195
to support the project so we could test the ideas I proposed, but their initially low
budget reflected the skepticism of some in the group.
I often think back to that meeting. What if my colleague hadn’t asked me to
attend? What if I hadn’t raised my hand and spoken up? My career certainly would
have taken a very different path. In the introduction to this book, the author states
that, “serendipity is a wonderful thing.” I agree wholeheartedly! When I speak to
college students and mentor young professionals, I always advise them to take
opportunities when presented and to never be afraid to propose an idea. You never
know what will happen, but the worst is that someone will say no. The very basis of
science is curiosity and a desire to understand the unknown, so thinking outside the
box is often necessary to get the job done, whether that is at the planning stages of
a project or when a piece of equipment fails in the field. Sometimes the ideas don’t
work out, but we often learn as much from our failures as our successes.
Where Land and Sea Meet
I took charge of the Florida Bay component of the project. Florida Bay (Fig. 12.1)
is an estuary – a place where freshwater from the mainland mixes with saltwater
from the ocean and provides an ideal place to study the connectivity between land
and sea. The mix of salt and freshwater brings a diversity of plants and animals to
the transition between the two environments, and many of these organisms are preserved in the sediments. Mangrove shorelines and forests sit at this boundary
between freshwater and marine environments.
Mangroves are a fascinating group of trees and shrubs that can be found worldwide along the coasts of tropical and sub-tropical seas, limited to areas where average annual temperatures are above 66 °F. Although they can tolerate both salty and
freshwater, they are typically found in the intertidal zones of low energy coasts.
Where they occur, mangroves are an extremely important part of the coastal environment for both people and animals. Their dense root structures trap sediments and
stabilize the coastline, serving as a buffer from storm surges, but also filtering landbased sediments from reaching sensitive marine habitats such as corals and seagrass
meadows. They serve as nurseries for fish, lobsters, shrimp, and other economically
important marine species, and as nesting sites for birds.
In south Florida there are three species of mangroves – red, black, and white
mangroves. The species are distributed along a gradient from the shoreline toward
higher ground and have different adaptions for dealing with their wet salty intertidal
environment. Red mangroves are typically at the edge of the waterways and the
outer fringes of the islands. They produce above-ground prop roots, which provide
stability from wind and waves, and allow the plant to get oxygen since the soils in
the intertidal area are saturated with water (Fig. 12.5). Seed dispersal is through a
unique and ingenious method – the elongate seeds mature on the tree, then drop into
the water where they float upright, sprouting rootlets as they go. If the seedlings
come in contact with a mudbank, the roots take hold and the plant sprouts leaves.
12 Climate, Sea Level, and People – Changing South Florida’s Mangrove Coast
to support the project so we could test the ideas I proposed, but their initially low
budget reflected the skepticism of some in the group.
I often think back to that meeting. What if my colleague hadn’t asked me to
attend? What if I hadn’t raised my hand and spoken up? My career certainly would
have taken a very different path. In the introduction to this book, the author states
that, “serendipity is a wonderful thing.” I agree wholeheartedly! When I speak to
college students and mentor young professionals, I always advise them to take
opportunities when presented and to never be afraid to propose an idea. You never
know what will happen, but the worst is that someone will say no. The very basis of
science is curiosity and a desire to understand the unknown, so thinking outside the
box is often necessary to get the job done, whether that is at the planning stages of
a project or when a piece of equipment fails in the field. Sometimes the ideas don’t
work out, but we often learn as much from our failures as our successes.
Where Land and Sea Meet
I took charge of the Florida Bay component of the project. Florida Bay (Fig. 12.1)
is an estuary – a place where freshwater from the mainland mixes with saltwater
from the ocean and provides an ideal place to study the connectivity between land
and sea. The mix of salt and freshwater brings a diversity of plants and animals to
the transition between the two environments, and many of these organisms are preserved in the sediments. Mangrove shorelines and forests sit at this boundary
between freshwater and marine environments.
Mangroves are a fascinating group of trees and shrubs that can be found worldwide along the coasts of tropical and sub-tropical seas, limited to areas where average annual temperatures are above 66 °F. Although they can tolerate both salty and
freshwater, they are typically found in the intertidal zones of low energy coasts.
Where they occur, mangroves are an extremely important part of the coastal environment for both people and animals. Their dense root structures trap sediments and
stabilize the coastline, serving as a buffer from storm surges, but also filtering landbased sediments from reaching sensitive marine habitats such as corals and seagrass
meadows. They serve as nurseries for fish, lobsters, shrimp, and other economically
important marine species, and as nesting sites for birds.
In south Florida there are three species of mangroves – red, black, and white
mangroves. The species are distributed along a gradient from the shoreline toward
higher ground and have different adaptions for dealing with their wet salty intertidal
environment. Red mangroves are typically at the edge of the waterways and the
outer fringes of the islands. They produce above-ground prop roots, which provide
stability from wind and waves, and allow the plant to get oxygen since the soils in
the intertidal area are saturated with water (Fig. 12.5). Seed dispersal is through a
unique and ingenious method – the elongate seeds mature on the tree, then drop into
the water where they float upright, sprouting rootlets as they go. If the seedlings
come in contact with a mudbank, the roots take hold and the plant sprouts leaves.
12 Climate, Sea Level, and People – Changing South Florida’s Mangrove Coast