This week, we surveyed restored marsh mounds at Port Arthur. Last July, some of the mounds appeared to be overgrown with
Spartina, and the plants were growing over the edges of the mound and
falling over. All of the plant material eventually senesced during the winter, but the centers of those mounds now have dense new green growth. Decomposing senesced material around the edges will probably raise the elevation of the mound edges and facilitate the outward spread of the marsh plants. To quantify this spreading potential, we will assess accretion rates to determine the rate of marsh growth.
This observation suggests a hidden benefit to using this strain of
Spartina: Maybe its rapid growth will increase marsh spreading rates?
Some of our research "fleet": a
pirogue and a towed inflatable for samples.
Best in Category for the Marine Resources Management Division at the TAMUG Student Research Symposium last week. Good job, Allison!
