Sapelo Research Application Form
Research Application ID: GCE-120-2022 (submitted: 02/17/2022, status: approved)
Provide a brief title for web display
Salt Pan Edge Community Sampling
Investigator Information
On Island Sponsor: GCE SINERR UGAMI GADNR
| Principal Investigator: | Brian Hopkinson | ||
| Home Institution: | University of Georgia | ||
| Award Information: | NSF IIBR Ecosystem Mapping project, NSF, $617K | ||
| Mailing Address: | 102B Marine Sciences Building | Phone Number: | |
| Athens, GA 30602 | E-mail Address: | bmhopkin@uga.edu | |
| Co-investigators: | Jacob Simon (University of Georgia), Steven C. Pennings (University of Houston) | ||
Briefly describe the project goals and methodology
The goal of this project is to assess the dynamics of the ecological communities located around salt pan edges in the upper marsh. This study will leverage existing classification and object detection algorithms to identify plant species and count periwinkles (Littoraria irrorata) in photographs taken along transects. Sampling will take the form of monthly photographs and soil salinity samples, with one time RTK-GPS measurements. Sampling transects will be ~10 - 25 meters in length, marked at 1 m intervals with PVC stakes for return sampling and RTK-GPS measurements. All together, 15 salt pans will be sampled with ~4 transects, leading to a total of 60 transects.
Where will the project be located?
The sites will be located around salt pans in Dean Creek marsh and marsh south of UGAMI (between 31.39358 latitude, -81.27283 longitude and 31.39793 latitude, -81.28396 longitude), the marsh near Shell Hammock (31.40051,-81.28870), and the marsh at Marsh Landing (along the line from 31.41311 latitude -81.29395 longitude, to 31.41984 lat -81.28992 long)
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: 05/14/2022 End Date: 05/14/2024
How many people will access the site and at what frequency?
2 people for 2-3 days each month
Keywords that describe your project
What equipment will be deployed in the field?
We will demark transects with PVC stakes, both for RTK-GPS measurements and to facilitate returning on repeat visits. As a result, the stakes will need to be installed in the marsh until the end of the project.
Will plants or animals be collected as part of this study?
No
What are the likely impacts of the project on the site?
We will be walking through salt pans and marsh vegetation for brief stints, only long enough to take photos. Repeat sampling will be conducted at minimum one month later, so vegetation will have a chance to recover between sampling runs. This period can also be adjusted to ensure impacts on vegetation are minimal
Will the project design include boardwalks? If not, explain why not.
No, since it will be time/labor consuming to do for each transect, and may cast shadows in transect photos
How long will impacts persist after the research is concluded?
We expect impacts to be modest, and plants should recover in 1-2 weeks which should allow for recovery between sampling periods.
Research Permits:
Georgia DNR Coastal Resources Division: GCE-120-2022_Permit_RLS20220008_HopkinsonSimon_SaltPanEdge_signed[12] (05/14/2022-05/14/2023)
Site Photographs:
Files attached to this application
GCE-120-2022_Maps_saltpan_sampling_map.jpg (Jpeg image, 487.37 kb, submitted 03/04/2022)
