DETERMINING THE EFFECTS OF RUNOFF, CONTAMINATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE ON COASTAL TEXAS AREAS UTILIZING GEOCHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ANALYSES

Coastal regions in developed areas are subject to varying anthropogenic activities, resulting in contamination, pollution, and biologic disturbances, among others. Employing analyses from various disciplines allows scientists to reveal short-and-long-term impacts of these anthropogenic influences on coastal environments. This study is being conducted by taking gravity core samples in transects at three sampling locations in coastal Galveston and Brazoria Counties, Texas. Study sites are located in areas of high (near a nuclear plant, highway, numerous houses, buildings, and structures), medium (roads, houses, buildings, and structures), and low (minimal roads and structures) anthropogenic impact. The working hypothesis for this study is that areas more influenced by human interaction and contamination will have noticeably different results than those of the less developed areas. This hypothesis is supported by previous studies in other coastal areas with various degrees of anthropogenic disturbance. This study will provide a spatial and temporal framework for these changes. Geochemical analyses will provide identification and quantification of crystalline minerals, elemental composition (up to 37 elements including Ba, Mg, Ca, and Mn and trace elements such as Sr, U, V), total organic carbon, nutrient levels and metal content. Microbiological analyses will determine productivity, organic flux rates, temperature changes, and anomalous developments in a selection of micro-organisms by means of stable isotopes measurements and changes in assemblage composition. This poster shows the preliminary results of this work in progress. In the future, these analyses will be applied to varied coastal areas to determine the environmental impact of runoff, building and road development, and contamination, as well as provide a baseline for areas prior to any environmental catastrophes.