Sea-level rise is an escalating threat to coastal wetlands as increased inundation and saltwater intrusion can lead to lowered productivity, decreased biomass, and plant death – and ultimately land loss. In chapter one, I detailed the interactive effects of inundation and nitrogen on two commonly found saltmarsh species, Spartina alterniflora and Spartina patens. I examined productivity and metrics to these stressors using a controlled mesocosm experiment in the western channel of the Pascagoula River, Mississippi. I found varying strategies of growth between species and differing responses between the short- and long-term. Overall Spartina alterniflora performed better with increased inundation than Spartina patens. Both species responded positively to nitrogen additions in the above- and belowground biomass, with the latter shown only in the long-term. In chapter two, I evaluated the impact of sea-level rise on coastal wetlands that are important for an underrepresented community in Louisiana. I worked with the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe (PACIT) and Louisiana Sea Grant to understand saltmarsh resiliency to increased inundation. I applied a mechanistic landscape model to predict coastal wetland change impacted by sea-level rise in comparison to vulnerability assessments from traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). By integrating the biophysical model predictions with land-based, generational assessments, I highlighted vulnerable areas to sea-level rise while including the tribe’s sustainability goals, producing a spatial tool that can be used by PACIT and land managers to prioritize saltmarsh restoration. The findings in this thesis will improve our understanding of coastal resiliency and ecosystem health under future sea-level rise and climate change.
","abstract_html":"<p>Sea-level rise is an escalating threat to coastal wetlands as increased inundation and saltwater intrusion can lead to lowered productivity, decreased biomass, and plant death – and ultimately land loss. In chapter one, I detailed the interactive effects of inundation and nitrogen on two commonly found saltmarsh species,<em> Spartina alterniflora </em>and <em>Spartina patens</em>. I examined productivity and metrics to these stressors using a controlled mesocosm experiment in the western channel of the Pascagoula River, Mississippi. I found varying strategies of growth between species and differing responses between the short- and long-term. Overall <em>Spartina alterniflora</em> performed better with increased inundation than <em>Spartina patens</em>. Both species responded positively to nitrogen additions in the above- and belowground biomass, with the latter shown only in the long-term. In chapter two, I evaluated the impact of sea-level rise on coastal wetlands that are important for an underrepresented community in Louisiana. I worked with the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe (PACIT) and Louisiana Sea Grant to understand saltmarsh resiliency to increased inundation. I applied a mechanistic landscape model to predict coastal wetland change impacted by sea-level rise in comparison to vulnerability assessments from traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). By integrating the biophysical model predictions with land-based, generational assessments, I highlighted vulnerable areas to sea-level rise while including the tribe’s sustainability goals, producing a spatial tool that can be used by PACIT and land managers to prioritize saltmarsh restoration. The findings in this thesis will improve our understanding of coastal resiliency and ecosystem health under future sea-level rise and climate change.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["San Antonio, Kelly"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Masters Thesis","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Wei Wu","Dr. Kelly Darnell","Dr. Matt Bethel"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2023,"date_issued":"2023-12-13T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2023-12-13T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:45:40Z","subjects":["Saltmarsh","coastal resiliency","sea-level rise","landscape modeling","climate change","traditional ecological knowledge"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/1006","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Wei Wu","Dr. Kelly Darnell","Dr. Matt Bethel"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["San Antonio, Kelly"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2023-10-18T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Saltmarsh","coastal resiliency","sea-level rise","landscape modeling","climate change","traditional ecological knowledge"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/1006"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Sea-level rise is an escalating threat to coastal wetlands as increased inundation and saltwater intrusion can lead to lowered productivity, decreased biomass, and plant death – and ultimately land loss. In chapter one, I detailed the interactive effects of inundation and nitrogen on two commonly found saltmarsh species, Spartina alterniflora and Spartina patens. I examined productivity and metrics to these stressors using a controlled mesocosm experiment in the western channel of the Pascagoula River, Mississippi. I found varying strategies of growth between species and differing responses between the short- and long-term. Overall Spartina alterniflora performed better with increased inundation than Spartina patens. Both species responded positively to nitrogen additions in the above- and belowground biomass, with the latter shown only in the long-term. In chapter two, I evaluated the impact of sea-level rise on coastal wetlands that are important for an underrepresented community in Louisiana. I worked with the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe (PACIT) and Louisiana Sea Grant to understand saltmarsh resiliency to increased inundation. I applied a mechanistic landscape model to predict coastal wetland change impacted by sea-level rise in comparison to vulnerability assessments from traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). By integrating the biophysical model predictions with land-based, generational assessments, I highlighted vulnerable areas to sea-level rise while including the tribe’s sustainability goals, producing a spatial tool that can be used by PACIT and land managers to prioritize saltmarsh restoration. The findings in this thesis will improve our understanding of coastal resiliency and ecosystem health under future sea-level rise and climate change.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["THE IMPACT OF SEA-LEVEL RISE ON COASTAL WETLANDS USING IN-SITU MESOCOSM EXPERIMENTS, LANDSCAPE MODELING, AND TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE MAPPING"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Wei Wu","Dr. Kelly Darnell","Dr. Matt Bethel"],"dc:creator":["San Antonio, Kelly"],"dc:date.available":["2023-10-18T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Sea-level rise is an escalating threat to coastal wetlands as increased inundation and saltwater intrusion can lead to lowered productivity, decreased biomass, and plant death – and ultimately land loss. In chapter one, I detailed the interactive effects of inundation and nitrogen on two commonly found saltmarsh species, Spartina alterniflora and Spartina patens. I examined productivity and metrics to these stressors using a controlled mesocosm experiment in the western channel of the Pascagoula River, Mississippi. I found varying strategies of growth between species and differing responses between the short- and long-term. Overall Spartina alterniflora performed better with increased inundation than Spartina patens. Both species responded positively to nitrogen additions in the above- and belowground biomass, with the latter shown only in the long-term. In chapter two, I evaluated the impact of sea-level rise on coastal wetlands that are important for an underrepresented community in Louisiana. I worked with the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe (PACIT) and Louisiana Sea Grant to understand saltmarsh resiliency to increased inundation. I applied a mechanistic landscape model to predict coastal wetland change impacted by sea-level rise in comparison to vulnerability assessments from traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). By integrating the biophysical model predictions with land-based, generational assessments, I highlighted vulnerable areas to sea-level rise while including the tribe’s sustainability goals, producing a spatial tool that can be used by PACIT and land managers to prioritize saltmarsh restoration. The findings in this thesis will improve our understanding of coastal resiliency and ecosystem health under future sea-level rise and climate change.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/1006"],"dc:subject":["Saltmarsh","coastal resiliency","sea-level rise","landscape modeling","climate change","traditional ecological knowledge"],"dc:title":["THE IMPACT OF SEA-LEVEL RISE ON COASTAL WETLANDS USING IN-SITU MESOCOSM EXPERIMENTS, LANDSCAPE MODELING, AND TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE MAPPING"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:45:40Z"}