The coring system we will employ is not effective in penetrating shell beds, thick sand layers or compacted coastal plain sediments. In these cases, vibra-coring may be necessary. Consequently, we have budgeted funds during Year 1 for this activity. Modern bottom sediment samples to establish present analogues such as might be done in an undergraduate study will be taken using a remotely triggered Eckman dredge. To maximize information collected in this study, the age of sediments at different depths within certain representative cores must be determined.
Several methods exist for determining dates.
Since one concern is the effect that recent human activities have had on sediment accumulation in Weeks Bay, identifying the settlement horizon is of major importance. Although settlers arrived in Baldwin County in the early 1800s, historical records indicate that extensive alteration of the Weeks Bay watershed did not occur until the late 19th century. Land clearance related to logging and to farming causes drastic changes in the vegetation which is detectable in both sediment type and pollen assemblages. Confirmation of the settlement horizon comes from pollen analysis of samples above and below the boundary. Historical records can put a definite date on this boundary so that post-settlement sedimentation rates can be determined.