Sapelo Research Application Form
Research Application ID: GCE-132-2023 (submitted: 07/10/2023, status: approved)
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Allochthonous Inputs: Updated
Investigator Information
On Island Sponsor: GCE SINERR UGAMI GADNR
| Principal Investigator: | James Byers | ||
| Home Institution: | University of Georgia | ||
| Award Information: | (not specified) | ||
| 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: | Shelby Ziegler (University of Georgia), Matthew Pierce (University of Georgia) | ||
Briefly describe the project goals and methodology
The goals of this project are to experimentally test the fidelity of creek bank slump blocks, the use of slump blocks by invertebrates and fishes as a habitat, and the functioning of these ephemeral slump blocks as ecosystems. Using 16 0.25 x 0.25 m blocks of Spartina alterniflora marsh, approximately 20 cm in depth, from Airport Marsh Sapelo Island, GA I will quantify the time it takes for these blocks to erode in South End Creek Sapelo Island, GA and evaluate the community composition of the fish and invertebrates that use the blocks. Slump blocks will be placed along the bank of Lighthouse Creek. At time of placement location and elevation data will be taken for each slump block using a RTK GPS. Minnow traps, lift nets, and drop nets will be deployed to assess invertebrate and fish communities. 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. Spartina alterniflora shoot height and density, burrow density, and slump block dimensions will be quantified over the course of the experiment.
The slump blocks will be placed ~20 meters apart within the creek channel of Lighthouse Creek. Prior to deployment 4 of the blocks will have their aboveground vegetation cut and measured for wet and dry biomass and the other 12 blocks will have their live vegetation retained. The goal of the treatments is to assess why the slumps are being used by fish and invertebrates, whether that be due to live vegetation presence and structure or only structure of the blocks and how loss of aboveground vegetation effects the fidelity of the slump block. The estimated recovery time for the removal plots of Spartina alterniflora in Airport Marsh is 1-2 years. No long-term impacts to the environment are expected in the Lighthouse Creek experiment deployment sites. Slump blocks are expected to fully erode within 4-6 months from the start date. Blocks will be anchored in place by putting a single ~4 foot pvc pipe through the center of the block.
The proposed experiment is expected to last no more than 8 months. Slump blocks will be monitored, and fish and invertebrate trapping will occur bi-weekly. Blocks will be monitored by 2-3 people.
Where will the project be located?
Airport Marsh and Lighthouse Creek, Sapelo Island
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: 07/12/2023 End Date: (ongoing)
How many people will access the site and at what frequency?
1-3 people for 3 days bi-weekly
Keywords that describe your project
What equipment will be deployed in the field?
Fish nets and traps will be deployed for < 24 hours at a time, ~4 foot pvc stakes will anchor slump blocks for the duration of their presence
Will plants or animals be collected as part of this study?
Yes, Spartina alterniflora, fish, invertebrates, and amphipods. Invertebrate crustaceans and amphipods will be collected to assess community composition on the slump blocks. Fish will be indiscriminately caught in the various traps used for this study. For this reason no specific species are selected. The expected fish species and their native ranges are: Lagodon rhomboides (Pinfish) Western Atlantic: Massachusetts (USA), Bermuda, and northern Gulf of Mexico to Florida Keys, USA and Yucatan, Mexico; Bairdiella chrysoura (Perch, Silver) Western Atlantic: New York to southern Florida in USA, and eastern and northern Gulf of Mexico to northern Mexico; Gerridae (Mojarra spp.) Western Atlantic: Bermuda to Florida, USA and the Bahama; Orthopritis chrysoptera (Pigfish) Western Atlantic: New York, USA and Bermuda to Mexico; Lutjanus griseus (Snapper, Grey/Mangrove) Western Atlantic: Massachusetts, USA and Bermuda southward to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, including West Indies (Anderson, pers. comm.), Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea; Lutjanus synagris (Snapper, Lane) Western Atlantic: Bermuda (Anderson, pers. comm.) and North Carolina, USA to southeastern Brazil, including Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea; Leiostomus xanthurus (Spot) Western Atlantic: Massachusetts to northern Mexico; absent in southern Florida; Stephanolepis hispidus (Planehead Filefish) Western Atlantic: Nova Scotia (Canada), Bermuda, and northern Gulf of Mexico to Urugua; Sygnathus sp. (Pipefish) Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and Knysna, South Africa to Samoa, north to southern Japan, south to New South Wales; Cynoscion nebulosus (Sea Trout, Speckled) Western Atlantic: New York to southern Florida in USA and the entire Gulf of Mexico; Opsanus tau (Toadfish, Oyster) Western Atlantic: Cape Cod, Massachusetts to Florida in USA, straggling south to Miami in cold years; Archosargus probatocephalus (Sheepshead) Western Atlantic: Nova Scotia, Canada and northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil; Paralichthys spp (Flounder spp) Northwest Atlantic: Maine (rarely Nova Scotia, Canada) to northern Florida, USA; Mycteroperca microlepis (Gag Grouper) Western Atlantic: North Carolina, USA (with juveniles occurring as far north as Massachusetts) to the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Rare in Bermuda; Blenniidae (Blenny) depending on the species, Blenny's range from Western Central Atlantic: Bahamas and Caribbean, including the Antilles, southeastern Florida in USA and Bahamas to Belize, (including northern Gulf of Mexico) to Central and northern South America, Bermuda, Georgia and northeastern Gulf of Mexico in USA; MexicoGobiidae (Goby) Western Atlantic: southern Florida, USA and the Bahamas to Yucatan, Mexico and Belize, to Panama; Micropogonias undulatus (Croaker, Atlantic) Western Atlantic: Massachusetts, USA (excluding Florida) and northern Gulf of Mexico to northern Mexico. Possibly from southern Brazil to Argentina. Uncertain in southern Gulf of Mexico, Lesser Antilles and southern Caribbean; Sciaenops ocellatus (Drum, Red) Western Atlantic: Massachusetts in USA to northern Mexico, including southern Florida, USA; Centropristis spp (Sea Bass, Black) Western Atlantic: Canada to Maine to northeastern Florida in USA and eastern Gulf of Mexico; reaches extreme southern Florida during cold wintern; Pogonias cromis (Drum, Black) Western Atlantic: Nova Scotia to Florida, Gulf of Mexico, the Antilles (uncommon), and the southern Caribbean coast; also from the Orinoco delta to Argentina; Pomatomus saltatrix (bluefish) Circumglobal: In tropical to subtropical waters; except the eastern Pacific.
What are the likely impacts of the project on the site?
Areas in Airport Marsh where Spartina alterniflora is removed will most likely take 1-1.5 years to grow back and fill in completely. Pvc stakes are not expected to have any impact on mudflats where they are placed through slump blocks.
Will the project design include boardwalks? If not, explain why not.
No, access to the slump blocks will be done mostly through kayak or small boat. Some sampling will be done along the marsh creekbank, but not extensively.
How long will impacts persist after the research is concluded?
Removal of Spartina alterniflora blocks in Airport Marsh will persist for 1-1.5 years.
Research Permits:
GA DNR Law Enforcement - Collecting Permits: GCE-132-2023_Permit_2023-ByersCollectionPermit (04/11/2023-03/31/2024)
Files attached to this application
GCE-132-2023_Documents_Pierce_IACUC2023.pdf (PDF file, 753.01 kb, submitted 07/10/2023)
