Shiflett, S.A. and Backstrom, J.T., 2023. Impacts of Hurricane Isaias (2020) on geomorphology and vegetation communities of natural and planted dunes in North Carolina. Journal of Coastal Research, 39(4), 587–609. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208.

Coastal dunes serve a crucial role in reducing inland flooding, slowing shoreline erosion, and acting as a physical barrier to protect developed coastal communities from storm-related impacts. Dunes also provide critical habitat for several shoreline species. High magnitude storms such as hurricanes and nor'easters can have profound and long-lasting impacts on low-lying coastal areas, ranging from minor and temporary beach erosion to complete devastation of entire barrier island systems. This study documents direct impacts of Category 1 Hurricane Isaias (2020), one of the strongest tropical storms to directly hit the region, on coastal dune geomorphology and vegetation of Holden Beach, a south-facing barrier island located in SE North Carolina. Impacts were investigated using a combination of pre- and poststorm real-time kinematic dune profiles, vegetation cover and type transects, prestorm high-resolution drone imagery, and poststorm National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration aerial imagery. Dominant geomorphological impacts included a variety of depositional and erosional effects, which were more prominent along artificially renourished and planted coastal segments compared to adjacent natural dune systems. Geomorphological changes subsequently reduced poststorm dune vegetation density. Yet, reduced impact on vegetation species abundance (i.e. stem density) was evident at a wider, stabilized dune area, which lacked human management, compared with narrower, less mature, and actively managed (i.e. fenced and/or planted) dune areas. Dune grasses were more resilient to Hurricane Isaias than forbs; however, several volunteer forb species, noted for dune stabilization abilities, were present at unmanaged dunes. Results indicate planting a diverse palette of native coastal species, which when co-occurring fill a variety of functional roles, will increase dune resilience to tropical storms. This study provides important insights into optimizing dune management strategies for developed barrier islands and other low-lying temperate coastal regions, which may be susceptible to ongoing sea-level rise and high-energy storm events.

Chan, M.C., 2023. Sizing a small tidal inlet for restoration. Journal of Coastal Research, 39(4), 610–624. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208.

Coastal inlets located on active shorelines can be vulnerable to shoaling and closure. It is not uncommon for some of these inlets to fall under the category of small tidal inlets with cross-sectional areas <100 m² and to be transitional in stability characteristics such that neither the classic large-inlet O'Brien-Jarrett equilibrium formulas nor the small-inlet Byrne stability criteria apply fully. The Flax Pond inlet, a dual-jettied small inlet located on the south shore of Long Island Sound, New York, is an example of this class of inlets. The inlet, which connects Flax Pond, a degraded tidal marsh embayment, to Long Island Sound, was analyzed to support a proposed plan to reconstruct the twin jetties and restore the pond's tidal prism to its conditions in the early 1970s to prevent further loss of wetland and ecosystem diversity. The lack of directly suitable stability criteria presented a challenge because an extrapolative use of unsuitable criteria could entail unacceptable risks. The issue necessitated a comprehensive, process-driven analysis of the littoral and inlet conditions to frame a solution. An approach involving multiple stability criteria was followed to determine the inlet dimensions needed to achieve the restoration objectives. It was demonstrated that, with a process-based understanding and informed assumptions, a transitional small inlet can be sized with reasonable confidence.

Buzard, R.M.; Kinsman, N.E.M.; Maio, C.V.; Erikson, L.H.; Jones, B.M.; Anderson, S.; Glenn, R.J.T., and Overbeck, J.R., 2023. Barrier island reconfiguration leads to rapid erosion and relocation of a rural Alaska community. Journal of Coastal Research, 39(4), 625–642. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208.

