The Life and Tides of Trena Lake: Defining the Current State and Future Trajectory of a Unique Tidal Lagoon System in Seldovia, Alaska

Author ORCID Identifier

0009-0004-8394-2825

Degree Year

2026

Document Type

Thesis - Oberlin Community Only

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Environmental Studies

Advisor(s)

Andrew Pike
Angie Roles

Committee Member(s)

Andrew Pike
Angie Roles

Keywords

Earthquake, Estuaries, Biology, Oceanography, Sedimentology, Alaska, Evolution

Abstract

In 1964, the Great Alaska Earthquake caused regional coseismic land subsidence across the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. This caused formerly fresh, coastal water bodies to become tidally inundated with seawater and convert to brackish systems. The Trena Lake Complex, located in Seldovia, Alaska, is an example of this occurrence, and following the earthquake and introduction of seawater, its biogeochemistry and ecology have experienced a shift in the following decades. Despite the prevalence of similar vertically impacted landscape changes in the Gulf of Alaska, little research has been done on the ecological and geomorphological evolution of such systems. This study aims to characterize the present-day biological, sedimentological, and oceanographic conditions of the Trena Lake Complex using a newly developed baseline framework that I created for this project. An evaluation of the future hydrologic trajectory of this system was also conducted, given the importance of understanding the effects of post-seismic land rebound and sea level rise. This study provides one of the first integrated ecological and geomorphological assessments of the Trena Lake Complex and provides key insights into how tectonically affected coastal water bodies evolve over time under the pressures of land rebound and sea level rise.

Notes

Additional Department: Geosciences

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