Waters,
Forests: Using Tree Rings to Study the Effect of Sea Level Rise on Coastal Forests
An Environmental Gem: Yamaha Rightwaters Talks About the Wonders of the Delaware Estuary
Making Gardens Grow in Chester: PDE Takes its Homegrown Habitats Program to Pennsylvania
By Joshua Grier, Sustainability Program Manager, Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit
Some of the most important environments for saltwater ecosystems are the estuaries and bays that serve as filters for water as it flows out to the sea from inland rivers. These finger-like channels of coastal grasses and mud flats also act as sheltered spawning havens for all kinds of marine life that would struggle making it to adulthood in the wider water column. On the Atlantic coast, there are few havens more important than the Delaware Estuary. Understanding the role the Delaware River, Bay, and Estuary play in the greater coastal ecosystem is important to the health of coastal environments.
Yamaha Rightwaters™, Yamaha Marine’s sustainability and conservation initiative, proudly supports Partnership for the Delaware Estuary and the academic marine research the organization pursues. The work that PDE does in the areas of habitat improvement and freshwater mussel and oyster restoration is key to preserving this unique environment. Without the Estuary, migratory birds that make the annual trip up and down the Atlantic coast would struggle to find food, major fisheries would have incredibly reduced reproductive activity, and marine life all along the coast would suffer.
Understanding water quality, impacts of climate change and sea level rise, and other environmental challenges facing the Delaware River and Bay’s ecosystems sheds light on issues affecting coastal habitats across the world.
Without these key habitats, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and mammals could not continue to exist as they do in the world today. Safeguarding the health of places like the Delaware Estuary will ensure that the millions of people, wildlife, and plants that depend on it will continue to thrive for generations to come.
Last summer, PDE obtained a research boat with assistance from Yamaha Rightwaters, Aqua, an Essential Utilities Company, and the Environmental Protection Agency under an Assistance Agreement funded by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Meetings conducted by the Delaware Estuary Program’s implementation and advisory committees occur on a regular basis and are open to the public. For meeting dates and times, please contact the individuals listed below:
Estuary Implementation Committee
Kathy Klein
Partnership for the Delaware Estuary Executive Director (Chair) (302) 354-0307 kklein@DelawareEstuary.org
Monitoring Advisory & Coordination Committee
Elaine Panuccio
Water Restoration Scientist, Water Quality Assessment
Delaware River Basin Commission (609) 883-9500, ext. 307 elaine.panuccio@drbc.gov
Toxics Advisory Committee
Jeremy Conkle Senior Toxicologist
Delaware River Basin Commission (609) 883-9500 Jeremy.Conkle@drbc.gov
Science and Technical Advisory Committee
LeeAnn Haaf, Ph.D.
Partnership for the Delaware Estuary Assistant Director of Estuary Science (800) 445-4935, ext. 116 lhaaf@delawareestuary.org
Water Quality Advisory Committee
John Yagecic, P.E. Manager, Water Quality Assessment
Delaware River Basin Commission (609) 883-9500, ext. 271 john.yagecic@drbc.nj.gov
LeeAnn Haaf, Ph.D., looks out from a ghost forest near Fortescue, New Jersey, where there’s a variety of dead trees resulting from saltwater intrusion. Story on Page 4.
In June, PDE hosted a threeday tour of our science and outreach programs with a team from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Oregon's Lower Columbia National Estuary Program. Every five years, the EPA reviews organizations in the National Estuary Program to make sure their initiatives are running well. This year, the group visited the Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard in Wilmington, Delaware, where PDE is teaming up with partners
to build the first living shoreline in the city. The group also went to Philadelphia where PDE will build a freshwater mussel hatchery at Bartram’s Garden and to Bivalve, New Jersey, to chat about exciting projects at the Rutgers University Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory.
