Sapelo Research Application Form
Research Application ID: GCE-82-2017 (submitted: 02/14/2017, status: approved)
Provide a brief title for web display
Resident invertebrate food webs modulate contaminant fate and transport in southeastern US salt marshes
Investigator Information
On Island Sponsor: GCE SINERR UGAMI GADNR
| Principal Investigator: | Christine Angelini | ||
| Home Institution: | University of Florida | ||
| Award Information: | (not specified) | ||
| 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: | Kimberly Prince (University of Florida), Sinead M. Crotty (University of Florida) | ||
Briefly describe the project goals and methodology
This project will assess how the composition of resident invertebrates mediate where and how much PCBs get integrated into coastal food webs by experimentally exposing trophic linkages among the common resident marsh invertebrates (i.e. how does their diet and growth depend on the presence of the other species via stable isotopes and measures growth of the different species) and how these dietary shifts then mediate how contaminants accrue in marsh sediments and in marsh consumers. To do so we propose the following experimental treatments:
Cordgrass only (caged)
Cordgrass + snails (caged)
Cordgrass + Fiddlers (caged)
Cordgrass + Marsh crab (caged)
Cordgrass + snails + fiddlers (caged)
Cordgrass + Snails + Fiddlers + Marsh crabs (caged)
All above combinations + mussels (caged)
Non-caged plots without mussels
Non-caged control plots with mussels
Total of 14 treatments * 6 replicates each = 84 plots (72 with cages)
Cages will be 40w x 40d x 60h (cm)
We will then monitor PCB concentrations in sediment, benthic algae, fiddlers, snails, mussels and marsh crabs (at beginning and end of experiment), stable isotopes of sediment, benthic algae, fiddlers, crabs, snails, mussels, grass and marsh crabs (at beginning and end of experiment), density and growth of plants and all invertebrates (every 4-6 weeks, weekly for first month), soil accretion rate (feldspar horizons), and biomass of benthic algae (benthotorch monthly).
Where will the project be located?
Blythe Island ( 31.179787° N, 81.533717W)
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: 03/20/2017 End Date: 09/30/2017
How many people will access the site and at what frequency?
24 people for installation during the first week and then 1 -3 people monitoring throughout summer (weekly during first month and then every 4-6 weeks).
Keywords that describe your project
What equipment will be deployed in the field?
84 plots, 72 with cages. cages will be 40w x 40d x 60h (cm). A team will remove the cages after harvesting the experiment likely at the end of summer 2017.
Will plants or animals be collected as part of this study?
Littoria n= 5,400, Sesarma n = 72, Geukensia n=630, Uca n=360
What are the likely impacts of the project on the site?
Trampling vegetation, removal or soil and vegetation, removal of fauna (see above), temporary placement of boardwalks, and cages.
Will the project design include boardwalks? If not, explain why not.
Yes, during installation, we will put down temporary boardwalks as to minimize trampling and disturbance.
How long will impacts persist after the research is concluded?
Not long, possibly a few months for regrowth in trampled areas if any.
Study Area Map:
Files attached to this application
GCE-82-2017_Maps_Blythe_Island.kml (KML file, 1.45 kb, submitted 04/09/2017)
