Modeling benthic solar exposure (UV and visible) in dynamic coastal systems to better inform seagrass habitat suitability

Abstract

Seagrass meadows worldwide provide valuable ecosystem services but have experienced sharp declines in recent decades. This rapid loss has prompted numerous restoration efforts with variable levels of success, often depending on the suitability of the restoration sites. The selection of sites can be guided by simple habitat suitability models driven with environmental variables deemed critical to the successful growth of new transplants. Habitat suitability models typically consider the influence of bathymetry, sediment type, salinity, wave exposure, and water quality. However, they typically do not explicitly include benthic exposure to ultraviolet (UV) and commonly use depth as a coarse proxy for photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Benthic exposure to UV and PAR are both key parameters for habitat suitability but can be challenging to determine, especially in coastal environments influenced by rivers and tides where they are extremely variable. Here, we demonstrate the development of a simple but effective model of spectrally-resolved benthic solar irradiance for a dynamic marsh-influenced mesotidal estuary in Massachusetts. In-situ measurements were used to develop and validate an empirical model predicting the UV-visible vertical diffuse attenuation coefficient spectra of downwelling irradiance, K_d(λ), from simple physical parameters about tides, river discharge and location. Spectral benthic solar irradiances (280-700 nm) were calculated hourly for 3 years (2017-2019) using modeled and validated cloud-corrected surface downwelling irradiances, estimates of water depth, and the modeled K_d(λ) spectra. The mapped irradiances were used to provide improved seagrass habitat suitability maps that will guide future restoration efforts in the estuary. We expect the approach presented here can be adapted to other dynamic coastal environments influenced by tides and rivers and/or applied to other light-dependent organisms and biogeochemical processes.

Keywords: Benthic solar exposure; Chromophoric dissolved organic matter; Diffuse attenuation coefficient; Estuary; Habitat suitability model; Photosynthetically active radiation; Seagrass; UV radiation; Zostera marina L..