In September, PDE’s science crew traveled to Port Mahon, Delaware where our scientists looked for killifish, minnows, and other aquatic animals in a potential restoration site. The crew combed
PDE and partners made a splash at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia and Wiggins Park in Camden, New Jersey. The annual Delaware River Festival featured more than 30 \ booths from environmental organizations around the Delaware River Watershed, and a fantastic bird show showcasing exotic feathered friends such as
an Asian eagle owl, a silver-cheeked hornbill, a cockatoo, and sun conures. STRONG COMMUNITIES C2.2
local ditches and creeks to get an understanding of fish communities in this area before PDE and partners try restoration activities there.
By LeeAnn Haaf, Ph.D., PDE’s Assistant Director of Estuary Science
Sunlight filters through the canopy of pines, holly, sweet gum, and red maple while bird calls echo in the distance. These coastal forests may seem like others in the mid-Atlantic, but a hidden challenge looms. Standing tall next to their salt marsh neighbors, where the wind carries the sharp scent of sulfidic seawater, these trees are more than just part of the landscape — they are living monuments to a rapidly changing environment. As sea levels rise, the future of these forests is uncertain. While the adjacent salt marshes can adapt to encroaching waters, the trees, vulnerable to the increasing frequency of saltwater flooding,
LeeAnn Haaf, Ph.D., bores into the trunk of a loblolly pine to extract a sample. Haaf and colleagues used dendrochronology, the analysis of tree growth rings, to explore relationships between flooding, climate variables, and site-specific conditions.
face a grimmer prospect. Additionally, temperatures are increasing, and rain patterns are shifting. How long can the forest withstand the pressure of a changing climate? When will they finally succumb to a rising tide?
Coastal forests occupy low-lying land just above sea level, situated beside tidal marshes. Being low and close to tidal channels, these forests can flood with saltwater, which may happen a few times a year or only during the most severe storms. However, as sea levels rise, the boundary between land and sea
Proactive management is paramount, as once the trees begin to die, it is likely too late to alter their fate. To anticipate these changes, it is essential to understand the subtleties that occur before tree death. Signals of stress can be gleaned from how well trees are growing as flooding increases, temperature rises, and precipitation patterns change. These signals point toward what conditions may eventually lead to tree death, and depending on other characteristics of the forest, where coastal forests are more vulnerable to retreat.
pushes upslope, leading to more frequent flooding. Tidal marshes dynamically build elevation or migrate upslope, maintaining their positions relative to flooding. Forests, however, are far less adaptable. Along the lower edges, individual trees begin to die, forcing the forest to retreat until what remains is a graveyard of dead trees — known as a “ghost forest.” Here, salt-tolerant marsh plants, such as smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), take root and form a green carpet below the remains of the once-thriving forest. This shift is beneficial for tidal marshes, allowing them to expand even in the face of erosion or other threats, but it comes at the expense of the coastal forest.
The stark reality of this transition is already apparent in many coastal areas, where acres of dead trees stand as a testament to the encroaching saltwater. Retreating coastal forest can result in a loss of biodiversity, and perhaps carbon sequestration; if nothing else, it represents the loss of critical buffer space between the land and sea. Land slope plays a role in determining where these forests retreat, but the variability is enough to leave land managers questioning: Where will forests retreat and where will tidal marshes take their place?
Our study delved into this using dendrochronology, the analysis of tree growth rings, to explore relationships between flooding, climate variables, and site-specific conditions. Dendrochronology allows us to understand the conditions under which trees thrive or struggle, with narrower growth rings indicating periods of stress. Traditionally, simple correlations have been used to study these relationships, but we employed a different technique: gradient boosted linear regression. This machine learning approach can uncover complexities that correlations might miss, such as nonlinear growth patterns across a spectrum of environmental conditions. We applied this method at four sites, with three tree species common to coastal forests in New Jersey and Delaware: loblolly pine, pitch pine, and American holly.
This tree core sample, about the size of a drinking
shows the tree’s rings. Dendrochronology can be used to date tree rings to the exact year they were formed in a tree.
