Alabama Coastal Connection, Wetland Birds, Dunes, Barrier Islands & Butterflies

Wetland Birds

The tidal marshes of Alabama feed a rich bird community. The newly created salt marsh is a prime feeding habitat for herons, egrets, pelicans, terns, sandpipers, and blackbirds. As the arch matures, the diversity and abundance of birds will increase. 

At least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) 

The marsh at low tide brings sandpipers moving in unison across the wet sand areas. 

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula), American Egret (Casmerodius albus), Great Blue Heron (Ardea Herodias)

The Snowy Egret, American Egret, and Great Blue Heron feed on fish and invertebrates from the marsh. 

Least Tern (Sterna antillarum) 

The open sand dune area provides primary nesting sites for the Least Tern, which have been threatened with habitat loss.  

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)

Old pilings in the water provide a resting site for Southern Brown Pelicans, which once were near extinction in this area. 

Ruddy Turnstone(Arenaria interpres)

Cruising along the rock is the Ruddy Turnstone. This bird turns over oysters and clam shells in search of food. 

Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger)

Gifted with a graceful wing beat and beautiful coloration, the Black Skimmer grazes along the surface of the water in search of fish.

The large (Phragmites) to the East of the marsh are utilized for nesting by Red-Winged Blackbirds and Boat-tailed Grackles. 

Boat-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major) Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Barrier Islands

Shaped by Wind and Water

Sea levels began rising 18-20,000 years ago, moving sandbars toward the mainland. The rate of rise slowed 6,000 years ago, allowing the sandbar to emerge as the present barrier islands. 

The dune land plants stabilize the wind-blown sands, building ridges and mounds called dunes in the highest areas of the beach, dunes are very important because as a storm attacks a beach, water and gravity roll the sand downhill away from the dunes. 

This builds up an offshore sandbar, absorbing energy from the waves of the storm and protecting what is left of the beaches and dune lands. 

After the storm, the offshore bar provides sand for rebuilding the beach. 

Barrier islands perform two functions:

1. Barrier islands protect the mainland from erosion by absorbing much of a storm’s energy. 
2. Barrier islands trap a mixture of fresh and salty Gulf waters, contributing to the formation of estuaries. Coastal seafood species are dependent upon the abundant food and brackish water habitat the estuarine environment provides

Alabama Coastal Connection

Dune Plants survive in a harsh environment.

Adaptation allows plants to survive salt and freshwater flooding, extreme high and low temperatures, and hurricane-force winds. 

These plants reproduce from cuttings created by storms and wave action. They all rebuild the beach and dune system by trapping wind-b town sand. 

Sea Rocket (Cakile constricts)

A common succulent found just above the high tide line, Sea Rocket has thick fleshy leaves to help conserve water.

Large leaf Pennywort (Hydrocotyle bonariensis)

A creeping perennial that spreads by far-reaching underground stems, Pennywort grows to about 6 inches tall and has clusters of tiny white or pale-green flowers on a 3-inch stem. 

Coastal Panicgrass (Panicum amarulum)

A dense, upright perennial bunchgrass, Panicgrass helps anchor the shifting sands with deeply buried root systems.

Sea Oats (Uniola paniculata)

As the most important and widespread grass on southern coastal dunes, the Sea Oats' recovery following storm impact is the first step in dune rebuilding. 

Morning Glory (Ipomoea stolonifera)

This vine, with trumpet-shaped, white flowers, grows low to the ground, escaping the killing effects of salt spray. The stems may extend over the sand surface for 30 to 50 feet. 

Butterflies of Dauphin Island 

Dauphin Island Marsh and Wetlands

Whether the Weather

Look for the weather station seen in the photo below. It is maintained by the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, along with several others in and around Mobile Bay.

What does this Station Measure?

Atmospheric measurements:

>air temperature

>relative humidity

> Wind direction and speed

>air pressure

>solar radiation

>precipitation

Underwater measurements:

>water temperature

>water level

>salinity

>dissolved oxygen

>chlorophyll

>turbidity

How is the Data Used?

