S1304 Coastal wetlands, lagoons and estuaries: environmental monitoring and management, Curtis Richardson, Marco Marani and Sonia Silvestri

What are the main environmental issues in coastal lagoons and estuaries? What are the chief physical processes driving them? Why should we restore coastal wetlands? What policy decisions are behind the management of such environments? Lagoons, deltas and estuaries are subject to rapid and sometimes extreme changes, in response to natural and anthropogenic pressures. Importantly, the responses are not just related to physical processes, such as sediment dynamics induced by hydrodynamic patterns or extreme meteorological events, but also to ecological dynamics, in connection with vegetation cover, and the biological status of the sediments. Beside their evident ecological importance, coastal humid areas are often the location of important human settlements and the centre of relevant social/cultural interests. In fact, the direct or indirect human interference has produced in the past - and is still producing - rapid morphological and ecological modifications of estuaries and lagoons worldwide. Venice and its lagoon are a well-documented and representative example of the possible outcomes of human-natural systems interactions in coastal environments.

The course is divided into two sections: the first part of the course, open to a non-technical audience addresses general environmental management issues in lagoons, estuaries/deltas and wetlands. The main processes driving change in these environments will be presented, as well as the dominant eco-morphological processes, in terms of how they respond to pressures like changes in sea level rise and water quality issues related to sustaining marshes and aquaculture. The course will use the history of the Venice lagoon, as well as descriptions of its more recent modifications, as an illustration of the issues connected with changes in coastal lagoons and estuaries driven by human impacts, induced climatic changes, and natural environmental dynamics. Adaptation measures to rising sea levels will be discussed, with particular reference to the MOSE system, the systems of gates currently being constructed to protect the city of Venice from extreme high tides.

The second part of the course, requiring some basic technical background, will focus on observing, monitoring, and environmental assessment: the necessary basis for management policies. Wetland functions, hydrology, biogeochemistry, decomposition, community habitat, and productivity will be discussed in an ecosystem context. With this background the use of constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment and erosion control will be presented. During this second part of the course, students will acquire an operational knowledge of various monitoring technologies, with particular interest for satellite remote-sensing tools. In the computer lab, students will learn to use ENVI, an advanced application for remote sensing data processing, with specific hands-in applications on (1) change detection in coastal zones, focusing in particular on salt marsh and barrier island erosion, (2) mapping salt marsh vegetation, seagrass beds and macroalgae, (3) the assessment of the main water quality parameters (as for example water temperature, solid suspended sediment, chlorophyll concentration). Applications to the Venice Lagoon will be discussed in detail also through hands-on projects.

Students taking only the first half of the course, will substitute the second part with a series of field trips and field work activities to obtain the full credit amount.

Course objectives and outcomes
- To develop (1) an understanding of the main natural and anthropogenic drivers of the evolution of environments subjected to tidal forcings, including both biotic and abiotic components; (2) a conceptual understanding of wetland preservation and restoration concepts and related topics; (3) the ability to analyze resource and management problems in wetland and coastal restoration.
- To analyze (1) wetland functions, ecosystem services and management strategies for wetland and coastal restoration; (2) specific examples of protection/restoration activities applied in the Venice Lagoon.
- To develop (1) an understanding of how in-situ and remote sensing observations can support our understanding of coastal ecological and morphological dynamics; (2) a general understanding of remote sensing applications with specific reference to coastal studies; (3) basic skills in image processing and analysis of remote sensing data.
- To provide students with (1) the opportunity for reviewing and discussing restoration procedures and restoration assessments; (2) experience in leading a seminar and critiquing research papers.

Several modes of teaching are utilized: lecture (several guest speakers will be brought in), readings (readings in research articles are critiqued), labs (students are asked o do exercises) and students are asked to prepare a written analysis of articles (1 page) or lead a seminar and discussion on a chosen aspect of restoration. Computer access for data analysis is required. Three Field trips to restored salt marshes, barrier islands protection structure or constructed wetland sites in Venice Lagoon by boat will be utilized. Video Conferencing of lectures will be a key mode of teaching and faculty between the Duke Campus and VIU.