Our hypothesis was that rising sea levels would lead to reduced growth across species. However, the results were far more nuanced. The effects of sea level rise on tree growth
The weather was great, the band was smooth, and the oysters were fresh from local waters. It was the perfect recipe for a fabulous night in Philadelphia as PDE celebrated its programs and the amazing partners who support them.
Nearly 300 people turned out to network, enjoy cocktails, bid on treasures in the silent auction, and more. Guests interacted with PDE staff who turned the party into a science and education fair, giving everyone a sneak peek into their work adventures.
During dinner, PDE introduced a "Ring the Bell" campaign to garner support for the freshwater mussel hatchery that will be built at Bartram’s Garden. The campaign raised more than $7,000 for signs that will be featured in the welcome
center of the complex. Guests who made a donation rang a bell at their table to announce their generosity. Aqua, an Essential Utilities Company, announced its
$100,000 donation to support construction of the hatchery.
PDE is incredibly grateful for everyone who came, sponsored, and donated, and can’t wait to see you again next year!
2 3 4
1. Dinner guests toast the night at PDE’s 2024 Experience the Estuary Celebration. 2. PDE Board President Nicole Brown talks with Philadelphia Water Department Commissioner Randy E. Hayman, Esq. 3. Mike and Becky Iaconelli of the Ike Foundation enjoy the mild weather in the courtyard at Vie by Cescaphe in Philadelphia where PDE held its celebration. 4. Krista Seng, head of Corporate Giving and Community Affairs at Aqua, an Essential Utilities Company, enjoys some fresh, local oysters during the dinner’s cocktail hour. Photo courtesy of Krista Seng.
For more photos from the evening, visit: bit.ly/2024PDECelebration
They say timing is everything. This fall Chester, Pennsylvania, resident Parie Powell moved into a new home and was looking for something pretty to decorate her front porch. When she left the Ruth Bennett Community Farm on a sunny October afternoon, she was high-fiving her neighbors and gushing about the gardening supplies and native plants she received that day through PDE’s Homegrown Habitats Program, and how they were just the thing to adorn her new abode.
Powell wasn’t the only happy Chester resident to walk away with some free plants this fall. The native plant giveaway at the Bennett farm was part of a monthlong Homegrown Habitats program that focused on teaching Chester residents about gardening at home with native plants and taking advantage of any available space.
Native plants are easy to grow because they have adapted to the local soil and climate. Their robust root systems capture stormwater, aid groundwater recharge, and provide habitats for essential pollinators like birds, bees, and butterflies.
PDE gave away more than 800 native plants to participating Chester residents this year. Last year, PDE piloted the Homegrown Habitats program in Wilmington, Delaware, where PDE gave away 620 plants to 37 participating city residents.
PDE received financial support for this program from the EPA under an Assistance Agreement funded by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
WATERS W1.3/ W1.4 STRONG COMMUNITIES C1.2/ C2.3
For more photos from the day, visit: bit.ly/HGH24
By Kate Layton, PDE's Communications Manager
We treasure stolen moments because they are rare and precious; there one second and gone the next.
In October, people all over the country, including in the Delaware River Watershed, had a few stolen moments and a rare front seat to see nature really show off. The aurora borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, stretched much farther south than their usual territory and appeared brightly through much of North America, the United States, and other parts of the world.
Usually, this light show is contained to the northernmost parts of the planet such as the Artic, Scandanavia, Russia, Canada, and Alaska. But a powerful geomagnetic storm caused by intense solar activity gave others across the earth a brief window to see purple, red, pink, and green hues across the starry horizon.
To get a better view and photos of this phenomenon, my husband
and I knew we had to get away from urban light pollution and get to one of the darkest areas we could find. We jumped into the car and with a spotty GPS signal and Bob Dylan playing through the speakers, we drove about a half hour east over spooky, twisty back roads from our home near Camden, Delaware, to Big Stone Beach near Frederica where the
scarcity of streetlights afforded us a fuller spectrum of colors.
Using our cell phone cameras (phones are better for viewing the northern lights than the naked eye) we watched as colors gradually appeared. Green came first, but pink, magenta, crimson, and purple soon followed. I couldn’t take my eyes away, or hit the shutter on my camera fast enough.
