PARENT SESSION
Poster Session # 17: Aquatic Systems.
Thursday, August 7 Presentation from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM. SITCC Exhibit Hall B.
Preliminary evaluation of brown marsh near Savannah, GA.
Curran, Mary Carla*,1, Maher, Benjamin1, 1 Savannah State University, Savannah, GA, USA
ABSTRACT- Dead or brown marsh is indicated by large bald patches devoid of Spartina, and has been observed in coastal Georgia. The Savannah State University Marine Ecology Class is evaluating this phenomenon. The purpose of the study is to provide an opportunity for students to collect data valuable to a topic of current ecological concern. To assess the marsh areas, the densities of live and dead Spartina shoots were determined using transects performed through live and dead marsh areas. Shoots were counted and measured in 0.5 m2 quadrats. Preliminary results indicated that dead shoots outnumbered live shoots in both the live and dead marsh areas. Some dead marsh areas had no live shoots. Furthermore, dead shoots tended to be taller than live shoots. Preliminary evaluation of the sediment indicated that more meiofauna, primarily nematodes, were found in live marsh. In the future, we will evaluate whether these dead patches are expanding.
Key words: marsh, Spartina