Eco-morphological evolution of the Bolivar Peninsula (Texas, U.S.A.) during the last 2,000 years: A multi-proxy record of coastal environmental changes

Abstract

In the face of rapidly changing climate and increasing natural and anthropogenic disturbances, the long-term dynamics of coastal ecosystems in relation to hurricanes and human activities has become a focus of research for ecologists and geomorphologists across the Gulf of Mexico. This study integrates diatom, remote sensing, geochemical, and hydrodynamic analyses to document the ecological and morphological development of the barrier-island and estuary-wetland complex bordering Galveston Bay, Texas, from the late Holocene to the Anthropocene. The multi-proxy dataset revealed two major ecological shifts between 1320 and 840 cal yr BP and between 230 cal yr BP and 2008 AD in Galveston Bay. The first shift was driven by the landfall of a backdoor hurricane at ∼1000 cal yr BP in combination with the aperiodic and intense long-shore current that caused the barrier complex to retreat over fluvial deposits while the Bolivar Peninsula was growing toward the west. These morphological changes resulted in a narrower inlet, hence, restricting the marine influence from entering the bay and converting Galveston Bay to a wave-dominated estuary that was shallower and fresher. The second shift was caused by increasing modification to the waterway and infrastructures since 1800 AD. As a result, rapid sediment accretion was induced near the North Jetty, forming the current Bolivar Flats and setting the stage for mangrove colonization. The warming climate and hurricanes in recent decades acted as catalysts that accelerated mangrove expansion on the Bolivar Peninsula. Our results imply that the proposed coastal barrier system will likely increase the sediment deficit, alter the biogeochemical environment, and impact the primary productivity in the bay. However, on a regional scale, more and more mangrove stands are expected to appear around estuaries and lagoons, and along man-made jetties and barriers along the Gulf.