Human activities and sea-level rise are resulting in losses of global marsh area and the ecosystem functions they provide. Despite restoration and construction efforts to counter marsh loss, the extent of functional recovery following these projects is highly variable. We assessed functional recovery of nitrogen (N) removal capacity over two summers by comparing rates of denitrification, anammox, and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) in 12 constructed/restored and four paired reference natural marshes across the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Denuded marsh areas were also assessed for N-removal capacity. Average N-removal through denitrification and anammox across natural marshes was ~38 µmol N kg-1hr-1 and was lower than N-retention through DNRA (44.4 µmol N kg-1hr-1). N-removal recovery varied with construction/restoration type with beneficial use and constructed marshes reaching about half the removal efficiency compared to reference sites. Living shoreline marshes were comparable to reference marshes in N-removal capacity and shoreline restoration marshes exceeded reference N-removal capacity by 76%. Denuded marsh areas had the lowest N-removal capacity (17.8 µmol N kg-1hr-1) with exception of two plots which had high organic matter content. While N-removal capacity was variable across restoration/construction techniques, the relative proportion of N-removal was similar across most restoration techniques and comparable to reference marshes. Marsh restoration is an effective strategy to recover some ecosystem services; however, recovery in N-removal capacity was highly variable and appears to depend on the type of restoration effort undertaken.

Beach closures and advisories caused by various environmental threats are one of the major concerns of tourism-dependent coastal communities. Among these various causes of beach restriction, harmful algal blooms (HABs) and high levels of Enterococcus have drawn special attention due to their increasing frequencies. These threats pose dangers to beachgoers, leading beach monitoring stations to restrict or eliminate access to beaches. While it is imperative to protect the health of beachgoers, limited beach access may discourage tourists from traveling to coastal areas, affecting their regional economies. Considering the anthropogenic triggers of HABs and high Enterococcus levels, the goal of this study is to highlight the economic consequences of certain human activities along coastlines that could be reduced via policy. Focusing on the coastal areas of Mississippi and Western Florida, this study aims to 1) analyze the regional economic impact of beach closures and advisories using panel regressions at the county level, 2) show the regional economic impacts of beach closures and advisories due to HABs and high levels of Enterococcus, and 3) discuss related policies.

Commercial shrimpers in the north-central Gulf of Mexico frequently encounter marine debris in their nets, resulting in the loss of time and catch, and added repair costs. Before this study, no information existed on the spatial and temporal distribution of marine debris that shrimpers encounter within the north-central Gulf of Mexico and the subsequent economic impact on commercial shrimping. The collection of this information will help improve our understanding of the potential impacts of marine debris and the implementation of preventive measures. Twenty commercial shrimpers participated in a comprehensive data collection program within the north-central Gulf of Mexico to characterize the quantity and impacts of marine debris. Results showed that derelict crab traps were an overwhelming issue for shrimpers. The type of fishing gear used influenced the type of marine debris encountered and the subsequent economic impacts. Surveyed shrimpers encountered marine debris on 19% of tows and lost an average of 18.21 minutes, 7.88 kg of catch, and $6.37 in gear damage per tow with encounters, resulting in losses of $7,683 per year, per shrimper.