CREEK RESTORATION EFFECTS ON TIDAL DYNAMICS IN MANGROVES

Resumen

Mangroves provide natural buffers between land and sea, protecting both coastal communities and nature as they attenuate waves and stabilize shorelines but also filter terrestrial runoff. Tropical mangroves are also biodiversity hotspots and provide other ecosystem services such as supporting fish and shellfish habitat, accommodating ecotourism and sequestering carbon. Nevertheless, mangrove coasts have become increasingly exposed to changing environmental conditions, a trend that has resulted in a declining mangrove cover on a global scale. At the protected Ramsar site of Lac Bay, Bonaire, large areas of mangroves have been subject to deterioration and tree mortality (Senger et al., 2021). Excessive sediment inputs from the land and mangrove growth have clogged existing creeks and reduced hydrodynamic circulation through the mangrove system. Resulting changes in sedimentation rates, submergence and water quality affect the survival of the inland mangroves in Lac Bay. The (re-)creation of suitable morphological and hydrodynamic conditions is key for mangrove restoration (Friess et al., 2019). This study investigates the potential of creek restoration to increase the hydrodynamic circulation in the mangroves of Lac Bay, thereby accommodating their survival.