Sapelo Research Application Form
Research Application ID: GCE-92-2019 (submitted: 02/08/2019, status: approved)
Provide a brief title for web display
Mussels control salt marsh geomorphological evolution - small scale
Investigator Information
On Island Sponsor: GCE SINERR UGAMI GADNR
| Principal Investigator: | Christine Angelini | ||
| Home Institution: | University of Florida | ||
| Award Information: | NSF-CAREER - Angelini | ||
| 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: | Sinead M. Crotty (University of Florida), Collin Ortals (University of Florida) | ||
Briefly describe the project goals and methodology
Until now, our understanding of how coastal landscapes evolve and respond to sea-¬level rise has focused on feedbacks between vegetation, hydrology and sediment supply. Invertebrates, such as crabs and mussels, are often widely distributed in these ecosystems and can directly affect plant growth as well as sediment deposition and mobility through their biotic activities and indirectly alter water flow by altering plant canopy thickness and patterns in sediment accumulation or loss from the system. However, the effects of resident fauna on coastal wetland geomorphological evolution are largely unknown. With this project, we aim to assess the role of ribbed mussels, Geukensia demissa, on tidal creek growth and salt marsh geomorphological evolution. Specifically, we hypothesize that mussels accelerate tidal creek growth by enhancing water percolation rates/flushing and accelerating flow rates at the marsh surface off of mussel. mounds thereby promoting sediment scour and tidal creek elongation. We will test this with a manipulative field experiment conducted within 15m x 15m plots at 3 locations on Sapelo Island, GA. Experimental treatments will include full mussel removals, mussel additions, and unmanipulated controls.. We will then monitor tidal creek evolution with drone image analysis and field measurements, as well as following soil elevation and percolation rates on marsh platforms to track local scale effects on salt marsh accretion and water flow profiles. All temporary structures will be flagged for visibility.
Where will the project be located?
Plot 1 - ( 31°23'11.25"N, 81°16'40.74"W), Plot 2 - ( 31°23'22.52"N, 81°16'30.35"W), Plot 3 - ( 31°23'34.96"N, 81°16'47.58"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: 03/01/2019 End Date: 03/01/2021
How many people will access the site and at what frequency?
Initial set up will consist of myself and 2-4 assistants. Each site will take one 6 hour setup day.
Following initial setup, one researcher will visit each site once per month to monitor changes in creek
morphology.
Please list keywords (as many as are appropriate) that describe your project:
What equipment will be deployed in the field?
Flags¬ will be placed around experimental treatment area to visibly demarcate plot boundaries. Plot corners will be indicated with one 1-in diameter PVC pole inserted into the ground.
Throughout the experiment, sensors will be periodically deployed for collecting hydrodynamic measurements will be deployed for several tidal cycles: ADV, ADCP, Pressure Sensor, WQ Sensor (3 times per year).
Will plants or animals be collected as part of this study?
Yes. Ribbed mussels will be collected from experimental plots (15 x 15m area) and transplanted to adjacent areas. We have selected three site locations, within which we will establish three experimental plots: mussel removal plot, mussel addition plot, and an unmanipulated control area (N = 9 total plots).
What are the likely impacts of the project on the site?
We anticipate very local scale tidal creek morphological changes at addition/removal areas.
There will be negligible effects on Spartina and/or on invertebrate communities, since trampling will be highly monitored and limited to one day for experimental deployment and then visits by one researcher monthly.
Will the project design include boardwalks? If not, explain why not.
This project will not include boardwalks since local water flow rates and patterns will be very important to the dynamics that we are measuring. Human destruction/trampling should be minimal, so the deployment of boardwalks would additionally not confer any major benefits to marsh health in this instance.
How long will impacts persist after the research is concluded?
We have previously found high rates of mussel recruitment in the region. We therefore anticipate that
mussel communities from removal creeks will reestablish small mussel mounds within a year, and continue to grow/expand each year. Trampling effects will likely not persist beyond one growing season.
Site Photographs:
Files attached to this application
GCE-92-2019_Maps_PermittingMap_02082019.PNG (PNG image, 2448.24 kb, submitted 02/10/2019)
[web link: https://gce-lter.marsci.uga.edu/private/registration/files/Maps/GCE-92-2019_Maps_PermittingMap_02082019.PNG]