Salt marsh dieback 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 2002-01-01 Dr. Samantha B. Joye University of Georgia

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

mjoye@uga.edu http://www.marsci.uga.edu/directory/samantha-b-joye Co-investigator Caroline R. McFarlin University of Georgia

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

car@uga.edu Graduate research assistant Matthew B. Ogburn University of Georgia

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

ogburn@uga.edu Graduate research assistant 2002-01-01 2004-12-31 2026

Salt marsh dieback continues to be an issue of interest on the coast of Georgia. We are still recovering from the widespread event of 2001-2002, and new dieback areas were reported in 2007. Dieback research activities include transplant experiments; a coast-wide monitoring program coordinated by the Georgia Coastal Research Council; and efforts to differentiate dieback from other factors that could cause bare areas (e.g. wrack accumulation).

M. Alber and S. Joye are working on a project in association with investigators from Louisiana (M. Hester, University of Louisiana Lafayette and I. Mendelssohn, Louisiana State University) to compare dieback in the two states. The project involves manipulating the density of salt marsh plants and evaluating how different ecological characteristics vary across a gradient from no plants (dieback areas) all the way to normal plant densities. Study sites are set up at Sapelo Island, GA and also in Port Fourchon, LA.

Question 2: How do the spatial and temporal patterns of biogeochemical processes, primary production, community dynamics, decomposition, and disturbance vary across the estuarine landscape, and how do they relate to environmental gradients? (more information)

LTER NSF Georgia Port Fourchon Sapelo Island GCE dieback salt marsh wrack Overall geographic extent of the research project -81.759763 -81.119291 31.771190 30.892711 2002-01-01 2006-05-01

National Science Foundation grant numbers OCE-9982133 and OCE-0620959. Additional funding provided by NOAA NERRS graduate student fellowship.

estuary marsh complex Central Georgia Coast - Central Georgia coastal region from the South Newport River (northern extent) to the Satilla River (southern extent), and from the outer banks of the barrier islands (eastern extent) to approximately 35km inland (western extent) -81.759763 -81.119291 31.771190 30.892711 McFarlin, C.R., Bishop, T.D., Hester, M. and Alber, M. 2015. Context-dependent effects of the loss of Spartina alterniflora on salt marsh invertebrate communities. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 163:218-230. (DOI: 10.1016/j.ecss.2015.05.045) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277818162_Context-dependent_effects_of_the_loss_of_Spartina_altemiflora_on_salt_marsh_invertebrate_communities Alber, M., Swenson, E.M., Adamowicz, S.C. and Mendelssohn, I.A. 2008. Salt marsh dieback: An overview of recent events in the US. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 80:1-11. (DOI: 10.1016/j.ecss.2008.08.009) Alber, M., Mackinnon, J., Hurley, D. and Curran, M.C. 2007. Presentation: Salt Marsh Dieback in Georgia. Estuarine Research Federations 2007 Annual Meeting, 4-8 November 2007, Providence, Rhode Island. Hester, M.W., Mendelssohn, I.A., Alber, M. and Joye, S.B. 2007. Presentation: Climate-Linked Alteration of Ecosystem Services in Tidal Salt Marshes of Georgia and Louisiana: Preliminary Findings. Estuarine Research Federations 2007 Annual Meeting, 4-8 November 2007, Providence, Rhode Island. McFarlin, C.R., Kenemer, B., Alber, M., Hester, M.W. and Bishop, T.D. 2007. Poster: A Comparison of Dieback Effects on Salt Marsh Invertebrates in Georgia and Louisiana. Estuarine Research Federations 2007 Annual Meeting, 4-8 November 2007, Providence, Rhode Island. Ogburn, M.B. and Alber, M. 2006. An Investigation of Salt Marsh Dieback in Georgia using Field Transplants. Estuaries and Coasts. 29(1):54-62 http://gce-lter.marsci.uga.edu/public/files/pubs/GCEPub281_Ogburn_Alber_Estuaries_2005.pdf McFarlin, C.R., Ogburn, M.B. and Alber, M. 2006. Poster: The recent status and trends of two Georgia marsh dieback sites. Spring 2006 Meeting of the Southeastern Estuarine Research Society, March 30-April 1, 2006, St. Augustine, Florida. http://gce-lter.marsci.uga.edu/public/files/pubs/McFarlin_SEERS_poster_2006.ppt Alber, M. 2006. Presentation: Salt marsh dieback in Georgia. Sudden wetland dieback meeting, May 24, 2006, Wellfleet, Massachussetts. Alber, M. 2006. Presentation: Losses of foundation species and the consequences for ecosystem structure and function. Working group at the LTER All Scientists Meeting, September 20-24, 2006. Estes Park, Colorado. Alber, M. 2006. Presentation: CSI Ecology: Salt marsh dieback in Georgia. University of Georgia Department of Geology, Athens, Georgia. O'Connell, S.G., Ogburn, M. and Alber, M. 2004. Poster: Soil characteristics at marsh dieback areas along the Georgia coast. Semiannual Meeting of the Southeastern Estuarine Research Society. Marsh Grass - Poster Session. Southeastern Estuarine Research Society, 15-17 April 2004, Ft. Pierce, FL. http://gce-lter.marsci.uga.edu/public/files/pubs/OConnell_SEERS_Soil_Apr04.pdf Ogburn, M.B. and Alber, M. 2004. Presentation: Salt Marsh Dieback in Georgia: Field Survey and Transplant Experiments. Semiannual Meeting of the Southeastern Estuarine Research Society. Southeastern Estuarine Research Society, 15-17 April 2004, Ft. Pierce, FL. Ogburn, M.B. 2004. Salt marsh dieback in Georgia: Field survey and transplant experiments. M.S. Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia. 108 pp. http://gce-lter.marsci.uga.edu/public/files/pubs/Ogburn_Matthew_MS_2004.pdf Alber, M. 2004. Presentation: Marsh dieback studies in Georgia. Georgia Coastal Research Council Marsh Dieback Workshop. February, 2004, Savannah, Georgia. Alber, M. 2004. Presentation: Marsh dieback efforts and workshop report. Georgia Coastal Research Council Conference. February 2004, Savannah, Georgia. Ogburn, M.B. and Alber, M. 2004. Presentation: An Investigation of Salt Marsh Dieback using Transplant Experiments. Georgia Coastal Research Council Conference. February 2004, Savannah, Georgia.