"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."
Tidal marshes must grow vertically to keep pace with sea level rise, or risk permanent flooding. This research focuses on the processes that regulate vertical accretion in coastal marshes. These processes are tightly interconnected and are influenced by changes in climate and land use. As suspended sediment from watersheds declines, the projected increase in the rate of sea level rise put into question the ability of marshes to keep pace with rising sea levels. This project will examine how marsh plant production, rates of sediment delivery and changes in marsh surface elevation vary spatially in the Delaware River Estuary, a large mid-Atlantic estuarine system. Field experiments will also be used to determine how both tidal freshwater and salt marsh plant production and sediment delivery respond to changing sea levels and salinity. This will lead to a more predictive understanding of ecosystem responses to climate change, a major challenge that is of interest to scientists, land managers and planners, and the general public.
Villanova University is a primarily undergraduate institution with solid commitment and history of educating undergraduate students through active involvement in research. In this case, two students a year will participate in a summer internship to learn techniques, design and conduct their own research project, and learn about other fields of study from active researchers. Focused recruitment of women and minorities will increase involvement of underrepresented groups in the sciences. Additional undergraduate student involvement in the proposed research will be attained through employment and Senior Thesis research credits, with results incorporated into several courses. Results will also be disseminated in the scientific literature, through talks at international scientific meetings, and to managers and stakeholders in the Delaware River and other coastal regions.
