MAPPING AND ANALYZING THE FLORIDA REEF TRACT IN PALM BEACH COUNTY IN ...

135 Pages·2011·5.9 MB·English

by  Joseph Pitti

MAPPING AND ANALYZING THE FLORIDA REEF TRACT IN PALM BEACH
COUNTY IN RELATION TO MAJOR STORM EVENTS IN A GIS DATABASE
by
Joseph G. Pitti

A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of
the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Master of Arts

Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
May 2011
MAPPING AND ANALYZING THE FLORIDA REEF TRACT IN PALM BEACH
no
CO TY IN RELA TO MAJOR STORM EVE TS IN A GIS DATABASE
by
Joseph G. Pitti
This thesis was prepared under the direction of the candidate's thesis advisor, Dr.
Charles Roberts, Department ofGeosciences, and has been approved by the members of
his supervisory committee. It was submitted to the faculty of the Charles E. Schmidt
College of Science and was accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree ofMaster ofArts.
SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE:
~~
Charles Roberts, Ph.D.
Thesis Advisor
fl~.D0~1---
-;/~/4;.4{
Tobin Hindle, Ph.D.
Russell Ivy, Ph.D.
Chai"De~
Gary W. Perry, Ph.D.
Dean, The Charles E. Schmidt College ofScience
Dean, Graduate College
iii i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author wishes to express his sincere gratitude to his family and friends for
their support and encouragement throughout the writing of this manuscript. The author is
grateful to the staff of the Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resource
Management (DERM) for providing the opportunity to conduct the study through
Florida Atlantic University. The support received by those on the thesis committee is
also greatly appreciated.

iii
ABSTRACT

Author: Joseph G. Pitti
Title: Mapping and Analyzing the Florida Reef Tract in Palm Beach
County in Relation to Major Storm Events in a GIS Database

Institution: Florida Atlantic University
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Charles Roberts
Degree: Master of Arts
Year: 2011
The Florida Reef Tract in Southeast Florida is made up of hard-bottom
formations. The shape and size of the tract is constantly changing. One major factor
contributing to these changes is the movement of sand. This is influenced by location-
based, human-induced, and natural factors. These shifting sands cover or uncover reef
structure. Images of the Florida Reef Tract in Palm Beach County were analyzed by the
Department of Geosciences at Florida Atlantic University, using a partially automated
method of mapping. There are notable changes in reef structure throughout the years
2004-2006, in which many major storm events occurred in the region. A time series
analysis was conducted throughout these years. Losses and gains of reef structure were
quantified and compared throughout the county as a whole, in beach renourishment
project areas, and inlet intervals. Trends suggest that the major storms of 2004-2006 may
have had effects on the reef tract.
iv
MAPPING AND ANALYZING THE FLORIDA REEF TRACT IN PALM BEACH
COUNTY IN RELATION TO MAJOR STORM EVENTS IN A GIS DATABASE

List of Tables ..................................................................................................................viii
List of Figures.....................................................................................................................x
Introduction.........................................................................................................................1
Sand Transportation……........................................................................................2
Ecological and Economic Value.............................................................................2
Palm Beach County Reef Mapping Project............................................................4
Major Storm Events………………………………................................................4
2004…..….…………………………………………….............................5
2005………………………………………..............................................10
2006…………………………………......................................................15
Beach Renourishment Projects…….……………………………………17
Literature Review.............................................................................................................19
Applications of Reef Mapping..............................................................................19
Effects of Shore Proximity.......................................................................19
Monitoring Stress………………..............................................................20
Effects of Surrounding Elements..............................................................21
Methods of Mapping Reefs………......................................................................22
v
Optical Remote Sensing...........................................................................22
Sonar.........................................................................................................23
Laser Bathymetry......................................................................................24
Methods of Performing Time Series Analyses on Reefs......................................25
The Kabira Reef........................................................................................26
Key Largo.................................................................................................27
The Great Barrier Reef.............................................................................28
Objective...........................................................................................................................32
Methodology.....................................................................................................................33
Reef Mapping in Adobe Photoshop......................................................................34
Neighborhood Conversion in Erdas IMAGINE................................................38
ArcGIS..................................................................................................................40
Raster to Polygon Conversion in ArcMAP..............................................40
Accuracy Assessment…………...............................................................41
Appending and Merging Reef Map Shapefiles…………......................43
Unioning and Separating Reef Map Shapefiles……………………….44
Clipping Reef Map Shapefiles...........................………………………...49
Running Statistics……………………………...……………………..…51
Discussion and Data Analysis…………..………………………...…………………….53
County Trends for All Years (200-2001, 2003-2009)………………………...54
Intervals Compared to County Trends (2004-2007)…………………..55
Inlet Interval Summary…………………………………………59
Project Areas (2004-2007)…………………………………………………….60
vi
Palm Beach County Beach Renourishment Project Areas……………60
Project Areas Compared to Inlet Intervals……………….…………….………100
Jupiter to Lake Worth Inlet………………………….…………………101
Lake Worth Inlet to South Lake Worth Inlet…………………...……102
South Lake Worth Inlet to Boca Inlet…………………...……………..103
Total County Comparison: North to South…………………………….............104
2004-2005…………………………………………………………….104
2005-2006…………………………………………………………….105
2006-2007…………………………………………………………….106
County Trend…………………………………………………………………107
Inlet Intervals in 2005…….………………………………………………108
Inlet Intervals in 2006…………….……………………...……………….109
Inlet Intervals in 2007…………………………………...………..………110
Comparison of Project Areas to Inlet Intervals (Independent)...………………107
Jupiter Inlet to Lake Worth (Palm Beach) Inlet…………...………..….107
Lake Worth (Palm Beach Inlet to South Lake Worth (Boynton) Inlet...119
South Lake Worth (Boynton) Inlet to Boca Inlet……………….....…..111
Project Areas in 2005……………………………………………...………...…111
Project Areas in 2006………………………………………...……………...…112
Project Areas in 2007………………………………………...…………...……113
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………..114
Bibliography………..……….……………………………………………….………...119

