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Utilization of a citizen monitoring protocol to assess the structure and function of natural and stabilized fringing salt marshes in North Carolina

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Abstract

Narrow fringing salt marshes dominated by Spartina alterniflora occur naturally along estuarine shorelines and provide many of the same ecological functions as more extensive marshes. These fringing salt marshes are sometimes incorporated into shoreline stabilization efforts. We obtained data on elevation, salinity, sediment characteristics, vegetation and fish utilization at three study sites containing both natural fringing marshes and nearby restored marshes located landward of a stone sill constructed for shoreline stabilization. During the study, sediment accretion rates in the restored marshes were approximately 1.5- to 2-fold greater than those recorded in the natural marshes. Natural fringing marsh sediments were predominantly sandy with a mean organic matter content ranging between 1.5 and 6.0%. Average S. alterniflora stem density in natural marshes ranged between 130 and 222 stems m−2, while mean maximum stem height exceeded 64 cm. After 3 years, one of the three restored marshes (NCMM) achieved S. alterniflora stem densities equivalent to that of the natural fringing marshes, while percentage cover and maximum stem heights were significantly greater in the natural than in the restored marshes at all sites. There was no significant difference in the mean number of fish, crabs or shrimp captured with fyke nets between the natural and restored marshes, and only the abundance of Palaemonetes vulgaris (grass shrimp) was significantly greater in the natural marshes than in the restored ones. Mean numbers of fish caught per 5 m of marsh front were similar to those reported in the literature from marshes adjacent to tidal creeks and channels, and ranged between 509 and 634 fish net−1. Most of the field data and some of the sample analyses were obtained by volunteers as they contributed 223 h of the total 300 h spent collecting data from three sites in one season. The use of fyke nets required twice as many man-hours as any other single task. Vegetation and sediment parameters were sensitive indicators of marsh restoration success, and volunteers were capable of contributing a significant portion of the labor needed to collect these parameters.

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Acknowledgements

The NOAA Restoration Center and the NOS Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research provided funding for this project. J. Brewer provided valuable assistance in the field and laboratory; C. Addison, S. Slade and M. Johnson also assisted with fieldwork. D. Meyer helped with the overall sampling design and M. LaCroix aided in fish identification. M. Severin organized the 2001 sampling effort and developed several of the protocols. V. Nero provided assistance with the diversity indices and community similarities. We thank T. Skrabal and the North Carolina Coastal Federation for their cooperation and assistance. Dr. K. Fisher and E. Noble from Elizabeth City State University and their students provided valuable field assistance and performed sediment analyses. Many additional volunteers contributed time to this project and in particular, we thank F. Gaines, M. Rawls and the Carteret Community College Science Club, and P. Cader and the National Charity League, Morehead City Chapter.

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  1. NOAA Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research, 101 Pivers Island Road, Beaufort, NC, 28516, USA

    Carolyn A. Currin, Priscilla C. Delano & Lexia M. Valdes-Weaver

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  1. Carolyn A. Currin
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  2. Priscilla C. Delano
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Correspondence to Carolyn A. Currin.

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Currin, C.A., Delano, P.C. & Valdes-Weaver, L.M. Utilization of a citizen monitoring protocol to assess the structure and function of natural and stabilized fringing salt marshes in North Carolina. Wetlands Ecol Manage 16, 97–118 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-007-9059-1

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