Coastal erosion is one of the foremost hazards that circumpolar communities face. Climate change and warming temperatures are anticipated to accelerate coastal change, increasing risk to coastal communities. Most erosion hazard studies for Alaska communities only consider linear erosion and do not anticipate coastal morphologic changes. This study showcases the possibility and consequence of accelerated erosion by examining a shift from stability to rapid erosion that forced the rural Alaska Native village of Meshik (now Port Heiden) to abandon the original town site and relocate inland. A combination of remote sensing, coastal surveys, and community-based monitoring are used to map coastal morphologic changes and identify erosion drivers. The community's shoreline was stable until a protective barrier island eroded away. The exposure to open ocean waves, coupled with unconsolidated, low-density sediments, led to rapid erosion rates averaging 5.8 ± 0.6 m/y from the 1970s to 2020s. The sudden and rapid erosion put great stress on Meshik residents and resulted in the loss of homes, erosion of a safe boat harbor, and pollution of the beach and bay. Erosion of the barrier island coincided with a period of greater storm activity and sea ice decline, but the exact cause could not be determined. Many polar communities are built on or behind barriers and are on erodible soils such as sands and thawing permafrost. This study highlights the need to study, monitor, and predict morphologic change and regime shifts that can bring catastrophic impacts to coastal communities.

Cong, N.V. and Thao, H.V., 2023. Farming practices and environmental quality of integrated mangrove-shrimp farming systems in Tra Vinh province, Vietnam. Journal of Coastal Research, 39(4), 643–652. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208.

Integrated mangrove-shrimp farming (IMSF) systems play a pillar role in environmental protection and deliver significant livelihood for communities in coastal areas. Identifying farming practices and environmental quality could improve mangrove forest ecosystem management and conservation. Therefore, practices of 30 households in the IMSF models were investigated. Also, surface water samples in the IMSF models and neighbouring rivers and sediment samples in the IMSF systems in the Long Khanh Mangrove Forest Reserve Area, Long Khanh commune, Duyen Hai district, and Tra Vinh province were collected. The results indicated that average mangrove coverage proportion of interviewed households in IMSF systems was 13% lower than the minimum required by the provincial government (55%). The productivities of shrimp and crab in IMSF systems were 45.86–75.38% and 22.81–60.65% lower than the IMSF systems in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta, respectively. Of all households, 13.33% directly discharged dredged sediment to surrounding rivers. Dissolved oxygen (DO), total suspended solids (TSS), and NH₄⁺ values measured in water-distributed rivers were intolerable to permissible levels per the national standard, posing risks for aquacultural activities and coastal environmental protection as well, while these parameters in the IMSF ponds were in acceptable ranges. These Fe values were 3.50 fold and 1.16 fold higher for the IMSF ponds and adjacent rivers, respectively, than the national standard, but no significant discrepancy was revealed between Fe concentration in ponds and rivers. The present study also showed robustly reliable evidence that the concentration of trace elements, toxicity, persistent organic parameters, oil and grease, and coliform were consistently lower than the allowable degree of the national standard. This study suggests (i) increasing the ratio of mangrove forest coverage, (ii) reorganizing the annual IMSF pond renewal schedule, (iii) intervening techniques reducing total Fe concentration, and (iv) monitoring environmental quality in IMSF systems during and after dredging mangrove-shrimp ponds.

Fuentes-Agueda, S.A.; Gallegos, M.E.; Mandujano, M.C., and Golubov, J., 2023. Contrasting growth and establishment of Thalassia testudinum along a cover gradient in the Gulf of Mexico. Journal of Coastal Research, 39(4), 653–662. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208.

Seagrasses are important for coastal ecosystem health and have significant economic benefits; however, they are undergoing important negative changes worldwide. The seagrass Thalassia testudinum comprises one of the main elements in submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) habitats, and it grows in monospecific and mixed meadows along the continental shelf of the Gulf of Mexico. In this study, T. testudinum monospecific and mixed meadows were monitored over a 2 year period to identify the abiotic and biotic conditions that may correlate with population parameters through the plastochron index (PI). Plants found in monospecific meadows had larger rhizomes and more flowers in comparison to those in mixed meadows, while the latter produced more leaves and larger shoots. The annual rate of change in biomass (Br) of T. testudinum in the monospecific meadow was 1.15 ± 0.03, which was slightly higher than that in the mixed meadow, with a value of 1.12 ± 0.03. T. testudinum in monospecific meadows tended to exhibit increased sexual reproduction, while vegetative growth and clonal reproduction were more common in mixed meadows. The results highlight that T. testudinum life-history strategies and establishment are affected by both biotic and abiotic factors like depth, temperature, and water nutrients.