These data can be used in many different ways. Here are just a few examples: Researchers at Dauphin Island Sea Lab might use them to better understand phenomena such as low-oxygen events that result in fish kills in Mobile Bay. Climate scientists might input the data into a model that will predict sea level rise. It might be used to analyze hurricane strength as the storm passes the station. 

Who is NOAA?

“NOAA” stands for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The U. S. Government formed this scientific agency in 1970. It has many responsibilities, including research into Earth’s weather, climate, and oceans, issuing daily weather forecasts and severe storm warnings, and providing citizens, planners, emergency managers, and policymakers with reliable information when they need it. Some NOAA offices that you may be familiar with include the National Weather Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the National Ocean Service.

What is a Computer Model?

You might be familiar with weather or storm prediction models that are used by the forecasters on your local news stations. Computer models are algorithms that use the measured data to make simulations of systems. The simulations might make predictions or illustrate predictions that have already happened. 

The speed at which computers can process numbers has made the use of models possible on a practical level. Accuracy depends on the quality of understanding of natural processes in different systems, and algorithms of simulating systems are all improved. The more data that goes into a model, the more precise it can be. 

The image below left shows a computer model’s prediction of storm surge from Hurricane Ivan. 

This kind of prediction is used to issue warnings to residents of areas that are expected to flood. 

The image below the middle shows the measured track of Hurricane Ivan. Its landfall was 30 miles east of what was predicted. One major limitation forecasters have to work with is incomplete data coverage, especially over the oceans. Much of the needed data is only collected by data boys at a few points on the surface of the ocean. 

The image below right was created with measured data, not to make a prediction but to illustrate the actual storm flooding from Hurricane Ivan.

Invertebrate Trail 

The invertebrate trail is an action based on the award-winning Public Broadcasting system series  “The Shape of Life.”

These plaques represent 8 different Phyla, or groups of invertebrate animals with specific body plans, from simple to complex. Each phylum appeared in the oceans during the Cambrian Period, about 530 million years ago. These plaques are designed so that students can make a rubbing of each one to study in the classroom.

The Living Marsh 

Dedicated to the Memory of Beth Ladner; 1974-1991

“ A Teacher’s Friend” Discovery Hall Student 1985, 1989, 1990

Research on March Restoration at Dauphin Island Sea Lab

Salt marshes are among the most productive ecosystems on earth.

They provide food, refuge, and user habitats for many animals, filter runoff that drains into our coastal waters, and buffer our coastlines from damaging storm surges. Salt marshes are declining at an alarming rate due to coastal development and erosion brought on by environmental stress.

The devices installed in the Living Marsh are called flume traps. They are part of a study designed to determine how closely the ecology of this created marsh mirrors that of a natural marsh also located on Dauphin Island (above). The flume traps sample animals that enter the vegetation to forage and hide from predators. 

Flume traps allow the animals to enter the marsh vegetation as the tide rises (A, Above center). The trap is closed at high tide (B), and as the tide goes out, fish, crabs, shrimp, and other animals are collected in the net. 

We then identify and count the animals we catch in the created marsh and compare them to the animals caught in the reference marsh.

We also compare the animals that live in the mud and among the roots of the marsh grass by taking cores from the marsh bottom (below). These small animals, many of which require a microscope to see, including worms and small shrimp, burrow into the sediment. 

We also compare how the animals interact with each other in the retired and natural marshes. We are particularly interested in how intensely blue crabs feed on marsh periwinkles (see below) We teeter snails to the bases if marsh-grass shoots at each marsh and allow crabs to attack and eat the bait during a set period. We also compare the number of repaired shell cracks (signs of failed attacks by crabs) in the snail populations at each site. This allows us to compare how intensively crabs are using resources in the marsh. 

We hope this research will help us understand how new marshes develop over time and what we can do to help newly created marshes provide all of the benefits of natural salt marsh habitats. 

