Seagrass, Soup of the Sea and Migratory Birds

Soup of the Sea

Plankton are organisms that drift with currents. Plankton can be plant-like phytoplankton or animal-like zooplankton. Most plankton are small, but even larger organisms are considered plankton if they live their lives drifting with currents. Plankton is found in freshwater and saltwater worldwide and is essential to humans. 

Thank your plankton

Imagine your favorite seafood - shrimp, crab, oysters, fish ... thanks to phytoplankton, we can enjoy this mouthwatering cuisine from the sea. Phytoplankton provides two essential things for animals (including us) to live. One is food. Like plants on land, they use sunlight and nutrients to produce food. They're the base of the food chain in the ocean. Many tiny animals eat phytoplankton and, in turn, get eaten by larger animals up the food chain. Without plankton, we would not have seafood. 

Now, take a deep breath. The second essential ingredient produced by phytoplankton is oxygen. Estimates vary, but most scientists agree that phytoplankton make up a significant portion of Earth's atmosphere. 

There's a zoo out there.

Zooplankton eat. Many eat phytoplankton, and many eat smaller zooplankton. They are an essential part of the food chain. A shark may never eat plankton and has no idea it exists, but it depends on plankton for all of its food. 

Many zooplankters go through a metamorphosis. Some of them are plankton for part of their lives and then grow large enough to swim against currents or settle to the bottom. Those are called meroplankton. Holoplankton are plankton their whole lives.

You might recognize the adult forms of many meroplankters. See if you can match the adult forms with their planktonic forms below.

Broth of the Bay

Look up at Mobile Bay. These are some of the planktonic organisms that are common in the Bay. 

Plankton is collected with special nets like this one. The nets have tiny holes and are pulled along the water's surface. 

Crabs go through metamorphosis, much like butterflies or frogs. The megalops is one of the larval stages of crabs. 

Bristle worms get their name from their many bristles that are used for movement. They are related to earthworms. 

Dinoflagellates are phytoplankton. Some of them can glow like fireflies. Some produce toxins that can harm humans when there are many dinoflagellates in the water.

Diatoms are phytoplankton. They produce glass-like skeletons that are used in a variety of products. The grit in your toothpaste might come from diatoms. 

This is a nauplius, a larval stage common to many crustaceans, including barnacles. 

Copepods are thought to be the most abundant animals on Earth. 

They are found in salt and fresh water, as well as in damp soil. 

They are powerful for their size.

Saving and Restoring our Seagrasses

Threats to Seagrass

Nearly 80% of all seagrasses in coastal Alabama have been lost since the 1950s. 

A constant threat to seagrass beds is scarring created by boats' propellers and anchors. When boaters navigate across shallow areas or anchor. In seagrass beds, deep scars can form that take years to heal, leading to erosion and further seagrass loss. Poor water quality is also a significant factor that poses a serious threat to seagrass health. For example, excessive sediments in the water limit the light penetration necessary for plant survival.

How can we protect our seagrasses?

What are we doing?

To help propeller scars heal and protect seagrass beds from further scarring, local partners are implementing protection and restoration projects throughout lower Perdido Bay, including Little Lagoon, the island near Perdido Pass, and Ole River.

No motor and sensitive seagrass area signs will identify seagrass beds to help boaters navigate through or around shallow water sites containing seagrass. 

The scientist is using bird stakes to attract local waterfowl, whose guano deposits will provide natural fertilizer for the propeller scars, promoting the growth and expansion of surrounding seagrass.  

What can you do?

Be aware of idle or raised motors and poles when navigating through shallow areas.

Set anchors in sandy areas, avoiding seagrass beds.

Obey No Motor Zone or Sensitive Seagrass areas signs: wade, troll, pole, or kayak when navigating through these areas to your favorite fishing or beach spot. 

Seagrasses Coastal Nursery Habitats

What are seagrasses

Seagrasses are flowering plants that live in the shallow waters of every continent except Antarctica. 

Seagrass beds containing shoal grass and turtle grass are found in Alabama's calm and shallow coastal waters. 

Why are seagrasses important?

Seagrass beds provide food and protection for juvenile fish and shellfish, including many economically important species such as speckled trout, redfish, blue crabs, and shrimp. 