Shivering there on the sand with just a few other spectators to keep us company, it felt like we had the sky, the rocky Delaware Bay beach, and the stars all to ourselves.
As we drove home, excited about the pictures we took, we knew the colors would fade as we slept. We don't know if we'll ever see the Northern Lights shine that brightly off the Delaware Bay again. We were just a couple of shutterbugs standing on a chilly beach, chasing stolen moments and flashes of light in the dark.
Sarah Clark of the Institute for Conservation Leadership spoke about the benefits of the Delaware River Watershed Initiative and opportunities for the future before leading facilitated discussion within the group about partnership opportunities. The meeting also had a panel discussion about community challenges and planning efforts within the Schuylkill River watershed. Panelists included
• Ashley Showers, Assistant Director of Berks County Planning Commission,
• Rachael Griffith, Sustainability Director with the Chester County Planning Commission
The SAN is a network of more than 300 organizational partners who collaborate to improve water resources in the Schuylkill River Watershed. Each year, the group gathers to reflect upon the year, share information about projects performed in the watershed, and connect and network.
In November, the Schuylkill Action Network (SAN) celebrated the power of partnerships at its annual meeting at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania.
• Chloe Mohr, Principal Planner with the Montgomery County Planning Commission.
varied depending on temperature, precipitation, and the site. At one site, we found that American holly grew better when winter water levels were higher. Loblolly pines appeared vulnerable to autumn water levels. We also observed frequent non-linear growth responses, painting a more complicated picture of how these forests react to rising sea levels and climate change. We also analyzed whether the
The Schuylkill Action Network also awarded two annual Kevin Munley SAN MVP awards: one to Delaware River Basin Commission Executive Director Steve Tambini, who retired on Dec. 1 (see page 11). An additional Kevin Munley SAN MVP award recognized Joe Hebelka of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for his dedication to the SAN over the last 21 years.
gradient-boosted results indicated that trees would fare better or worse under predicted changes in temperature, precipitation, and water levels. Our findings revealed few consistent patterns, highlighting the influence of species and site-specific factors on overall vulnerability.
HEALTHY HABITATS H2.1/H2.2/H2.3
LeeAnn Haaf’s research focuses on coastal wetlands and the response of Mid-Atlantic coastal forests to sea level rise and climate change.
See the link to Haaf and Dymond’s original research.
REPUBLISHING GUIDELINES: Open access and sharing research is part of Frontiers’ mission. Unless otherwise noted, you can republish articles posted in the Frontiers news site — as long as you include a link back to the original research. Selling the articles is not allowed.
VIDEO: See how a tree coring instrument extracts a sample from the trunk of a pitch pine.
After 10 years with the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), Executive Director Steve Tambini retired from the organization on Dec. 1.
"Heading and furthering the DRBC's worthy mission of managing, protecting and improving the shared water resources of the Delaware River Basin has been the highlight of my 42-year career in water resources," said Tambini, who became executive director in 2014. "It has been a privilege and an honor to work alongside so many talented professionals at the Commission and its member agencies."
Tambini is the Commission's fourth Executive Director appointed since its founding in 1961. During his tenure, the Commission advanced significant water resource policy and management measures for the benefit of over 14 million people, including:
• Implementing regulations that prohibit high volume hydraulic fracturing and disposal of related wastewater in the Delaware River Basin.
• Advancing the next chapter in water quality improvement in the urban reaches of the Delaware River Estuary through DRBC modeling, monitoring, technical science, and engineering analyses that support the attainability of revised and improved aquatic life water quality standards to meet the "fishable" waters goals of the Clean Water Act.
• Working to provide more resilient water supplies by initiating studies to examine the development of additional freshwater storage in the Basin.
Tambini also provided steady leadership through the COVID-19 pandemic and oversaw the creation of the Commission’s first diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging plan.
