[ES_JOBS_NET] National Park Service associated Post-doc mangroves and aging peat.

[Whelan, Kevin]

 Hello all – Please pass along to all interested parties,



The National Park Foundation (NPF) and National Park Service (NPS) have extended the application period for one post-doc fellowship position within the Scientists in Parks (SIP) Fellowship Program. This fellowship is investigating mangrove peat and sea level rise.

If interested, please contact Kevin_R_Whelan at nps.gov

More specific information on the project can be found below.


Can Biscayne National Park’s mangrove forest keep up with Sea Level Rise?

Project Abstract and Purpose:

Biscayne National Park (BISC) is one of the largest marine parks in the NPS and mangroves are its dominant terrestrial community. Mangroves are supported by the accumulation of peat soil over time, which helps counter the effects of sea level rise (SLR). South Florida has low elevation and is ground zero for SLR, which is estimated at 1.02 ft per 100 years in Biscayne Bay. Historically, mangrove peat development on the main shoreline has been 4 ft, and 15 ft on offshore islands.



Previous urban development and current SLR mitigating infrastructure projects, maybe affecting mangrove peat soil accumulation. A massive restoration project is currently being implemented; understanding how this restoration action is affecting peat accumulation is critically important, especially with the current acceleration in SLR. There is a need to understand what mechanisms support mangrove peat development, what management actions are exasperating or supporting it, and what areas have been impacted the greatest. This project’s finding can directly aid this restoration effort.

We propose to link landscape level change (using aerial imagery) in mangrove forest distribution to variation in peat composition and soil elevation across the region, then determine the peat development mechanisms at these locations. The scope of this study includes BISC and surrounding mangrove areas and is not a topic that can be addressed by current park staff. Since mangroves are ubiquitous in tropical settings worldwide, provide many ecosystem services, and are being squeezed by urban development, this information will be relevant on a global scale.



Investigation Scope:

We propose to link landscape level change or stability (using aerial imagery) in mangrove forest distribution to variation in peat composition and soil elevation, and then use this information to determine the primary peat development mechanisms at these locations.

To accomplish our objectives, we will link historical maps to develop a time series of landscape changes in Biscayne Bay mangrove distribution. These maps include the 1928 map, the 1943 and 1967 Davis maps, the 1999 Welch vegetation map, the 2005 Whelan vegetation map, and 2023 NAIP imagery.

Once unchanged and changed mangrove areas have been identified (10 sites each), we will determine the mangrove peat elevation and current accretion rates (feldspar marker horizons), and measure past accretion rates by dating soil cores (Lead 210 (210Pb) and Cesium 137 (137Cs)). The 210Pb ages soils over the past 75-100 years at 22-year intervals. The 137Cs model is used to identify the peak in deposition of Cesium that occurred in 1963, which will generate a 60-year time stamp in the core.

We will determine soil core composition, postulate the mechanisms for peat development, and determine if they have changed over time. We will compare changes in peat elevation and accretion rates to landscape level changes to understand how the peat development mechanism may have been altered. Two of the unchanged sites will be at 2 NPS long term soil monitoring stations.

Kevin R. T. Whelan
Community Ecologist
South Florida / Caribbean Inventory and Monitoring Network
National Park Service
18001 Old Cutler Road
Suite 419
Palmetto Bay, Florida  33157

Kevin_R_Whelan at nps.gov
305-496-7220 office/cell
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