Article
Environmental Sciences
Maosheng Yin, Kai Xiao, Pei Xin, Hailong Li, Chunmiao Zheng, Erik Smith, Alicia M. Wilson
Summary: This study investigates the impact of crab burrows on groundwater flow and salt transport in coastal wetlands. The results show that crab burrows can form complex networks of preferential flow paths, enhancing groundwater and salt circulation. The morphology of the burrows also plays a key role in the depth and intensity of burrow flushing.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Julia D. S. Friese, Axel Temming, Andreas Daenhardt
Summary: This study explores the fish and crustacean species in German Wadden Sea salt marshes, highlighting ten dominant species and seasonal and diurnal patterns in nekton communities.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Matthew E. Kimball, Bruce W. Pfirrmann, Dennis M. Allen, Virginia Ogburn-Matthews, Paul D. Kenny
Summary: Long-term research programs focused on nekton can provide valuable information on community and population-level changes over time. This study describes the patterns and changes in a nekton assemblage in an estuary over a period of 19 years. They found that the assemblage exhibited distinct seasonality, with increased abundance and species richness over the years, and a shift in composition.
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jessica L. Valenti, Thomas M. Grothues, Kenneth W. Able
Summary: This study conducted a comprehensive comparison of fish species composition, abundance, diversity, richness, and fish lengths in subtidal salt marsh creek, sand, and seagrass habitats within a temperate lagoonal estuary. The results showed that fish abundance, diversity, and richness were often higher in creek mouth and seagrass habitats than in sand habitat, and there were some differences in species composition between habitats. The study emphasized the significance of marsh creeks in shaping the subtidal habitat mosaic of temperate lagoonal estuaries.
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaoshuai He, William G. Wallace, John R. Reinfelder
Summary: Grass shrimp have been identified as a potential factor in the transfer of methylmercury from salt marsh sediments to young-of-the-year (YOY) fish. The concentrations of methylmercury in grass shrimp were found to be significantly correlated with sediment levels. Bioenergetic models have shown that grass shrimp play a major role in the accumulation of methylmercury in YOY striped bass and summer flounder. Direct accumulation of methylmercury from grass shrimp to YOY fish increases with higher levels of methylmercury in both grass shrimp and sediment. However, in heavily contaminated salt marshes, indirect accumulation of methylmercury from grass shrimp by YOY summer flounder is predicted to plateau due to a lower proportion of grass shrimp in the diet.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Christina J. J. Codden, Catherine R. R. Edwards, Aron Stubbins
Summary: This study quantified the net flux of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) through the main creek channel of a salt marsh in Georgia, USA. Results showed periods of non-conservative behavior, indicating significant DOC outwelling during the productive summer months.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Jianzhong Ge, Jinxu Yi, Jingting Zhang, Xianye Wang, Changsheng Chen, Lin Yuan, Bo Tian, Pingxing Ding
Summary: Salt marshes are crucial habitats in coastal intertidal flats, providing nursery grounds for wildlife and acting as a buffer against flooding for coastal communities. Complex geometries in marshes pose challenges for accurately modeling water and sediment transport. Vegetation was found to significantly impact water flow and sediment transport processes within tidal creeks and mudflats.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-EARTH SURFACE
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Julia D. S. Friese, Axel Temming, Andreas Daenhardt
Summary: Inundated salt marshes are valued as nekton habitat due to their low predator and high prey abundance. Habitat quality is dependent on abiotic properties, including water temperature, oxygen concentration, flow velocity, turbidity, and sediment grain size. Despite seasonal variations, salt-marsh creeks provide relatively stable temperature and oxygen conditions, sheltered by vegetation and characterized by low flow velocities and fine sediments. Turbidity plays a significant role in nekton species occurrence, while temperature has a minor impact. Small nekton species dominate in salt-marsh creeks due to their ability to cope with extreme temperatures and benefit from reduced currents.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Paula de la Barra, Martin W. Skov, Peter J. Lawrence, Juan I. Schiaffi, Jan G. Hiddink
Summary: The research found that water exchange volume in coastal salt marshes can increase the abundance of fishes and crustaceans, while the edge amount does not have a significant impact. Crab and sea bass sizes are negatively affected by water exchange, whereas shrimp and fish sizes remain unaffected.
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Yiyang Xu, Tarandeep S. Kalra, Neil K. Ganju, Sergio Fagherazzi
Summary: This study used a 3D fully coupled modeling system to simulate the final vegetation cover and timescale of salt marshes under different forcing conditions. The simulations showed that sediment concentration, settling velocity, sea level rise, and tidal range each had different impacts on the equilibrium coverage and timescale of marshes.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chuang Jin, Zheng Gong, Lei Shi, Kun Zhao, Rafael O. Tinoco, Jorge E. San Juan, Liang Geng, Giovanni Coco
Summary: Salt marshes play a key role in attenuating wave energy and promoting sedimentation necessary to potentially adapt to sea level rise. The soil surface elevation in the marsh region varies spatially and temporally as a function of marsh topography, inundation frequency, and distance to the salt marsh edge. The sedimentation rate reduces linearly shoreward and is highest around the mean high-water level, moving towards the edge of the salt marsh with marsh extension and increasing soil surface elevation.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Denis Lafage, Alexandre Carpentier, Sylvain Duhamel, Christine Dupuy, Eric Feunteun, Sandric Lesourd, Julien Petillon
Summary: Salt marshes are facing increasing anthropogenic pressures that impact the diet of fish, potentially altering their nursery function. This study investigated the impact of salt-marsh vegetation type on trophic network structures using stable-isotope compositions, revealing that site differences and anthropogenic nitrogen inputs play a significant role in fish diet and trophic position.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Ying Zhao, Zhong Peng, Qing He, Yuxi Ma
Summary: This study examines the wave attenuation over combinations of different vegetation types on tidal flats. The results show that the impact of vegetation combinations lies between that of individual vegetation types. The study proposes an empirical formula for calculating the wave transmission coefficient, taking into account multiple vegetation characteristics.
Article
Ecology
Hem Nalini Morzaria-Luna, Joy B. Zedler
Summary: This study investigates the influence of Triglochin concinna on the salt marsh plain plant assemblage in terms of nitrogen dynamics. The results show that Triglochin can accumulate nitrogen in its roots and shoots, release nitrogen to neighbors as its litter decomposes, and reduce the biomass of surrounding plants. This suggests that Triglochin can play a role in the restoration of salt marsh vegetation.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Amanda G. Guthrie, Donna Marie Bilkovic, Molly Mitchell, Randolph Chambers, Jessica S. Thompson, Robert E. Isdell
Summary: Salt marshes provide important ecosystem services to coastal communities, while living shorelines can provide suitable habitat for nekton communities, including juveniles and forage base species. The construction of living shorelines, such as rock sills, does not seem to diminish the habitat quality in the marsh or nearshore waters and may provide enhanced structural shoreline habitat.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)