PDE wishes Steve all the best in his retirement and thanks him for his service at the DRBC.
Deadline Jan. 15, 2025
Delaware artists! Share your vision of clean and litter-free waterways. Submit your artwork to the Delaware Trash Into Treasure art contest, which is associated with the annual Christina River Watershed Cleanup. Visit bit.ly/TrashIntoTreasure for more information, full contest details, and to fill out a submission form.
We can’t wait to see your creativity come alive!
STRONG COMMUNITIES C2.2
Feb. 11-12, 2025
Chase Center on the Riverfront, Wilmington, Delaware
Registration is now open for the Delaware Estuary Science and Environmental Summit. For its 20th anniversary, PDE will hold the summit for the first time at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington, Delaware. This venue is within walking distance of restaurants, bike trails, and wonderful views of the Christina River. The Summit itself will offer more than 80 talks and poster presentations, plus valuable networking opportunities. Don’t delay, get your tickets today before prices increase in early January! Visit bit.ly/Science-Summit
STRONG COMMUNITIES C2.2/ C2.5
SAVE THE DATE!
March 27, 2025
Do your part for a cleaner Pennsylvania, then relax and enjoy the fruit of your labor with food, drink, and great company. This cleanup will take place in Upper Merion Township, where volunteers help pick up litter in various parts of town. Volunteer for just a few hours on a spring day and help make the Schuylkill River Watershed a little cleaner. Stay tuned for more infomration in the coming months by visiting PDE's calendar of events here
STRONG COMMUNITIES C2.2
As the holiday season draws near, it’s the perfect time to gather with loved ones, celebrate the year's joys, and consider ways to make a positive impact in the year to come. If you’re looking to start a greener lifestyle, you can begin before the New Year by embracing sustainable choices that keep the season both festive and eco-conscious.
Celebrating an eco-friendly holiday season also means rethinking how we approach holiday meals and gatherings. Consider sourcing ingredients locally to support nearby farmers and reduce the carbon footprint associated with long-distance food transportation. If you’re hosting, plan meals to reduce food waste by cooking just the right amount or saving leftovers for creative post-holiday recipes. Composting food scraps is another great way to ensure that what doesn’t get eaten helps enrich the soil rather than contributing to landfills.
For tips for a greener, more sustainable holiday season, click here
The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, host of the Delaware Estuary Program, leads collaborative, science–based efforts to improve the Delaware River and Bay, which covers portions of Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. To find out how you can become one of our partners, call PDE at (800) 445-4935 or visit our website at www.DelawareEstuary.org
Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Inc.
Kathy Klein (800) 445-4935, ext. 102 kklein@DelawareEstuary.org
Environmental Protection Agency
Irene Purdy, EPA Region II (212) 637-3794 purdy.irene@epa.gov
Megan Mackey, EPA Region III (215) 814-5534 mackey.megan@epa.gov
Pennsylvania
Sandra Insalaco Department of Environmental Protection (570) 826-5489 sinsalaco@pa.gov
Delaware
Rachael Phillos Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (302) 735-3411
Rachael.Phillos@delaware.gov
New Jersey
Natalie Young Department of Environmental Protection (609) 940-4512 Natalie.Young@dep.nj.gov
Delaware River Basin Commission
Chad Pindar (609) 883-9500, ext. 268 chad.pindar@drbc.gov
Philadelphia Water Department
Will Whalon (267) 207-0937 william.whalon@phila.gov
Editor
Kate Layton (800) 445-4935, ext. 113 klayton@DelawareEstuary.org
Estuary News encourages reprinting of its articles in other publications. Estuary News is produced four times annually by the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Inc. (PDE), under an assistance agreement (CE-99398516-0) with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The purpose of this newsletter is to provide an open, informative dialogue on issues related to PDE. The viewpoints expressed here do not necessarily represent the views of PDE or EPA, nor does mention of names, commercial products or causes constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. For information about the PDE, call (302) 655-4990. Review Our Notice of Non-Discrimination, Request for Equal Access, and How to File a Complaint