Above: Periwinkles climbing on marsh grass

Upper Right: Blue crab

Right: Snail tethered to marsh grass and (inset) shell scar inflicted by the blue crab. Marked by the arrow. 

Dauphin Island Environment Marine

Energy from the Sands of Time

The platform that you can see east of Dauphin Island is operated by ExxonMobil, one of many oil companies operating in Alabama waters. These platforms are extracting natural gas (methane), a clean-burning petroleum product. The platform itself lies in 11 feet of water, with dripping operations to depths of over 20,000 feet. Once natural gas is found and brought to the surface, it is transferred via an underwater pipeline to processing plants on the mainland. 

These photographs demonstrate the porous quality of sandstone, which is millions of years old. Ten percent of the sandstone volume is natural gas, compressed within these. 

Pores to a pressure between 10,000 and 20,000 pounds per square inch. 

The natural gas field found within Mobile Bay and the Alabama Water is the largest field discovered in the continental United States. Concerned citizens, scientists, and state regulators worked with the oil companies to implement an environmentally safe, clean operation with a zero-discharge policy. This policy prohibits the discharge of drilling fluids, petroleum products, and treated sewage from the platform into state waters. Instead, these materials are offloaded and taken to the mainland for proper disposal. 

Mr. Sand and his friends Part II

The grains collect and grow into dunes. Even as they grow, they move as the wind blows them. 

Shifting and growing, the dunes stabilize once dune grasses, like sea oats, start sprouting on them. The plant's roots help anchor them, encouraging further dune growth. And the more due growth, the more plant growth —- a friendly relationship.

These stabilized dunes attract even more plants, like wax myrtle, yucca, and, eventually, the majestic live oak. 

These rooting plants add moisture and shelter and promote even more plant colonization. 

More and more animals are attracted to plant growth, from plant-eating insects to insect-eating beach mice to owls. Hawks and raccoons.

Thriving with plant life, a dune will continue to grow. 

But the bigger it gets, the more exposed it becomes to aeolian (wind) and marine (water) forces, like erosion. 

Mr. Sand and his friends, Park III

During the autumn and winter storms, the sand will be blown offshore. Someday, they’ll be carried back onshore to build new dunes. 

So, as the seasons change, do the dunes. In the spring, with gentle wind and waves, sand heaps onshore, forming new dunes. In the summer, sea oats and plants help them grow. In the stormy winter, the dunes erode (wear down).

Susceptible to strong onshore winds, Mr. Sand and his friends have a tendency to move inland, covering everything in their path. 

We need to help Mr. Sand and his friends by not walking or driving on the dunes. Many places have boardwalks built over the dunes and plants to protect them. 

Along with boardwalks, sand fences are another way of protecting dunes, serving as obstructions so the grains can collect and form new dunes. Planting grasses like sea oats can also help in exposed areas and along pathways. 

These conservation practices can only help if we cooperate. Mr. Sand and his friends, along with the forces of nature, form dunes and beaches for you to enjoy. 

Let’s take care of them in the future. 

Mr. Sand and his friends Part I

Come let Mr. Sand guide you through the life of a dune. Learn how to protect the sand dunes, Mr. Sand, and his friends who live with him. 

Once upon a time, about 250 million years ago, bedrock was formed. The hot molten rock formed granite and emerged as the Appalachian Mountains. As the granite and other rocks eroded from the mountains, they formed grains of sand. This sand washed down to the Gulf of Mexico and was deposited onto beaches and dunes, which are now underwater. 

Waves and currents washed Mr. Sand away from these old deposits. Mr. Sand and his friends moved up onto the beaches we see now. 

The more Mr. Sand and his friends wash along the beach, the more they wear down. They become rounder and more uniform in size and texture. 

Away from the mainland, underwater mountains of sand grow grain by grain, becoming “offshore bars.” Some can grow so much they emerge above sea level and become “barrier islands.” 

Dry grains of sand are susceptible to wind, drifting until the wind speed drops.

Once Mr. Sand and his friends land, they collect on the “lee,” or sheltered side of obstacles along their flight path.

