Sapelo Research Application Form
Research Application ID: GCE-43-2013 (submitted: 04/02/2013, status: approved)
Provide a brief title for web display
3-way salt marsh symbiosis
Investigator Information
On Island Sponsor: GCE SINERR UGAMI GADNR
| Principal Investigator: | Christine Angelini | ||
| Home Institution: | University of Florida | ||
| Award Information: | NSF pre-doctoral fellowshipe | ||
| Mailing Address: | Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences | Phone Number: | |
| University of Florida | E-mail Address: | christine.angelini@essie.ufl.edu | |
| Gainesville, Florida 32611 | |||
| Co-investigators: | Brian R. Silliman (Duke University) | ||
Briefly describe the project goals and methodology
The goal of this project is to investigate the nature and strength of interactions between Spartina, ribbed mussels and fiddler crabs using a 3-factor manipulative field experiment. In particular, we are interested in how the survival and growth of each species may vary with the presence of the other two species as they commonly co-occur in the marsh and also whether this 3-way symbiosis may be harnessed in restoration of impacted marsh die off sites
Where will the project be located?
New die off areas at Oakdale creek marsh: 31°24'26.22"N, 81°17'24.35"W
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: 04/15/2013 End Date: 12/30/2013
How many people will access the site and at what frequency?
6 people for the experimental set up (1 week), 2 people once per week after that through end of August, once per month September through December
Keywords that describe your project
What equipment will be deployed in the field?
64 PVC flags; 64- 3cm diameter x 3cm tall 10% carbaryl dental plaster blocks; 32-20-cm2 Spartina transplants; 32 mussel transplants (12 mussels each)
Will plants or animals be collected as part of this study?
Yes, I will collect:
32, 20-cm2 Spartina transplants from adjacent healthy vegetation habitat
384 ribbed mussels (arranged in 32 mounds of 12 mussels each)
What are the likely impacts of the project on the site?
As we will harvest all of the Spartina and mussels that we transplants and the carbaryl blocks will all be collected, there will be no long term impacts of this experiment to the site
Will the project design include boardwalks? If not, explain why not.
As of right now, I do not plan on boardwalks because the marsh is quite firm in this high marsh platform
How long will impacts persist after the research is concluded?
I do not anticipate these impacts of the transplant holes (which will be re-filled with sediment from the bottom of the nearby creek at the end of the experiment) to be visible for more than 3-4 months after the conclusion of the experiment. In addition, the low concentration of carbaryl in the blocks and their very slow release from plaster (see Whalen et al. 2013, Ecology), the extraction of the blocks immediately after the experiment, and daily tidal flushing of the marsh at this site to dilute any lingering carbaryl will mean there will be very low levels of this chemical, which is specific to crustaceans and only toxic to small individuals, remaining in the marsh sediment.
Research Permits:
Georgia DNR Coastal Resources Division: GCE-43-2013_Permit_signed_LOA (04/15/2013-12/01/2014)
Files attached to this application
GCE-43-2013_Documents_Whalen,_Duffy,_Grace_Appendix_A_FINAL.pdf (PDF file, 311.31 kb, submitted 04/02/2013)
GCE-43-2013_Documents_Whalen.Duffy.13.Ecology.pdf (PDF file, 3525.09 kb, submitted 04/02/2013)
GCE-43-2013_Maps_Experiment_Site.Angelini.tiff (TIFF image, 1206.09 kb, submitted 04/02/2013)
