Sapelo Research Application Form
Research Application ID: GCE-84-2017 (submitted: 04/26/2017, status: approved)
Provide a brief title for web display
Local and landscape scale biodeposition by the ribbed mussel, Geukensia demissa
Investigator Information
On Island Sponsor: GCE SINERR UGAMI GADNR
| Principal Investigator: | Sinead M. Crotty | ||
| Home Institution: | University of Florida | ||
| Award Information: | Graduate Research Fellowship Program, NSF, $34K/year | ||
| Mailing Address: | Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences | Phone Number: | |
| University of Florida | E-mail Address: | scrotty@ufl.edu | |
| Gainesville, Florida 32611 | |||
| Co-investigators: | Christine Angelini (University of Florida) | ||
Briefly describe the project goals and methodology
We aim to quantify the overall contribution of mussel mounds to vertical marsh accretion. To do so, we plan to harvest mound structures at two sites on Sapelo Island, and then redeploy them in sediment catchment basins to quantify maximum biodeposition per mound at locations both close to tidal creek entry points and with distance onto the marsh platform.
Where will the project be located?
This project will be located at Airport Marsh (31.424763, -81.291633) and at Birdhouse Marsh (31.420956, -81.255924).
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: 05/01/2017 End Date: 07/15/2017
How many people will access the site and at what frequency?
I will be deploying this experiment on my own for the month of May. I will visit the site three times the first week for initial maintenance, and then once per week as needed.
Keywords that describe your project
What equipment will be deployed in the field?
Plastic bins with mussel mound installed in center. Area around centrally placed mussel mound will have two dozen vertically oriented PVC poles 8in in length, 1in in diameter to catch and deposit all feces/pseudofeces/sediment from central mound structure.
Will plants or animals be collected as part of this study?
Yes, mussel mounds will be collected and then replaced in the field. Cordgrass will be harvested along with the mussel mounds. We will extract associated invertebrate communities from mounds before taking them into the laboratory.
What are the likely impacts of the project on the site?
At one creek at each site (2 sites total), 16 large and 16 small mussel mounds will be harvested and later replaced in the field. The large mussel mounds will be 40x40cm and the small mounds will be 20x20cm. At the end of the experiment, we will collect all plastic structures, but there will be some mound destruction at very local scales.
Will the project design include boardwalks? If not, explain why not.
The project will not include boardwalks because normal water flow is important to capturing accurate biodeposition rates in the field. We feel confident that the destruction by one researcher (visiting once per week) will not be significant.
How long will impacts persist after the research is concluded?
It is likely that these areas will fill in within one year.
Site Photographs:
Files attached to this application
GCE-84-2017_Maps_Airport_Marsh.png (PNG image, 720.15 kb, submitted 04/28/2017)
GCE-84-2017_Maps_Birdhouse_Marsh.png (PNG image, 774.04 kb, submitted 04/28/2017)
