Limits of Resilience: Uncertain Recovery in Mangrove Ecosystems Following Repeated Hurricane Disturbance - NERRS/NSC(NERRS Science Collaborative)

Building on the momentum of an earlier collaborative project, this team and their users reunited to assess how mangrove recovery and resilience is impacted by repeated hurricane disturbance.

The Project

Mangrove ecosystems of the greater Caribbean region face increasingly frequent tropical cyclones. In 2017, mangrove ecosystems at Jobos Bay NERR and Rookery Bay NERR sustained major impacts from Hurricanes Maria and Irma respectively. Just five years later, both reserves were again impacted by tropical cyclones (Hurricanes Fiona and Ian). To evaluate how mangrove recovery and resilience is impacted by repeated disturbances, this project mapped habitat change and assessed hydrological regimes.

This project's approach was adapted from an earlier initiative, the Mangrove Coast Collaborative (MCC). The MCC project had previously shown substantial recovery of the mangrove forest in both reserves after Hurricanes Maria and Irma, but had found persistent areas of minimal regeneration perhaps due to hydrological stress. Drawing on the strong collaborative foundation established by the MCC, this project team was able to mobilize quickly to assess the impacts of Hurricanes Fiona and Ian on ongoing mangrove recovery.

Project users collaborated with the project team via three project advisory committees (PACs) which had previously been established as part of the MCC project. The project advisory committees, two local and one technical, helped guide the project's methods, which included generating habitat and mangrove change maps for each reserve through 2024. Additionally, the team collected data on water depth and porewater salinities in locations of mangrove forest having minimal recovery compared to reference sites to assess the impact of hydrological stress.

Extended mapping of mangrove coverage and hydrology did not reveal additional impacts from Hurricanes Fiona and Ian. Instead, mapping showed an overall trend of increasing mangrove coverage; although locations of low recovery persist in both reserves. Both mapping and hydrologic datasets will serve as useful baselines for continued monitoring. Future research will be able to leverage the infrastructure and data derived from the project, and managers can immediately use the results from the project to influence policy for protection of the mangrove coastline. Finally, both reserves are better situated for future post-disturbance assessment and associated management planning.

Building on the momentum of an earlier collaborative project, this team and their users reunited to assess how mangrove recovery and resilience is impacted by repeated hurricane disturbance.

The Project

Mangrove ecosystems of the greater Caribbean region face increasingly frequent tropical cyclones. In 2017, mangrove ecosystems at Jobos Bay NERR and Rookery Bay NERR sustained major impacts from Hurricanes Maria and Irma respectively. Just five years later, both reserves were again impacted by tropical cyclones (Hurricanes Fiona and Ian). To evaluate how mangrove recovery and resilience is impacted by repeated disturbances, this project mapped habitat change and assessed hydrological regimes.

This project's approach was adapted from an earlier initiative, the Mangrove Coast Collaborative (MCC). The MCC project had previously shown substantial recovery of the mangrove forest in both reserves after Hurricanes Maria and Irma, but had found persistent areas of minimal regeneration perhaps due to hydrological stress. Drawing on the strong collaborative foundation established by the MCC, this project team was able to mobilize quickly to assess the impacts of Hurricanes Fiona and Ian on ongoing mangrove recovery.

Project users collaborated with the project team via three project advisory committees (PACs) which had previously been established as part of the MCC project. The project advisory committees, two local and one technical, helped guide the project's methods, which included generating habitat and mangrove change maps for each reserve through 2024. Additionally, the team collected data on water depth and porewater salinities in locations of mangrove forest having minimal recovery compared to reference sites to assess the impact of hydrological stress.

Extended mapping of mangrove coverage and hydrology did not reveal additional impacts from Hurricanes Fiona and Ian. Instead, mapping showed an overall trend of increasing mangrove coverage; although locations of low recovery persist in both reserves. Both mapping and hydrologic datasets will serve as useful baselines for continued monitoring. Future research will be able to leverage the infrastructure and data derived from the project, and managers can immediately use the results from the project to influence policy for protection of the mangrove coastline. Finally, both reserves are better situated for future post-disturbance assessment and associated management planning.

Project and Co-Technical Lead:

Danielle Ogurcak, Florida International University, dogurcak@fiu.edu

Collaborative Leads:

Marissa Figueroa, Rookery Bay NERR, Marissa.B.Figueroa@FloridaDEP.gov; Aitza Pabon, Jobos Bay NERR, apabon@drna.pr.gov

Co-Technical Lead:

Digna Rueda-Roa, University of South Florida, druedaro@usf.edu

Partners:

Florida International University Institute of Environment; University of South Florida Institute for Marine Remote Sensing

The distributor does not assume liability.

None

Cite this dataset when used as a source: NOAA retains the right to analyze, synthesize and publish summaries of the NERRS/NSC data. The NERRS/NSC retains the right to be fully credited for having collected and process the data. Following academic courtesy standards, the NERR site where the data were collected should be contacted and fully acknowledged in any subsequent publications in which any part of the data are used. The data enclosed within this package/transmission are only as accurate as the quality assurance and quality control procedures that are described in the associated metadata reporting statement allow. The user bears all responsibility for its subsequent use/misuse in any further analyses or comparisons. The Federal government does not assume liability to the Recipient or third persons, nor will the Federal government reimburse or indemnify the Recipient for its liability due to any losses resulting in any way from the use of this data. Requested citation format: NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Science Collaborative(NSC).

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This information is detailed within the project links.

This information is detailed within the project links.