Date of Award

1-1-2013

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Department

Earth and Ocean Sciences

Sub-Department

Geology

First Advisor

Michael Bizimis

Abstract

Barrier island salt marshes are known as sources of nutrients to the coastal ocean but it is unclear whether they are also sources or sinks of trace metals in regards to coastal waters. Salt marshes are characterized by steep redox and biogeochemical gradients, which constantly fluctuate as a result of tidal pumping. While several studies have examined metal budgets between terrestrial fresh water, estuarine subterranean fluids, and coastal saline waters, there is little data regarding fluid chemistry for metals in salt water estuaries in the absence of fresh water input. This study investigated a back barrier salt marsh on Cabretta Island, Ga. This salt marsh has no terrestrial freshwater input component, eliminating potential sources and long range transport of metals from outside the system. As such, the Cabretta salt marsh allows determination of the dissolved flux of metals into coastal seawater from the salt marsh sediments as a result of tidal pumping. This study determined the dissolved (

Rights

© 2013, Ryan Antle

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