Photo by: Olivia Graves
Conservation and Management Issues • Natural Forces – erosion, storms, sea level rise
Conservation and C d Management Issues
• Coastal Development and Urbanization – habitat loss and degradation – bulkheading, vegetation clearing – invasive species (plants, fire ants) – channel modification and dredging – excessive nest predation – marine debris marine debris
Photo by: Will Underwood
Suggested Readings Diamonds in the Marsh: A Natural History of the Diamondback Terrapin by Barbara Brennessel The Smithsonian Guide to Seaside Plants of the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts from Louisiana to Massachusetts by Wilber H. Duncan and Marion B. Duncan Mississippi Museum of Natural Science. 2005. Mississippi’s Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, Jackson, MS.
Christina F. Mohrman ECSC Coordinator of Research Programs/Services
Jackson, N.L. et al. 2002. ‘Low energy’ sandy beaches in marine and estuarine environments: a review. Geomorphology 48: 147‐ 162.
NOAA Environmental Cooperative Science Center at Florida A&M University
6005 Bayou Heron Road Moss Point, MS 39562
Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Phone: 228-475-7047
[email protected]
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