Marine Debris: A Silent Killer

Marine debris Timeline

What is marine debris?

.Marine debris is the name given to trash that liters our coasts and oceans.

It includes all the objects found in the marine and coastal environments that do not naturally occur there. Marine debris is not only a hazard to ships, divers, and beach-goers, but it also creates a serious threat to our precious marine life. 

.Marine debris consists of articles that have been made by people and deliberately discarded or accidentally lost. In most cases, it is the result of careless handling or disposal of items of solid waste, including containers of liquid waste. However, it can also be materials lost at sea in bad weather, like fishing gear and cargo.

.Marine debris consists mostly of snowy degradable waste items made of persistent materials such as plastic, polystyrene, metals, and glass from a large number of different sources.

(thrown or lost into the sea): brought indirectly to the sea with rivers, sewage, stormwater, or winds: left by people on beaches and shores. 

Where is marine debris found:

. Marine debris is found everywhere around the world, in marine and coastal environments.

.Marine debris can be blown around and is found floating on the water's surface. Almost 90% of floating marine debris is plastic. 

. Marine debris is found mixed in the water column, from the surface to the bottom of the ocean.

.Marine debris is found on the seabed. It could be that as much as 70% of all marine debris sinks to the bottom of the seabed, both in shallow coastal areas and deeper parts of the ocean. 

.Marine debris is found lying on beaches and shores. 

How does marine debris harm wildlife?

. Entanglement 

Common items like fishing lines, strapping bands, and six-pack rings can hamper the movement of marine animals. Once entangled, animals have trouble eating, breathing, or swimming, all of which can have fatal results. Plastics take hundreds of years to break down and may continue to trap and kill animals year after year. Smaller marine creatures get stuck inside plastic and glass containers to die a slow death. 

Ingestion

Birds, fish, and mammals often mistake plastic for food. Some birds even feed it to their young. With plastic filling their stomachs, animals have a false feeling of being full and may die of starvation. Sea turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, one of their favorite foods. Due to its durability, buoyancy, and ability to absorb and concentrate toxins present in the ocean, plastic is especially harmful to marine life. 

Other threats to wildlife 

The smothering of the seabed, accumulation, and dispersion of toxic substances, environmental changes due to invasive species, and habitat disturbances due to mechanical cleaning of marine debris. 

How does marine debris harm people?

.Contamination of the beaches and harbors creates health hazards to people

.Marine debris also endangers the safety and livelihood of fishermen and recreational boaters. Nets and monofilament fishing lines can obstruct propellers, and plastic sheeting and bags can block cooling intakes. 

Where am I?

Dauphin Island is at the junction of Mobile Bay, Mississippi Sound, and the Gulf of Mexico. Dauphin Island is the easternmost in a series of changing barrier islands, which form the southern boundary of Mississippi Sound. 

Mobile Bay is 53 kilometers (35 mi) long, 16 kilometers (10 mi) wide, and averages 3 meters  (10ft) deep. The bay is a drowned river valley, which at one time was deeper and extended farther north. About 6,000 years ago, the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta formed as Mobile Bay became wider and shallower. Mobile Bay has the seventh-largest river discharge in North America (219 to 13,977 cubic meters per second or 5 to 322 billion gallons per day) and is the third-largest in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Most of the ocean waters that enter the Gulf of Mexico come through the Yucatan Channel between Mexico and Cuba. 

These waters form circling currents that move across the continental shelf and mix with the freshwater from the land. The water exits the Gulf of Mexico through the Straits of Florida between Florida and Cuba. 

Life in a Salt Marsh

A real partnership 

The important grasslike plants of Coastal Alabama salt marshes are Black Needle rush and Smooth Cordgrass. They provide oxygen to organisms that live below the salt marsh surface and refuge for many animals. 

Decomposing plant matter in an environment without oxygen produces the “rotten egg” odor familiar to marshes. However, Cordgrass and Needlerush root systems are very spongy and porous, allowing oxygen into the waterlogged soil. This allows the survival of organisms below the surface of the marsh. 

