Sapelo Research Application Form
Research Application ID: GCE-131-2023 (submitted: 06/28/2023, status: approved)
Provide a brief title for web display
Fidelity and ecological function of naturally occurring slump blocks in Dean Creek
Investigator Information
On Island Sponsor: GCE SINERR UGAMI GADNR
| Principal Investigator: | James Byers | ||
| Home Institution: | University of Georgia | ||
| Award Information: | GCE-LTER | ||
| Mailing Address: | Room 194B, Ecology Bldg. | Phone Number: | (706) 583-0012 |
| Odum School of Ecology | E-mail Address: | jebyers@uga.edu | |
| Athens, Georgia 30602 | |||
| Co-investigators: | Matthew Pierce (University of Georgia), Merryl Alber (University of Georgia), Clark R. Alexander Jr. (Skidaway Institute of Oceanography) | ||
Briefly describe the project goals and methodology
Project Goals and Methods:
One of the common features of the edges of tidal creeks are slump blocks, which occur as small islands of vegetated marsh that are separated from the marsh platform. The goals of this project are 1) to track the fidelity and progression of naturally occurring creek bank slumps, and 2) to evaluate the use of slump blocks by invertebrates and fishes as a habitat and the functioning of these ephemeral slump blocks as ecosystems. We will perform this work at ~10 newly-formed slump blocks located along Dean Creek. Each slump block will be marked with ~10 ft pvc pipe and visited monthly. We will track the location of elevation of each block using an RTK GPS. Minnow traps, lift nets, and curtain traps will be deployed to assess invertebrate and fish communities adjacent to the slump blocks within the creek channel. Spartina alterniflora shoot height and density, burrow density, and snail densities will also be quantified over the course of the experiment. Observational data will be taken regarding the trajectory of the slump blocks: whether they reconnect, split, and/or become subtidal. Incipient blocks will also be tracked as well to gain a better understanding of the formation of slump blocks before they are completely formed. This will be done by performing elevation transects from the marsh platform to the creek channel in areas of the marsh with visible cracking. Finally, short (15-cm), small-diameter (5-cm) sediment cores will be collected by hand on and behind new and reconnected slump blocks (<=10) to assess sediment character, and grab samples will be collected from the channel bottom adjacent to these same slump blocks to characterize channel sediments for comparison. Most sampling and monitoring will be done via boat for easier access to blocks and to reduce damage to surrounding marshes. Some monitoring and sampling will be done by walking along the channel edge of Dean Creek marsh.
Where will the project be located?
The project will be located in Dean Creek and Dean Creek marsh. GPS coordinates and an ESRI shapefile are attached with specific locations.
How will you provide GPS coordinates for study sites?
I will provide a spreadsheet containing GPS coordinates for my study sites
What are the expected start and end dates of the project?
Start Date: 06/22/2023 End Date: (ongoing)
How many people will access the site and at what frequency?
3 people for 3 days monthly.
Keywords that describe your project
What equipment will be deployed in the field?
~10 ft pvc stakes will be deployed at each slump block along Dean Creek. The pvc stakes will stay out for the duration of the slump block "life". We expect that most blocks will be either submerged or reconnected within 1 yr, although some may last for longer.
Will plants or animals be collected as part of this study?
Any fish or invertebrates that cannot be identified in the field will be brought back to the lab. Once identified, they will then be released.
What are the likely impacts of the project on the site?
Very little impact on the marsh since most sampling will be done from a boat.
Will the project design include boardwalks? If not, explain why not.
The project design will not include boardwalks. Most of the work will be done via boat negating the need for boardwalk use.
How long will impacts persist after the research is concluded?
We do not anticipate any impacts once the observations end (that is, the slump blocks are either completely submerged or have reconnected).
Research Permits:
Georgia DNR Coastal Resources Division: GCE-131-2023_Permit_RLS20230027_Alber_SlumpBlocks_signed (08/16/2023-indefinite)
Study Area Map:
Files attached to this application
GCE-131-2023_Documents_DeanCreekSlumpBlock_PolePoints.csv (CSV file, 0.5 kb, submitted 07/18/2023)
GCE-131-2023_Maps_Slump_block_points.kml (KML file, 6.72 kb, submitted 07/21/2023)
GCE-131-2023_Maps_Field_map_of_slump_blocks.pdf (PDF file, 174.83 kb, submitted 07/21/2023)
