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The relative contributions of tidal exchange, groundwater and rainfall will be linked to fluctuations in salinity, water levels in the wetlands and ponds, and wetland elevation. These factors are critical to fish, wading birds and vegetation communities.
Tracking these factors before and after hydrological restoration will aid in judging restoration success at Terra Ceia, and help refine future restoration plans. At the Alafia River, reductions in freshwater inflow to the bay will be linked to the apparent conversion of salt marsh to mangrove wetlands. Baywide, these two wetland types will be evaluated as contrasting habitat for estuarine fish.
Analysis of recent historic change in the wetlands will be linked to pre-history (core analysis) and alterations to fresh water discharge, bathymetry, and sea level fluctuations.
Urbanization modeling efforts will be combined with information on wetland distribution to develop predictive models of future wetlands change.
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