Sedimentation in NC Tidal Creeks: Influence of Land-use Change and Primary Nursery Designation Grant uri icon

abstract

  • Tidal creeks act as a gateway between uplands and marshes to estuaries and larger coastal waters. These smaller water bodies are influenced by freshwater flows running off the landscape and the constant ebb and flow of the salty ocean. The upland areas of these watersheds are often popular locations for development due to the adjacent coastal landscape. These ecosystems are important habitat for commercial and recreation fishes, including seatrout, crevalle jack, flounder, spadefish, spot, black drum, blue crab, brown shrimp and white shrimp. In addition, these creeks act as an initial ?filter? of water from the landscape to the ocean and as a buffer to storm surge inundation. The physical and biological dynamics of this ecosystem are intricately connected. Changes that occur at that landward (e.g., stormwater runoff, shoreline hardening, land clearing) and seaward (e.g., trawling, sea level change) ends of this system may alter the resilience of these habitats in the future. The NC Marine Fisheries Commission, as well as local fishermen and residents, have begun to express concern regarding increased sedimentation in several NC tidal creeks, suggesting that these systems are shallowing with time. Some have suggested that the shallowing is a product of designating a tidal creek a Primary or Secondary Nursery area, restricting trawling in the system and subsequently preventing the flushing of deposited material from the system. However, there is no data to support any of these claims?either increased sedimentation or flushing of material associated with trawling. We must better understand the changes currently occurring within our tidal creeks and the drivers leading to these changes if we are to better protect and manage these habitats through education and policy implementation. This study would provide some preliminary data to start understanding and addressing the concern of increased sedimentation in NC tidal creeks.

date/time interval

  • December 2015 - November 2016