Fiddler Crab (Uca  spp) 

Fiddler Crabs and other small mud crabs burrow into the marsh surface, feeding on the plant matter. Their aquatic larval stages contribute significantly to the food chain.

Smooth Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora)

Smooth Cordgrass forms a border along the edge of the open water, below the average high tide line. Cordgrass has flattened leaves and a light green color. 

Black Needlerush (Juncus roemerianus)

The Black Needlerush comprises the largest vegetated zone of Alabama’s salt marshes and is found near and above the average high tide line. 

Needlerush leaves are round with pointed tips. 

Marsh Periwinkle (Littorina irrorata)

The Marsh Periwinkle is a small snail inhabiting shallow bays, ponds, and tidal marshes. It is often seen climbing and Spartina stalks to feed on algae and avoid predators. 

Ribbed Mussel (Geukensia demissa)

The Ribbed Mussel attaches to mature plants at the mud surface and hardens the marsh. This helps resist erosion. These mussels filter a gallon of seawater an hour for food, fertilize the marsh with their waste, and are food for crabs, birds, and mammals. 

Nature interpretive Trial at Dauphin Island

Water for Life

Life on Earth is dependent on clean water. Water quality is defined as the stability of water for a particular use. A definition of good water is different for drinking water than for a lake. Because water is so important for life, we monitor different chemicals and physical and biological characteristics and work to ensure good water quality. 

Water, Water Everywhere

Water in the ground, called groundwater, is an important source of water on Earth. The ground is different in different places, and some ground materials hold water better than others. An aquifer is an area of ground that holds water well/. Water moves into the ground from rain, snow melt, or other sources. Then it sins until it gets to a layer it can’t move through. This layer might be clay or certain kinds of rock.

Water can fill aquifers, where deep water might remain for hundreds of years, and shallow water can flow to places where it reaches the surface, like ponds, lakes, and springs. 

There is much more freshwater in the ground than on Earth’s surface, and groundwater is drawn out using wells. 

Water Quality=Quality of Life

To evaluate a pond’s ability to support life, we might measure characteristics like the following: dissolved oxygen(DO)-because fish and most other aquatic animals breathe DO: PH-if pHis too far from neutral, either acidic or basic, organisms may be unable to survive; water temperature-warmer water holds less oxygen, so animals might avoid areas of high temperature. In this pond, at certain times, we might also check salinity (the salt concentration).

Freshwater has a salinity of  0 ppt (parts salt per thousand parts water). When Dauphin Island is hit by a hurricane, saltwater may wash over parts of the island and enter the pond or the groundwater. This can affect the island’s human population, who use groundwater in their homes, and also the animals that live in the pond.

These are just a few examples of water qualities that might affect those using the water. 

At Gaillard Lake, you can see where the water table becomes a like surface. When you look at the lake, can you tell oxygen, pH, temperature, or salinity levels? Does the water look dirty?

You may not be able to determine levels by looking, but if you pay attention, you might notice hints bout a lake's water quality. Can you find a diversity of fish, turtles, alligators, frogs, or insects in the water? Are birds feeding from the lake? These signs suggest good water quality, but they are not definitive-sometimes animals are forced to use poor-quality lakes. Water cooler is not a definite marker either - this lake is often a brown color, like tea. This is natural. It is from tannins that leach out of soaking leaves or pine needles.

Aquatic invertebrates are used to assess water quality. Some, like those seen above  (larvae of left to right: caddisfly, stonefly, and mayfly), have a low tolerance for pollution. If they are found in a sample, the water quality is likely good. Others, like the pouch snail and mosquito larva at left, have a high tolerance for pollution. If a sample has mostly animals like these and very few of those from the first group, water quality is likely poor. 