Zhang, S.; Tang, F.; Fan, W.; Yang, S.; Zhu, W.; Zhang, H., and Cui, X., 2023. Analysis of hauling net hours for Gazami crab (Portunus trituberculatus) gillnets based on the Beidou vessel monitoring system (BDVMS). Journal of Coastal Research, 39(4), 663–674. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208.

Gillnets are among the most widely used fishing gear in the world, and there are nearly 97 thousand gillnetters in China's offshore. With the decline of resource fisheries, the fishing quota has remained a topic of concern for the world's fishing nations. At the beginning of 2017, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China implemented the total management of marine fishery resources and began to launch the quota fishing experiment. The vessel monitoring system (VMS) provides a new data source for fisheries research. It is a new attempt to estimate fishing yield from VMS. Refined fishing intensity can be obtained through calculation of hauling time or net length. In China, the shipboard Beidou satellite navigation system terminal was installed on well-equipped fishing vessels. It sends vessel identification and location information at three minute intervals and with 10 m spatial resolution. In this paper, the speed threshold was used to consider the hauling duration of the net. The hauling nets' hours were calculated to estimate the catch rate with the hours. The speed thresholds of the 56 vessels were from 1.7 to 2.4 m/s. The hauling duration in hour of the vessels were distributed throughout eight fishing grounds in 2017. Hauling duration was divided into 0.01° × 0.01° grids based on coordinate locations. The average hauling duration of the nets was 1.7 h, and the maximum value was 41.5 h. There were approximately 514 thousand net hauling points, and the catch weight of the swimming crab (Portunus trituberculatus) was calculated to be approximately 4.7 million kg in 2017 based on the hauling duration data.

Manas, H.M.; Ghosh, S.; Rohit, P.; Rajesh, K.M.; Abdussamad, E.M.; Satishkumar, M.; Pokkathappada, A.A.; Rathinam, M.M., and Divipala, I., 2023. Feeding aspects of dolphinfish, Coryphaena hippurus (Linnaeus, 1758), exploited from Indian waters. Journal of Coastal Research, 39(4), 675–684. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208.

The common dolphinfish, Coryphaena hippurus, is one of the top predatory fish in pelagic waters, landed all along the Indian coast. The present study was conducted to gain a holistic knowledge of the food and feeding habits of the common dolphinfish from Indian waters. Around 2559 specimens were studied, of which 65.8% were male and 34.2% were female. The species fed on several prey items encountered in all months, scads being the dominant group and the highest preference in fishes >60 cm total length (TL). Fishes of TL <45 cm mainly fed on whitebaits; those 45–60 cm fed on crabs and scads, indicating a shift in prey preference with change in body size and the species being opportunistic feeders, preferring abundant prey species in the environment. August to March showed similar food preferences and overlapping of prey items. This study will help us understand the trophodynamics of the common dolphinfish, allowing policy makers to formulate unified management and conservation measures for sustainable exploitation of the species from Indian waters.

Zhang, X.; Meng, J.; Sun, L., and Zhang, H., 2023. Characteristics and influencing factors of internal solitary waves in the Penghu Channel based on satellite remote sensing. Journal of Coastal Research, 39(4), 685–699. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208.

