Sapelo Research Application Form
Research Application ID: GCE-113-2021 (submitted: 04/08/2021, status: approved)
Provide a brief title for web display
How well can we map marsh organisms using photographs?
Investigator Information
On Island Sponsor: GCE SINERR UGAMI GADNR
| Principal Investigator: | Steven C. Pennings | ||
| Home Institution: | University of Houston | ||
| Award Information: | IIBR Informatics: Automatic generation of multi-layered, information-rich 3D maps of ecosystems from images. National Science Foundation. B. Hopkinson, S. Bhandarkar, S. C. Pennings, J. W. Porter. $617,901 | ||
| Mailing Address: | Department of Biology and Biochemistry | Phone Number: | (713) 743-2989 |
| University of Houston | E-mail Address: | scpennin@central.uh.edu | |
| Houston, Texas 77204-5513 | |||
| Co-investigators: | |||
Briefly describe the project goals and methodology
The Pennings and Hopkinson (UGA) labs are developing techniques for mapping marsh plants and invertebrates using photographs. The intern will test the accuracy of these methods compared to 1) visual assessments, and 2) physical harvests. This will involve locating ~100 quadrats in different plant communities, photographing them from above, estimating plant cover and invertebrate numbers from the photographs and in the field using standard quadrat techniques, and then harvesting the plots to collect all plants and invertebrates present.
Where will the project be located?
South end of Sapelo Island, off road to lighthouse. Approximately 31.393 lat; -81.273 long. The sampling area is in the high marsh, in the intertidal zone (above the "ordinary high water mark").
How will you provide GPS coordinates for study sites?
GPS coordinates are listed in the project location field
What are the expected start and end dates of the project?
Start Date: 05/01/2021 End Date: 08/30/2021
How many people will access the site and at what frequency?
Most of the work will be done by a single person working at the site 4 days per week for six weeks over the summer.
Keywords that describe your project
What equipment will be deployed in the field?
Plots (approximately 0.5 x 0.5 m) will be marked with four, half-inch pvc stakes at the corners, about 1-2 feet tall. Approximately 20 plots will be marked at any one time, for 1-2 weeks, and then after those plots are photographed, sampled and harvested, the markers will be removed and a new set of plots will be marked. This process will be repeated several times, working up to a total of around 100 plots.
Will plants or animals be collected as part of this study?
We will harvest all plants and invertebrates within the quadrats to estimate plant biomass and invertebrate numbers.
What are the likely impacts of the project on the site?
Vegetation will be harvested from within the plots, but should regrow within a year. There will be modest trampling from the investigator working at the site, but this will be spread out rather than concentrated because the plots will be distributed across a range of habitat types.
Will the project design include boardwalks? If not, explain why not.
No, because the plots will be scattered around and so a boardwalk system would have to be very extensive.
How long will impacts persist after the research is concluded?
Based on previous studies, I expect that vegetation will regrow in trampled and harvested areas within one year.
Research Permits:
Georgia DNR Coastal Resources Division: GCE-113-2021_Permit_RLS20210011_Mapping_Marsh_Organisms_signed_DNR_GCE113 (05/01/2021-08/30/2021)
Files attached to this application
GCE-113-2021_Maps_Marsh_mapping_study_area.pdf (PDF file, 11803.5 kb, submitted 04/08/2021)
