Research Proposal Seminar - Antonio Cantu de Leija

COASTAL AND MARINE SYSTEM SCIENCE PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-CORPUS CHRISTI

TITLE: Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Foraging Habitat Availability for Waterbirds in Intertidal Zones of the Gulf of Mexico

GRADUATE ADVISOR: Dr. Dale Gawlik

COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Dr. James Gibeaut, Dr. Loretta Battaglia, Dr. Bart Ballard

ABSTRACT
Phytoplankton produce oxygen, contribute to nutrient cycling, and serve as the foundation of the marine food Waterbird populations are often limited by the availability of foraging habitat. In intertidal zones, water level fluctuations and geomorphology are key drivers of foraging habitat availability. These drivers interact with species-specific intrinsic constraints, namely leg length and foraging behavior, to control the depth, spatial extent, and timing of available foraging habitat to wading birds. However, human activities and sea level rise are exacerbating coastal change, altering waterbird foraging habitats and leaving coastal resource managers in need of new data-driven tools to guide their conservation actions. Therefore, this study proposes to develop intertidal foraging habitat models for four imperiled wading birds [Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens), Little Blue Heron (Egretta cearulea), Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor), and Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)] and evaluate potential changes due to sea level rise. Additionally, because intertidal zones are characterized by dynamic topographic change and high-quality and updated elevation data are necessary for reliable modeling of foraging habitat availability, the use of satellite-derived bathymetry will be evaluated as an alternative to traditional digital elevation models, which are time-consuming and expensive to create.