The Taiwan Strait has always been considered a hot spot for the occurrence of internal waves in the ocean. Recent research shows that the Penghu Channel also has a strong and previously unknown source of internal solitary waves (ISWs). In this paper, 23 satellite remote sensing images covering the Penghu Channel from Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR), Envisat advanced synthetic aperture radar, HY-1D, and GF-1 satellites are examined to reveal the sea surface characteristics of the area's ISWs through image interpretation and dynamics analysis and to study the local generation of ISWs and their evolutionary characteristics in this sea area. The results show that SE and SW cross-propagating ISWs exist in the Penghu Channel. They are generated near the Penghu Islands and the continental shelf of Taiwan at the same latitude and propagate in a countercurrent direction along the Penghu Channel. The ISWs from these two directions meet and continue to propagate southward in a V shape, with various wave–wave interactions occurring in the middle of the channel, such as Mach and resonance interactions, depending on the strength and angle characteristics of the ISWs. SAR images also show that waveform broadening occurs during the propagation of ISWs to the shallow shelf and the ISWs' polarity transition phenomenon. Although the specific generation mechanism is not clear, it is speculated that the interaction of the tidal current with the complex topography of the Penghu Channel is the main source of energy for these ISWs. In addition, the combination of drifting buoy data and analysis of hydrographic conditions in the Penghu Channel indicates that ISW phenomena on the sea surface are observed more frequently during summer flood tides with low wind speeds, low sea conditions, strong stratification, and strong currents.

Strypsteen, G. and Rauwoens, P., 2023. Aeolian sand transport on a natural beach with shells and moist sand patches. Journal of Coastal Research, 39(4), 700–711. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208.

A field study was conducted on aeolian sand transport across a largely scattered shell pavement and moist sand patches on the upper beach of a natural beach-dune system in Koksijde, Belgium. Wind speed and direction were measured with a vertical array of eight cup anemometers and a wind vane. Sand transport was measured with a series of nine vertical arrays of Modified Wilson and Cook sand traps spaced at 20 m intervals, with the lowest trap 0.05 m above the surface. Fast-temporal changes in saltation intensity were measured with stacked saltiphones installed 0.05 and 0.15 m above the surface. The shells contributed significantly to the overall bed roughness as values between 20 and 100 mm were found in a shear velocity range between 0.3 and 0.75 m/s. Measured velocity profiles converge into a focal point that is two to six times higher than on bare sand surfaces. Downwind sand transport increased in the first 20 to 40 m from the high-water line and generally decreased by a factor of 10 to almost zero transport toward the dune toe. The fetch effect is responsible for the increase in transport, and the influence of surface shells and moist sand patches is responsible for the decrease. All vertical mass flux profiles were well fitted to the exponential decay function. Particle distribution above the bed was unaffected, whereas less flux was transported at the bed downwind. Variability in aeolian transport is cubic related to the variability in wind speed on the beach with shells. As a result of the shells and moist sand patches, mobile rippled sand strips or proto-dunes developed, which created a new source for aeolian sand to the foredunes.

Yang, L.; Wang, C.; Zhang, S.; Gu, H.; Thiruvenkataswamy, K.; Cheng, L., and Lin, P., 2023. Using coastal reservoirs for a sustainable freshwater supply: Feasibility study in Ningbo, China. Journal of Coastal Research, 39(4), 712–721. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208.

In 2020, there was a very serious shortage of freshwater during the dry season in Ningbo, China. Aiming to solve this problem, methods to address the shortage by coastal reservoir development are proposed in this paper. According to the analysis of annual rainfall, extreme rainfall, total amount of freshwater resources, and water supply, Ningbo is not short of freshwater resources, but it is short of available freshwater. Based on the characteristics of river basins and landforms, the types of coastal reservoirs that could be built were analyzed. Results show that the northeastern plain area is suitable for construction of tidal flat reservoirs and river mouth reservoirs, and Xiangshan Port and Sanmenwan river basin are suitable for construction of river mouth reservoirs, estuarine reservoirs, and combined river reservoirs.

Brown, M.T.; Dix, N.; Osborne, T.; Castle, A.; Woodward, W.; Hartnett, A.; Dunnigan, S.; Tanner, S., and McGinley, E., 2023. The impacts of a restoration dredging project and storm events on water quality in a northeast Florida barrier island estuary. Journal of Coastal Research, 39(4), 722–739. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208.

