Helene’s Potential Impact on the Florida Coastal Wetlands

Coastal wetlands are some of the most ecologically productive environments on Earth.  They support diverse plant and animal species, provide essential ecosystem services such as stormwater filtration, and act as buffers against storms.  As Helene showed the Big Bend area, storm surge is devastating to these delicate ecosystems.

As the force of rushing water erodes soil, uproots vegetation, and reshapes the landscape, critical habitats for wildlife, in and out of the water, is lost, sometimes, forever.  Saltwater is forced into the freshwater wetlands.  Many plants and aquatic animal species are not adapted to high salinity, and will die off.  The ecosystem’s species composition can completely change in just a few short hours.

Prolonged storm surge can overwhelm even the very salt tolerant species.  While wetlands are naturally adept at absorbing excess water, the salinity concentration change can lead to complete changes in soil chemistry, sediment build-up, and water oxygen levels.  The biodiversity of plant and animal species will change in favor of marine species, versus freshwater species.

Coastal communities impacted by a hurricane change the view of the landscape for months, or even, years.  Construction can replace many of the structures lost.  Rebuilding wetlands can take hundreds of years. In the meantime, these developments remain even more vulnerable to the effects of the next storm.  Apalachicola and Cedar Key are examples of the impacts of storm surge on coastal wetlands.  Helene will do even more damage.

Many of the coastal cities in the Big Bend have been implementing mitigation strategies to reduce the damage.  Extension agents throughout the area have utilized integrated approaches that combine natural and engineered solutions.  Green Stormwater Infrastructure techniques and Living Shorelines are just two approaches being taken.

So, as we all wish them a speedy recovery, take some time to educate yourself on what could be done in all of our Panhandle coastal communities to protect our fragile wetland ecosystems.  For more information go to:

https://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/media/fflifasufledu/docs/gsi-documents/GSI-Maintenance-Manual.pdf

https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/2023/11/29/cedar-key-living-shorelines/