Salt Marsh Climate Adaptation
Salt marshes can erode from the inside-out via interior shallow water expansion, or open water conversion. A combination of legacy effects from agriculture and hydrologic management, and accelerated sea level rise, lead to more frequent and longer periods of inundation in marshes. Shallow water trapped on the marsh platform eventually kills the vegetation, exposing the sediments to erosive forces. These unvegetated shallow water areas deepen and expand, contributing to net salt marsh loss.
Our lab is involved in research on the efficacy of tidal restoration using "runnels" across environmental gradients, in multiple Atlantic Coast salt marshes. In Buzzards Bay, Massashusetts and Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, we are studying whole ecosystem responses by measuring characteristics of vegetation, soils, water flow, and invertebrates responses. In partnership with several environmental non-profits, NGOs, and government agencies we are learning where and when this technique can be used most effectively. We can also learn how fundamental aspects of salt marsh ecosystems function by treating this tidal restoration as a whole ecosystem experiment. Future projects will continue to expand questions addressing long-term efficacy and complexity of interior marsh drowning and restoration with runnels, while also focusing on how specific habitat parameters may change with consequences for declining wildlife species such as the Saltmarsh Sparrow.
Our lab is involved in research on the efficacy of tidal restoration using "runnels" across environmental gradients, in multiple Atlantic Coast salt marshes. In Buzzards Bay, Massashusetts and Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, we are studying whole ecosystem responses by measuring characteristics of vegetation, soils, water flow, and invertebrates responses. In partnership with several environmental non-profits, NGOs, and government agencies we are learning where and when this technique can be used most effectively. We can also learn how fundamental aspects of salt marsh ecosystems function by treating this tidal restoration as a whole ecosystem experiment. Future projects will continue to expand questions addressing long-term efficacy and complexity of interior marsh drowning and restoration with runnels, while also focusing on how specific habitat parameters may change with consequences for declining wildlife species such as the Saltmarsh Sparrow.
Project highlights and recent updates:
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