Previous studies in estuarine systems have demonstrated that both dredging projects and storm events can have profound impacts on water quality, particularly increases in nutrients, sediment loading, and shifts in phytoplankton community biomass. This study provided the opportunity to assess the potential relative impacts of a 9-month-long barrier island restoration dredging operation, in comparison to storm events that shortly followed, on water quality in a well-flushed, subtropical NE Florida estuary. Twice-a-month monitoring of turbidity, total suspended solids, chlorophyll-a, and major nutrients (ammonium, nitrate+nitrite, and orthophosphate) was carried out at six sites near the dredging operation area from November 2016 through October 2018. This timeframe sampled the dredging project from January to September 2017 associated with the reopening of the Summer Haven River on the barrier island side of the Matanzas River estuary. In addition, two major storm events, Hurricane Irma in September 2017 and a 5-day nor'easter in October 2017, took place during the water quality monitoring. Although the dredging project did result in notable impacts on total suspended solids and ammonium concentrations, the results highlight how natural storm events can have more significant and lasting impacts on water quality in a well-flushed estuary, particularly with regard to decreases in salinity, input and remineralization of dissolved organic carbon, and increases in dissolved nutrients.

Jun, D.; Bo, Y., and Dongyi, L., 2023. Establishing an index system to evaluate marine resource endowment for the sustainable development of China's marine economy. Journal of Coastal Research, 39(4), 740–749. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208.

Marine resource endowment is a significant supporting factor for the sustainable development of the marine economy. It primarily reflects the sustainable development level of the marine economy in a particular area. Based on literature analysis and expert consultation, this paper establishes an index system of potential evaluation of marine resource endowment for the sustainable development of China's marine economy, where the Analytic Hierarchy Process is used to determine the weight of each index within the system, thus securing the distribution of each index. This paper also evaluates the development potential with 11 coastal provinces (municipalities) being empirical research objects using a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method. The result is that the support potential of the resource endowments of marine minerals, marine space, marine tourism, and marine life (aquatic products) for the sustainable development of China's marine economy has been declining gradually.

Ran, Q.C.; Wang, X.; Wang, D., and Yan, H., 2023. Inbound tourism economy for coastal areas of China: Differences and influencing factors. Journal of Coastal Research, 39(4), 750–762. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208.

Inbound tourism revenue is an important indicator to measure the level of tourism development of a country or region. Studying the economic differences in inbound tourism in China's coastal areas and their influencing factors can play an important role in balancing the economic disparities in China's coastal areas. The standard deviation (S), coefficient of variation (CV), and Theil index were used to quantitatively analyze the inbound tourism revenues of the three major marine economic circles, including 11 provinces (regions or municipalities) in China's coastal areas from 2010 to 2019. The results showed that the indices of the S and CV were relatively large. This means that disparities in coastal areas were obvious. Using the generalized least squares (GLS) method and the difference-in-differences (DID) method, it is found that the level of economic development, the degree of opening up, the construction of tourism facilities, and major events are the main factors contributing to the differences in inbound tourism in coastal areas of China. Suggestions are made with respect to these main influencing factors, with a view to achieving sustainable development.

Stalter, R. and Lonard, R.I., 2023. Biological flora of coastal freshwater and brackish marshes: Cladium jamaicense Crantz. Journal of Coastal Research, 39(4), 763–776. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208.

Cladium jamaicense Crantz, also known as sawgrass, has a broad distributional range from the Atlantic coast of Virginia to Florida, to southern Texas, the Caribbean, and along the Atlantic coast of Mexico to Central America, and to Brazil. Cladium jamaicense typically occurs in oligotrophic sloughs and fresh and brackish marshes where optimal salinity values range from 0 to 3.5 ppt. This species is a long-lived perennial with a highly developed rhizome system with rhizomes up to 20 cm long and 2.5 to 10 mm in diameter. Asexual reproduction is common. Its fibrous root system comprises short dauciform roots characterized by a dense number of long root hairs. Culms are 1.0 to 3.0 m tall. Leaf blades are coarse, flat, or broadly involute; leaf margins and the abaxial midvein have sharp, hacksaw-like teeth. Typha domingensis (cattail) is C. jamaicense's most important competitor, especially in sites that have been enhanced with phosphorus. Restoration of sawgrass marshes requires managing long-term changes in ecosystem functions and hydrological management strategies.