Research by Professors Joel Kostka and Marcus Huettel on nutrient cycling by microbes in coastal sands is profiled in this month’s FSU Research in Review. The story by Frank Stevenson emphasizes the shift in thinking by scientists as to the roll of sandy bottoms, long thought to be “biological wastelands” and have little to no ecological value in ocean systems. Permeable sediment research, such as that by professors Kostka and Huettel is painting a much more interesting picture of the role of coastal sands.“Ask any Floridian about what healthy beaches mean to the state’s economy and get ready for an earful.
If state nicknames made any sense at all, “The Sunshine State” would be called “The Beach State.” Take away half of Florida’s sunny days, and the state’s sandy shoreline would still be a perpetual magnet for people and money year-round—a gritty goldmine that defies every natural force known—from hurricanes to red tide—to keep the state’s tourism-based economy the envy of every landlocked state (and others, too.)
Still, most people don’t have a clue what the real story is behind the value of sandy coastlines—not just in Florida but also around the world. Just in the past 20 years, researchers have begun amassing tantalizing evidence that is revolutionizing scientists’ appreciation of coastal sands and their vital role in the overall health not of seaside economies but of the world’s oceans.
What’s happening is nothing less than a sea change in scientists’ thinking about the vast, sandy bottoms and beaches laid up against the third of the planet that’s dry land. For decades, marine biologists have taught that most of the shallow, near-shore bottoms of the globe’s continental shelf are largely biological wastelands—little more than an immense submarine desert largely devoid of life and of little ecological value. Now, these and a host of other researchers are beginning to realize just how wrong they’ve been all along. . . ” Continue reading here >
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