vii
TABLES
Table 1. Areas of Analysis................................................................................................52
Table 2. County Trends for all years (2000-2001, 2003-2009)........................................54
Table 3. County Line to Jupiter Inlet................................................................................55
Table 4. Jupiter Inlet to Lake Worth (Palm Beach) Inlet.................................................56
Table 5. Lake Worth (Palm Beach) Inlet to South Lake Worth (Boynton) Inlet….........57
Table 6. South Lake Worth (Boynton) Inlet to Boca Inlet……………………….……..58
Table 7. Boca Inlet to County Line……………………………………………..………59
Table 8. Palm Beach County Beach Renourishment Project Areas………...…………..60
Table 9. Project Areas to County Comparison ………...……………...………………61
Table 10. Jupiter Project Area ………………………..………...………………………62
Table 11. Juno Beach Project Area ……..………………………………………………69
Table 12. Singer Island Project Area …………………………………...………………76
Table 13. South Palm Beach Project Area ……………………………...………………80
Table 14. South Lake Worth Inlet Management Project Area …………....……………86
Table 15. Ocean Ridge Project Area ………………………………..…….……………94
Table 16. Jupiter-Inlet Interval Comparison……………………………...……………100
Table 17. Juno Beach-Inlet Interval Comparison………………………...……………101
Table 18. Singer Island-Inlet Interval Comparison …………………..….……………101
viii
Table 19. South Palm Beach-Inlet Interval Comparison ……………...………………102
Table 20. South Lake Worth Inlet Management-Inlet Interval Comparison …….……102
Table 21. Ocean Ridge-Inlet Interval Comparison ….………………………...………103
Table 22. Total County Trends, North-South (2004-2005)……………..…...……...…104
Table 23. Total County Trends, North-South (2005-2006)….…………...……………105
Table 24. Total County Trends, North-South (2006-2007)……………………………106
Table 25. Jupiter Project Area (Inlet Interval Independent)……………….…..………107
Table 26. Juno Beach Project Area (Inlet Interval Independent) ……………………..108
Table 27. Singer Island Project Area (Inlet Interval Independent) ………….………...108
Table 28. South Palm Beach Project Area (Inlet Interval Independent) ……………...109
Table 29. South Lake Worth inlet Management Project Area
(Inlet Interval Independent) ...………………………………………….………..…….110
Table 30. Ocean Ridge Project Area (Inlet Interval Independent) ……………………111

ix
FIGURES
Figure 1. The Florida Reef Tract........................................................................................1
Figure 2. The Florida Reef Tract in Palm Beach County...................................................2
Figure 3. Hurricane Frances Storm Track………………………………………..………6
Figure 4. Hurricane Frances Satellite Image…………………………………..…………7
Figure 5. Hurricane Jeanne Storm Track……………………………………...………….8
Figure 6. Hurricane Jeanne Satellite Image………………………………...…..………...9
Figure 7. Hurricane Katrina Storm Track………………………………...……………..10
Figure 8. Hurricane Katrina Satellite Image…………………………...………………..11
Figure 9. Hurricane Rita Storm Track……………………………...……………….......12
Figure 10. Hurricane Rita Satellite Image…………………………...………………….12
Figure 11. Hurricane Wilma Storm Track……………………………...………………14
Figure 12. Hurricane Wilma Satellite Image……………………...……………………15
Figure 13. Hurricane Florence Storm Track……………………...……………………..16
Figure 14. Hurricane Florence Satellite Image…………………...……………………..16
Figure 15. “Eyeball” Icon in Adobe Photoshop………………..……………………….34
Figure 16. Magic Wand Tool…………………………………...…………………….....35
Figure 17. Magic Wand Tool Highlighted…………………..………………………….35
Figure 18. Opacity………………………………………………...…………………….36
Figure 19. Pencil Tool…………………………………………......……………………37
x