Committee on Long-Term Coastal Zone Dynamics: Interactions and Feedbacks Between Natural and Human Processes Along the U.S. Gulf Coast's Books

Understanding the Long-Term Evolution of the Coupled Natural-Human Coastal System

The Future of the U.S. Gulf Coast

By: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Board on Environmental Change and Society,Ocean Studies Board,Board on Earth Sciences and Resources,Committee on Long-Term Coastal Zone Dynamics: Interactions and Feedbacks Between Natural and Human Processes Along the U.S. Gulf Coast

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Understanding the Long-Term Evolution of the Coupled Natural-Human Coastal System

The Future of the U.S. Gulf Coast

The U.S. Gulf Coast provides a valuable setting to study deeply connected natural and human interactions and feedbacks that have led to a complex, interconnected coastal system. The physical landscape in the region has changed significantly due to broad-scale, long-term processes such as coastal subsidence and river sediment deposition as well as short-term episodic events such as hurricanes. Modifications from human activities, including building levees and canals and constructing buildings and roads, have left their own imprint on the natural landscape. This coupled natural-human coastal system and the individual aspects within it (physical, ecological, and human) are under increased pressure from accelerating environmental stressors such as sea level rise, intensifying hurricanes, and continued population increase with its accompanying coastal development. Promoting the resilience and maintaining the habitability of the Gulf Coast into the future will need improved understanding of the coupled natural-human coastal system, as well as effective sharing of this understanding in support of decision-making and policies. Understanding the Long-term Evolution of the Coupled Natural-Human Coastal System presents a research agenda meant to enable a better understanding of the multiple and interconnected factors that influence long-term processes along the Gulf Coast. This report identifies scientific and technical gaps in understanding the interactions and feedbacks between human and natural processes, defines essential components of a research and development program in response to the identified gaps, and develops priorities for critical areas of research.

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Page Count

157

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National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309475848

ISBN 13

9780309475846

Understanding the Long-Term Evolution of the Coupled Natural-Human Coastal System

The Future of the U.S. Gulf Coast

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Understanding the Long-Term Evolution of the Coupled Natural-Human Coastal System

The Future of the U.S. Gulf Coast

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Solve jigsaw puzzle

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157

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National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309475848

ISBN 13

9780309475846

Understanding and Predicting the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current

Critical Gaps and Recommendations

By: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,Gulf Research Program,Committee on Advancing Understanding of Gulf of Mexico Loop Current Dynamics

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Understanding and Predicting the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current

Critical Gaps and Recommendations

By: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,Gulf Research Program,Committee on Advancing Understanding of Gulf of Mexico Loop Current Dynamics

One of the most significant, energetic, yet not well understood, oceanographic features in the Americas is the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current System (LCS), consisting of the Loop Current (LC) and the Loop Current Eddies (LCEs) it sheds. Understanding the dynamics of the LCS is fundamental to understanding the Gulf of Mexico's full oceanographic system, and vice versa. Hurricane intensity, offshore safety, harmful algal blooms, oil spill response, the entire Gulf food chain, shallow water nutrient supply, the fishing industry, tourism, and the Gulf Coast economy are all affected by the position, strength, and structure of the LC and associated eddies. This report recommends a strategy for addressing the key gaps in general understanding of LCS processes, in order to instigate a significant improvement in predicting LC/LCE position, evolving structure, extent, and speed, which will increase overall understanding of Gulf of Mexico circulation and to promote safe oil and gas operations and disaster response in the Gulf of Mexico. This strategy includes advice on how to design a long-term observational campaign and complementary data assimilation and numerical modeling efforts.

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117

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National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309462231

ISBN 13

9780309462235

Effective Monitoring to Evaluate Ecological Restoration in the Gulf of Mexico

By: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,Division on Earth and Life Studies,Water Science and Technology Board,Ocean Studies Board,Committee on Effective Approaches for Monitoring and Assessing Gulf of Mexico Restoration Activities

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Effective Monitoring to Evaluate Ecological Restoration in the Gulf of Mexico

Gulf Coast communities and natural resources suffered extensive direct and indirect damage as a result of the largest accidental oil spill in US history, referred to as the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill. Notably, natural resources affected by this major spill include wetlands, coastal beaches and barrier islands, coastal and marine wildlife, seagrass beds, oyster reefs, commercial fisheries, deep benthos, and coral reefs, among other habitats and species. Losses include an estimated 20% reduction in commercial fishery landings across the Gulf of Mexico and damage to as much as 1,100 linear miles of coastal salt marsh wetlands. This historic spill is being followed by a restoration effort unparalleled in complexity and magnitude in U.S. history. Legal settlements in the wake of DWH led to the establishment of a set of programs tasked with administering and supporting DWH-related restoration in the Gulf of Mexico. In order to ensure that restoration goals are met and money is well spent, restoration monitoring and evaluation should be an integral part of those programs. However, evaluations of past restoration efforts have shown that monitoring is often inadequate or even absent. Effective Monitoring to Evaluate Ecological Restoration in the Gulf of Mexico identifies best practices for monitoring and evaluating restoration activities to improve the performance of restoration programs and increase the effectiveness and longevity of restoration projects. This report provides general guidance for restoration monitoring, assessment, and synthesis that can be applied to most ecological restoration supported by these major programs given their similarities in restoration goals. It also offers specific guidance for a subset of habitats and taxa to be restored in the Gulf including oyster reefs, tidal wetlands, and seagrass habitats, as well as a variety of birds, sea turtles, and marine mammals.

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220

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National Academies Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0309440378

ISBN 13

9780309440370

Hurricane Elena, Gulf Coast

August 29 - September 2, 1985

By: National Research Council,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems,Committee on Natural Disasters

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Hurricane Elena, Gulf Coast

August 29 - September 2, 1985

By: National Research Council,Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences,Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems,Committee on Natural Disasters

Hurricane Elena, following an erratic and difficult-to-forecast course along an unusually large section of the Gulf Coast, posed special problems from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Sarasota, Florida, well before it came ashore on September 2, 1985. Considerable wind damage occurred in this area to structures that were ostensibly designed to resist such extreme wind conditions. Because similar design conditions and building control procedures exist along other U.S. hurricane-prone coasts, the conclusions drawn in this detailed book catalog the structural damage caused by the hurricane and emergency response actions, establish the wind conditions of the storm, review in-depth the building control process used in the area, and conduct necessary structural and wind tunnel tests relevant to a large number of communities along the coastal areas.

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