Sapelo Research Application Form
Research Application ID: SINERR-2019-2 (submitted: 02/07/2019, status: approved)
Project Type: Grant-funded Academic Research
Application Title
Population density and condition of Ribbed Mussels
Investigator Information
| Principal Investigator: | John Carroll | ||
| Home Institution: | Georgia Southern | ||
| Award Information: | Georgia DNR | ||
| Mailing Address: | Department of Biology | Phone Number: | 9124784587 |
| 4324 Old Register Rd | E-mail Address: | jcarroll@georgiasouthern.edu | |
| Statesboro, Georgia 30460 | |||
| Co-investigators: | Risa Cohen (Georgia Southern), William (Billy) Annis (Georgia Southern) | ||
Project Abstract
The coastal marshes of Georgia provide a variety of ecosystem services, including improved water quality, protection from erosion and storm damage to human population centers, and critical refuge and food resources for commercially and recreationally important fisheries species, including shrimp, blue crab, red drum, spotted sea trout, among others. Coastal erosion is a current problem in Georgia's marsh creeks that is expected to increase in the future. Given the mutually beneficial relationships between mussels and marsh plants, it is possible that the presence of mussels in the marsh matrix could improve plant resilience and enhance restoration/shorelines efforts throughout Georgia. We propose to address whether living shorelines practices in coastal Georgia can benefit from incorporating ribbed mussels into the designs. Because improved understanding of coastal wetlands habitats and innovative techniques for implementing living shorelines are major research priorities for the CRD, it is important to increase our understanding of marsh species interactions and their utility in restoration/management practices. The goals of the proposed research are to examine the natural densities of mussels in local marshes and to establish the utility of ribbed mussels as a living shorelines restoration tool. With this information, it will be possible to make restoration and management decisions regarding both living shoreline construction and marsh restoration. Thus, we propose to conduct experiments that address current DNR management research needs in an effort to aid in future shoreline and marsh protection strategies. The two main objectives of the proposed research are to:
1) Establish the distribution of mussels in local Georgia marshes;
2) Determine whether the addition of ribbed mussels enhances survival and growth of
marsh grass plantings on living shorelines
Before mussels can be incorporated into living shorelines efforts in Georgia, it is important to address these objectives. This information will inform critical resource management decisions and improve restoration practices in preparation for future coastal conditions. We will address these objectives using field surveys and in situ manipulation experiments.
We have selected the Reserve as a location to include in our field surveys. Briefly, a 25 m transect will be placed along the marsh edge, and at 5m intervals, a 0.25m2 quadrat will be placed on the ground. All mussels and Spartina stems will be counted, as well as the abundances of other potential organisms (oysters, fiddler crab burrows, etc.) within each quadrat. Additionally, at 0, 12.5 and 25 meters, we will run 25m transects perpendicular to the marsh edge into the marsh platform, and enumerate organisms as described previously.
Mussel growth and condition may vary with site, so we will haphazardly harvest 5 whole mussel clumps from each survey site. All mussels from each clump will be separated, counted and measured. Mussels will be measured, weighed whole, and then a subset of 10-15 mussels from each clump across all sizes sampled will be returned to the lab for further processing. All remaining mussels will be returned to the collection location. At the lab, mussels will be dissected, tissues will be removed, dried to a constant mass, and weighed. The allometric relationship between length and mass will be established for each site, which will allow us to estimate biomass at each sampling site. We will also calculate the condition index, which is a proxy for an individual's ability to withstand stressors and a useful tool to compare across locations.
Project Location
Multiple locations along Georgia coast. Within SINERR, surveys will be done at Dean Creek
GPS Coordinates for Study Sites
I will provide a spreadsheet containing GPS coordinates for my study sites
Expected Start and End Dates of the Project
Start Date: 02/08/2019 End Date: 05/31/2019
Number and Frequency of People Accessing the Site
3 people for 1 or 2 days to complete surveys
Keywords Describing the Project
Equipment Deployed in the Field
Nothing will be deployed.
Plants and Animal Collecting
Yes, ribbed mussels. ~50 individuals. GA DNR collection permit.
Likely Impacts of the Project on the Site
minimal trampling during surveys, footprints.
Boardwalk Installation Plans
No - boardwalks not needed. One time sampling event.
Expected persistence of site impacts after the research is concluded?
Recovery from impacts should be rapid (first few tidal cycles)
Files attached to this application
SINERR-2019-2_General_Carroll.Full.Prop.Final.docx (MS Word file, 8648.37 kb, submitted 02/07/2019)