HR: 15:35h
AN: OS33C-07    [Abstracts]
TI: Understanding a Century of Change in an Estuary: Tampa Bay. Florida
AU: * Hearn, C J
EM: cjhearn@usgs.gov
AF: ETI Professionals at USGS, 600 Fourth Street South, St Petersburg, FL 33701, United States
AU: Yates, K K
EM: kyates@usgs.gov
AF: US Geological Survey, 600 Fourth Street South, St Petersburg, FL 33701, United States
AB: During the 20th century, Tampa Bay on the west coast of Florida changed from a largely pristine subtropical estuary to a busy waterway with commercial ports and extensive coastal urbanization. The estuary has been physically altered through dredging and construction and its biogeochemical, sedimentary and hydrological balances have been changed. Environmental indicators show that the health of the estuary has been significantly impacted. Long-term restoration and conservation efforts in the next decades will need to be made in the presence of sustained population expansion, increased use of water resources, developments of ports, bay-wide dredging, construction of pipelines, and increased large ship traffic. The Tampa Bay integrated modeling program has helped rationalize, and organize our understanding of the ways that the ecosystem has changed and we have simulated the bay as it was at the ends of the 19th and 20th centuries. This involves submodels of hydrodynamics, hydrology, wave climate, sediment transport, and biogeochemical processes. A key element in this research is the recognition by the USGS Integrated Science Study that estuarine systems function as a dynamic interplay among biologic, geologic, hydrologic, atmospheric, and chemical processes. Integrated modeling also relies heavily on synthesis modeling of historical and modern data for the estuary and the Tampa Bay study has included a major collection program for physical data between 2004 and 2006. An important part of the integrated modeling program has been public outreach including training in the development of submodels by state agencies, universities and community groups. The present paper reviews the Tampa Bay Integrated Coastal Models with conclusions about some of the major anthropogenic impacts. Examples include restoration projects based on the predictions of submodels developed by local agencies for wetland habitats around the Bay and studies by port authorities using submodels of short episodic events such as ship wakes and contaminant spills. Planners have found major application of submodels in coastal hazard prediction especially from severe storms.
UR: http:gulfsci.usgs.gov
DE: 4217 Coastal processes
DE: 4235 Estuarine processes (0442)
DE: 4255 Numerical modeling (0545, 0560)
DE: 4558 Sediment transport (1862)
DE: 4805 Biogeochemical cycles, processes, and modeling (0412, 0414, 0793, 1615, 4912)
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2007 Joint Assembly