Ecological Effects of Shoreline Armoring on Intertidal Habitats of a Puget Sound Urban Estuary |
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| Authors: | Sarah A Morley Jason D Toft Karrie M Hanson |
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| Institution: | (1) Northwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, 2725 Montlake Blvd. E, Seattle, WA 98112, USA;(2) School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Box 355020, Seattle, WA 98195, USA |
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| Abstract: | Shoreline armoring is extensive in urban areas worldwide, but the ecological consequences are poorly documented. We mapped
shoreline armoring along the Duwamish River estuary (Washington State, USA) and evaluated differences in temperature, invertebrates,
and juvenile salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) diet between armored and unarmored intertidal habitats. Mean substrate temperatures were significantly warmer at armored
sites, but water temperature similar to unarmored habitats. Epibenthic invertebrate densities were over tenfold greater on
unarmored shorelines and taxa richness double that of armored locations. Taxa richness of neuston invertebrates was also higher
at unarmored sites, but abundance similar. We did not detect differences in Chinook (O. tshawytscha) diet, but observed a higher proportion of benthic prey for chum (O. keta) from unarmored sites. Given that over 66% of the Duwamish shoreline is armored—similar to much of south and central Puget
Sound—our results underscore the need for further ecological study to address the impacts of estuary armoring. |
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