Shoreline Survey Dr. Merryl Alber University of Georgia

Dept. of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens Georgia 30602-3636 USA

malber@uga.edu https://marsci.uga.edu/directory/people/merryl-alber https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9467-4449 Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER Project

Dept. of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens Georgia 30602-3636 USA

gcelter@uga.edu https://gce-lter.marsci.uga.edu/ Dr. Merryl Alber University of Georgia

Dept. of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens Georgia 30602-3636 USA

malber@uga.edu https://marsci.uga.edu/directory/people/merryl-alber https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9467-4449 Principal investigator Dr. Clark R. Alexander Skidaway Institute of Oceanography

10 Ocean Science Circle Skidaway Institute of Oceanography Savannah Georgia 31411 USA

clark.alexander@skio.uga.edu https://www.skio.uga.edu/people/faculty/506-2/ https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3904-1091 Co-investigator Alyssa Gehman University of Georgia

Odum School of Ecology University of Georgia Athens Georgia 30602 USA

alyssamina@gmail.com http://www.ecology.uga.edu/facultyMember.php?Gehman-394/ Co-investigator Dr. James Byers University of Georgia

Room 194B, Ecology Bldg. Odum School of Ecology University of Georgia Athens Georgia 30602 USA

jebyers@uga.edu http://www.ecology.uga.edu/directory/james-jeb-byers/ https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9240-0287 Co-investigator Fan Li University of Houston

Department of Biology and Biochemistry 369 Science and Research Bldg 2 University of Houston Houston Texas 77204-5001 USA

lifan.uh@gmail.com Co-investigator Natalie Ann McLenaghan University of Georgia

Department of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens Georgia 30602-3636 USA

nmclen@uga.edu Co-investigator Dr. Steven C. Pennings University of Houston

Department of Biology and Biochemistry University of Houston Houston Texas 77204-5513 USA

scpennin@central.uh.edu https://uh.edu/nsm/biology-biochemistry/people/profiles/steven-pennings/ https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4757-7125 Co-investigator 2026

This project is measuring characteristics of the high marsh at 60 sites along the GA coast. Sites will include a variety of upland land uses. At each site, we will document flora, fauna, and elevation along two transects that run perpendicular from the upland edge, across the high marsh and out towards the area dominated by Spartina alterniflora. We will also measure elevation, soil, and pore water characteristics.

Area 1: Drivers of Change (more information)

marsh population density population diversity salinity LTER NSF GCE bacteria crustaceans epifauna Eurytium Geukensia Iva Juncus Littoraria Melampus microbes/fungi Panopeus parasites plants Spartina Uca geology invertebrate ecology nutrient chemistry plant ecology pore-water chemistry Overall geographic extent of the research project -85.141931 -80.742568 33.519892 30.355643 2013-06-03 2013-07-26

GCE LTER

estuary marsh complex Coastal_Plain - The Coastal Plain of Georgia stretches from the fall line to the Atlantic Ocean, covering 35,650 square miles (60% of the state). The Coastal Plain was once a sea floor and is composed mainly of unconsolidated sediments with little hard rock at the surface. Coastal Plain sediments originated in the Piedmont and even in the mountains beyond and have been deposited over thousands of years. Near the fall line the Coastal Plain can be highly dissected but it becomes nearly completely flat closer to the coast. The current soils of the Coastal Plain tend to be sandy, a result of prehistoric oceans advancing and retreating across them. Prehistoric wave action dissolved and reduced soils to the sturdiest of substrates, quartzite or sand (GA DNR). -85.141931 -80.742568 33.519892 30.355643

Sites will be distributed across all GA coastal counties.

No permanent deployment. We will use PVC stakes for 1 h to mark plots.

Plants: leaves of Spartina, Juncus and Iva (10 from each site) Animals: Littoraria, Uca, Melampus, and amphipods (up to 10 from each site) These collections will be made under the UGAMI permit.

Dugan, J., Emery, K., Alber, M., Alexander, C.R. Jr., Byers, J., Gehman, A., McLenaghan, N.A. and Sojka, S. 2018. Generalizing Ecological Effects of Shoreline Armoring Across Soft Sediment Environments. Estuaries and Coasts. 41(1):180-196. (DOI: 10.1007/s12237-017-0254-x) https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs12237-017-0254-x.pdf Gehman, A., McLenaghan, N.A., Byers, J., Alexander, C.R. Jr., Pennings, S.C. and Alber, M. 2018. Effects of small-scale armoring and residential development on the salt marsh-upland ecotone. Estuaries and Coasts. 41(1):54-67. (DOI: 10.1007/s12237-017-0300-8) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12237-017-0300-8 Dugan, J., Alber, M., Alexander, C.R. Jr., Byers, J., Emery, K., Gehman, A., Lawson, S. and McLenaghan, N.A. 2015. Poster: A conceptual model for predicting the ecological effects of coastal armoring in soft-sediment environments. Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Biennial Meeting, November 8-12, 2015, Portland, OR. Gehman, A., McLenaghan, N.A., Byers, J., Alexander, C.R. Jr., Pennings, S.C. and Alber, M. 2015. Poster: Effects of development and shoreline armoring on the high marsh ecosystem. Benthic Society Ecology Meeting 2015, March 4-7, 2015, Quebec City, CN. Dugan, J., Alber, M., Alexander, C.R. Jr., Byers, J., Emery, K., Gehman, A., Lawson, S. and McLenaghan, N.A. 2015. Poster: A conceptual model for predicting the ecological effects of coastal armoring in soft-sediment environments. Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Biennial Meeting, August 30 - September 2, 2015, Estes Park, CO. GEL-GCET-1216 - Effects of Small-scale Armoring and Residential Development on the Salt Marsh/Upland Ecotone in Coastal Georgia, USA https://gce-lter.marsci.uga.edu/public/app/dataset_details.asp?id=617