THE STATIC AND DYNAMIC DRIVERS OF EROSION IN BEAUFORT LAGOON ECOSYSTEMS

Abstract:

Arctic lagoons are important food and habitat sources for the Iñupiat people and large populations of fish, birds, caribou, polar bears, and many other species. Arctic lagoons make up nearly half of the Beaufort Sea coastline, and despite the protection that lagoons provide, erosion is rampant, and rates have been drastically increasing in recent years. This study addresses historic erosion rates since 1947 up to 2012 for lagoons across the Alaskan Beaufort Coast, in order to assess static and dynamic drivers of erosion. Shorelines were available through open source data provided by the USGS, and erosion rates were quantified using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS). This study is in part of ongoing preliminary work, which suggests that primary drivers of erosion in the Elson Lagoon include wave energy and the aspect of the coastline; and that erosion rates have doubled in recent years. Understanding drivers of erosion is important under current climate stressors and arctic lagoons are largely understudied.