Many types of waterfowl feed on seagrasses, as do threatened and endangered species, such as manatees and green turtles.

Seagrasses help stabilize bottom sediment, filter runoff, and absorb nutrients from surrounding landscapes. 

Alabama's Coastal Connection

Migratory Birds

In search of food and shelter

Each fall, millions of birds leave North America and cross the Gulf of Mexico to spend the winter in South and Central America and the islands of the Caribbean. In the spring, they make the return flight to their Northern American breeding grounds. Alabama's Gulf Coast provides a critical rest stop for these travelers. Stopover areas are a key element in maintaining bird populations. 

With increased development along the entire Gulf Coast, tracts of diverse, forested lands such as these are disappearing. 

Migratory and resident birds use this diverse landscape for foraging, resting, and evading predators. Birds must find enough food to provide energy for the long-distance flight to nesting sites far north. Migratory butterflies depend on food such as pawpaw and passion fruit for larval growth. Songbirds feed on insects and berries, while shorebirds hunt for invertebrates in the mudflats. 

The western end of the Fort Morgan peninsula is an important stopover site for migratory birds and has become a nationally known hotspot for birders. When adverse weather forces birds to the ground during a spring "fallout," the birding can be spectacular, although treacherous for the exhausted birds that must find a safe place to recover. 

Commonly seen bird species during migration include vireos, warblers, flycatchers, buntings, and hummingbirds. The Monarch butterfly migration can also be breathtaking in the fall, when weather conditions are favorable. 

Alabama's Coastal Connection 

Permeable Parking 

A better way to go 

Combined sewer systems are remnants of the country's early infrastructure, and so are typically found in older communities. Combined sewer systems are designed to collect rainwater runoff, domestic sewage, and industrial wastewater in the same pipe. Most of the time, combined sewer systems convey all wastewater to a sewage treatment plant, where it is treated and then discharged into a water body. Heavy rainfall adds stormwater, causing the wastewater volume in a combined sewer system to exceed its capacity.

Combined sewer systems are designed to overflow occasionally and discharge excess untreated wastewater directly to nearby streams, rivers, or other water bodies. 

These combined sewer overflows also contain untreated human and industrial waste, toxic materials, and debris. 

The expansion of impermeable surfaces associated with urban sprawl and automobiles has so increased the stormwater volumes that the combined systems are being separated at great expense. The result is that stormwater runoff that used to receive treatment at the plants is now delivered to receiving streams and coastal estuaries, such as Mobile Bay.

Water running off roads, bridges, and parking lots has been estimated to be the largest source of untreated wastewater in this country. Even twenty years ago, the Federal Highway Administration estimated that 25 million tons of rubber wear off the nation's tires every week, -50 tons/week in Alabama. Since rubber is biodegradable, biodegradation consumes oxygen when it occurs in streams and estuaries. Also of concern are the heavy metals found in steel-belted radial tires, oil, antifreeze, or even transmission fluid. 

The parking lot at the Estuarium allows all stormwater and associated contaminants to percolate down through the gravel, providing an enormous surface area for microbial treatment of the waste, returning it to the water and carbon dioxide. Any contaminated waste that remains cannot reach the shallow freshwater aquifers that feed either the Bay or the Dauphin Island community wells because an impermeable membrane four feet down traps it and sends it through a filter system that removes the hydrocarbon contaminants. The water and any system overflows then flow into a detention pond, where vegetation, including standard cane and other plants, removes nutrients that contribute to low dissolved oxygen levels in the Bay.

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) 

At low tide, the marsh brings sandpipers moving in unison across the wet sand. 

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 habitat for the Least Tern, which is threatened by habitat loss.  

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)

Old pilings in the water provide a resting site for Southern Brown Pelicans, which were once on the brink of 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. 

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

This builds an offshore sandbar, absorbing energy from the storm's waves and protecting what remains of the beaches and dune lands. 

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

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 saltwater from the Gulf, contributing to the formation of estuaries. Coastal seafood species depend on the abundant food and brackish-water habitat that estuarine environments provide.

