Biotic communities in restoring salt marshes

Salt marshes are important coastal ecosystems that provide many services. Due to their high soil fertility, they have a long history of being converted to farmland. There is now growing interest in restoring salt marshes to protect against coastal erosion, mitigate sea level rise, and provide increased habitat for fish, birds, etc. Ducks Unlimited Canada and partners initiated 5 salt marsh restoration projects between 2010–2020, in the Bay of Fundy and southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, with goals of reverting pastureland or freshwater impoundments back to salt marsh, and assessing effectiveness of restoration methods. The undergraduate Co-op MITACS intern will assist, and thus gain experience, in quantify patterns and rates of restoration of biotic communities, including plants and invertebrates on the marsh platform, aquatic fauna in salt pools, and fish entering the marsh via creeks. This information will help determine best management strategies and be useful to various industries (environmental consulting, agriculture, transport) and agencies interested in salt marsh restoration.

Faculty Supervisor:

Myriam Barbeau

Student:

Partner:

Ducks Unlimited Canada (NS)

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services; Agriculture; Other services (except public administration); Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of New Brunswick

Program:

Accelerate