ABSTRACT
The ecological implications of alterations of the physical components of coastal systems through various methods of dredging, filling, and channelization have not received as much attention by coastal researchers as other forms of anthropogenic impacts. The northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico is lined with bays that are enclosed by barrier islands that have been systematically altered by dredging activities. Dredged channels have been created in the Apalachicola, Choctawhatchee, and Perdido Estuaries that opened the naturally low-salinity bay waters in these areas to the entry of high-salinity gulf waters. The effects of these openings have been evaluated in the long-term studies of the NE Gulf coastal ecosystems.
