Sapelo Research Application Form
Research Application ID: GCE-56-2014 (submitted: 03/25/2014, status: approved)
Provide a brief title for web display
Can mussels protect Spartina from mutiple stressors?
Investigator Information
On Island Sponsor: GCE SINERR UGAMI GADNR
| Principal Investigator: | Christine Angelini | ||
| Home Institution: | University of Florida | ||
| Award Information: | Dutch National Research Council Funding, Young Investigator Award to Tjisse van der Heide- $5,000 awarded for this project | ||
| 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: | |||
Briefly describe the project goals and methodology
We aim to investigate whether drought-induced soil acidification combined with salt stress plays an important role in Spartina mortality, and whether snail grazing during drought periods increases vegetation die-off. For this we would like to perform an field experiment located where we will manipulate drought, salt stress, and snail grazing in 40, 6inch diameter plots. We plan to install PVC tubing around Spartina plots with and without mussels. Clear PVC tubing will be install above ground around each plot, and dark PVC tubing below ground connected via a PVC coupling, so that the tidal water cannot enter the plots above or below ground. Dimensions would be the following: The PVC tubing would have a diameter of 6 inches, and would be 1.6 feet above ground and 1.6 feet below ground. We would like to install 40 of these small Spartina plots in total, in already existing Spartina vegetation with and without mussels present. We would like to leave them in over summer, and remove them from the field in July/August.
Where will the project be located?
Oakdale marsh: 31°24'19.65"N, 81°17'30.78"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: 04/08/2014 End Date: 11/30/2014
How many people will access the site and at what frequency?
8 people for 4 days to set up the experiment, and 1 person per day, 2 days per week for the duration of the experiment to monitor plots
Keywords that describe your project
What equipment will be deployed in the field?
6" PVC tubes will be installed above and belowground around each of the 40 experimental plots
Will plants or animals be collected as part of this study?
Spartina plants and Geukensia located within each experimental plot will be collected at the end of the experiment. We will collect these organisms under the UGAMI collection permit which we have already filed with Mary Price
What are the likely impacts of the project on the site?
We expect there to be no long term impacts on the site
Will the project design include boardwalks? If not, explain why not.
No, because the work will be conducted in the high marsh platform where the root mat is quite solid and we do not expect to need to visit the site with a frequency that would create long term damage to the plants, animals or soil at this site
How long will impacts persist after the research is concluded?
We expect there to be small paths that will persist for 1-2 years after the experiment is finished in Fall 2014
Research Permits:
Georgia DNR Coastal Resources Division: GCE-56-2014_Permit_signed_loa_GCE-56-2014 (04/01/2011-12/05/2014)
Study Area Map:
Files attached to this application
GCE-56-2014_GPS_New_site_location.docx (MS Word file, 603.46 kb, submitted 03/25/2014)
GCE-56-2014_Maps_Oakdale_Marsh.kml (KML file, 1.44 kb, submitted 04/02/2014)