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-blown 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 critical 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 the Dauphin Island Sea Lab might use them to better understand phenomena such as low-oxygen events that cause 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 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The U.S. Government established 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 used by forecasters on your local news stations. Computer models are algorithms that use measured data to simulate 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 practical. Accuracy depends on the quality of understanding of natural processes across different systems, and the algorithms used to simulate them are continually improving. 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 track of Hurricane Ivan as measured. Its landfall was 30 miles east of what was predicted. One major limitation forecasters face 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 sea. 

The image below, on the right, was created from 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 invertebrates with specific body plans, ranging from simple to complex. Each phylum appeared in the oceans during the Cambrian Period, about 530 million years ago. These plaques are designed so students can make rubbings of each one for classroom study.

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 environmental stress-induced erosion.

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 with those seen in the reference marsh.

We also compare the animals that live in the mud and among the marsh grass roots 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 tether snails to the bases of 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

ExxonMobil, one of many oil companies operating in Alabama waters, operates the platform east of Dauphin Island. These platforms extract natural gas (methane), a clean-burning petroleum product. The platform lies in 11 feet of water, with drilling 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 millions-of-year-old sandstone. Ten percent of the sandstone's volume is natural gas compressed within it. 

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 discharging 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 accumulate and form dunes. Even as they grow, they move as the wind blows them. 

As the dunes shift and grow, they stabilize once dune grasses, like sea oats, start sprouting. The plant's roots help anchor it, 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, promoting 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 autumn and winter storms, sand is blown offshore. Someday, it will be returned to shore to build new dunes. 

So, as the seasons change, do the dunes. With gentle wind and waves, sand heaps onshore in the spring, 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 tend to move inland, covering everything in their path. 

We must 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. 

Sand fences, like boardwalks, are another way of protecting dunes. They serve as obstacles, allowing grains to 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 gave rise to 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 on beaches and dunes that are now underwater. 

Waves and currents washed Mr. Sand away from these old deposits, and he and his friends moved 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 that 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 refers to trash that litters our coasts and oceans.

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

Marine debris consists of articles made by people and deliberately discarded or accidentally lost. In most cases, it results from careless handling or disposal of solid waste items, including liquid waste containers; it can also result from materials lost at sea in bad weather, such as fishing gear and cargo.

Marine debris consists mainly of non-biodegradable waste made of persistent materials, such as plastic, polystyrene, metals, and glass, from a wide variety of sources.

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

Where is marine debris found:

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

Marine debris is found on the seabed. 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 

Everyday items like fishing lines, strapping bands, and six-pack rings can impede the movement of marine animals. Once entangled, animals have trouble eating, breathing, or swimming, all of which can be fatal. Plastics take hundreds of years to break down and may continue to trap and kill animals year after year. Smaller marine creatures get trapped inside plastic and glass containers, slowly dying. 

Ingestion

Birds, fish, and mammals often mistake plastic for food. Some birds even feed it to their young. With plastic filling their stomachs, animals experience a false sense of fullness and may die of starvation. Sea turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, a favorite food. Due to its durability, buoyancy, and ability to absorb and concentrate oceanic toxins, plastic is especially harmful to marine life. 

Other threats to wildlife 

The seabed is smothered, toxic substances accumulate and disperse, environmental changes are caused by invasive species, and habitat disturbances are caused by 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 obstruct propellers, and plastic sheeting and bags block cooling intakes. 

Where am I?

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

Mobile Bay is 53 kilometers (35 mi) long, 16 kilometers (10 mi) wide, and averages 3 meters (10ft) deep. It is a drowned river valley that was once deeper and extended farther north. About 6,000 years ago, the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta formed as Mobile Bay widened and deepened. 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 ocean waters that enter the Gulf of Mexico come through the Yucatan Channel between Mexico and Cuba. 

These waters form circular currents that flow across the continental shelf and mix with 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 

Black needle rush and smooth cordgrass are grass-like plants of Coastal Alabama salt marshes. They provide oxygen to organisms living below the salt marsh surface and serve as a 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 spongy and porous, allowing oxygen into the waterlogged soil. This will enable organisms below the marsh surface to survive. 

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 for Cordgrass 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 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 that inhabits shallow bays, ponds, and tidal marshes. It is often seen climbing 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, helping it 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.