In the U. S., for water intended for human use, there are established standards for acceptable levels of dissolved or suspended matter, like bacteria, heavy metals, and others that are potentially harmful. Our municipal water usually follows a path such as this one: water is withdrawn from a natural source, filtered and sterilized, piped into our homes; flushed down our drains; filtered, treated, and the solid waster is taken to one disposal site, while the water is released back to a natural location. Water used in homes on Dauphin Island is groundwater from the island (it is not piped in). Processed water is stored in the water tower seen at right. 

Nature Interpretive Trial at Dauphin Island

Nature Interpretive Trail 

Audubon Bird Sanctuary Trail

These yellow sections of the trail to the Gulf and around the lake include several signs to help the visitors better understand and appreciate the unique environment of the Audubon Bird Sanctuary.

Mike Henderson Project Supervisor. Additional identification by Ralph Havard, McCune Dudley, and John Porter 

Signs construction/installation-Greg Vesely, Candy Ladnier, Anthony Young

Please Help Protect your park

The Dauphin Island Park & Beach and Alabama State Lands 

Department of Conversation and Natural Resources

Funding for this project in part by the Coastal Zone Management Act 1972

As amended, administered by the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

Foreign Invasion 

Organisms that arrive in an ecosystem where they did not evolve are called exotic, non-native, or alien. Of those, the ones that harm their new ecosystem are invasive. There are several species on Dauphin Island. A few of them are highlighted below. 

Infiltration 

Plants, animals, and other organisms are moved from their native lands in different ways. These pathways of introduction often involve humans who accidentally or intentionally move them.

A few examples include the release of exotic pets, escape from aquaculture operations, spread from garden plantings, transport in ships ballast water, and transport of fruits and vegetables. As humans move more people and goods around the world, there is more potential for moving organisms into places where they cause harm. 

Setting in: Once they are in a new place, some organisms settle in more successfully than others. Certain factors allow an introduced species to become invasive:

They are adaptable-they can survive in a range of climates, habitats, and soil types; they eat a wide variety.

They reproduce quickly and have lots of offspring. 

They spread out to new areas

Few animals will eat them in the new habitat. 

They competed aggressively for resources. 

How does this affect us?

Biodiversity is the variety of life. It can be defined at different levels, from diversity within a species to that in a particular forest to that of the entire Earth. The higher the biodiversity for a given area, the healthier the species or ecosystem because it is more resilient to disease or disturbance, such as fire or flood. 

Humans need healthy ecosystems for many reasons. We are healthier with a diversity of organisms for food and medicine. Functioning ecosystems provide important services such as water filtration, oxygen production, and nursery habitat. 

Invasive species threaten biodiversity either by directly killing native species or by taking resources from them so they die or stop breeding. 

Reptiles and Amphibians of the Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuary

Reptiles and Amphibians of Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuary

Galliard Lake and Tupelo Swamp

Cottonmouth 

2-4 feet

AKA water moccasin. This poisonous aquatic snake is thick-bodied and will gape to show its white mouth lining when threatened.

Common Snapping Turtle

6-15 inches. 

Often confused with the less-common alligator snapping turtle, these turtles are not aggressive unless removed from the water.

American alligator

4-8 feet 

Individuals of this large shy aquatic species periodically “raft” to the island from the rivers north of Mobile.

Florida Smooth Softshell 

6-15 inches

With its flat, leathery shell, this turtle is easy to dust from others. Its death includes crawfish, insects, fish, and frogs. 

Central Newt

2-4 inches

This reclusive salamander prefers quiet pools without fish. The left, a terrestrial intermediate stage, can be found under rotting wood. 

Pig Frog

2-6 inches

This large frog inhabits permanent bodies of water surrounded by vegetation. 

Their mating call is a distinct, loud, and resonant grunt.

Lists sixes are typical of Dauphin Island representatives

The project was led by Brian Jones, funded by Mobile Bay NEP, and made possible by Dauphin Island Park and Beach Board.

All photographs by Brian Young (“except the alligator photo by Boon Harada) 

Nature Interpretive Trial at Dauphin Island 

Nature Interpretive Trial at Dauphin Island 

Nature Interpretive Trial at Dauphin Island