Project results regarding ‘Ecosystem processes and service provision in salt marshes facing varying sediment availability‘ were presented in the 9th Symposium on the Iberian Atlantic Margin that was held in in Coimbra between 4 and 7 of September.

Summary:
The services of a coastal ecosystem are critical to the functioning of the Earth’s life-support systems, and they are intimately governed by biotic and geologic couplings. This work assesses the temporal evolution of salt marsh ecosystems in a coastal lagoon, Ria Formosa lagoon, and analysis its triggering processes, both natural processes and human activities. We applied imagery analysis to investigate the capacity of tidal flats and salt marsh to develop and evolve under different hydrodynamics and sediment supply conditions. The studied marsh lays in the backbarrier of Culatra Island. A 60-year time-series of aerial photographs were used to measure states of marsh development and 2D maps were produced based on topography and sediment organic matter distribution. Data analysis showed that the main sediment source for marsh development was driven from the nearby inlet flood delta. The obtained findings help to predict the fate of important ecosystem services facing sea-level rise.

You can use the links to download the extended abstract and the poster.