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Sea-level rise is leading to the migration of marshes into coastal forests throughout North America. Marsh migration represents a primary mechanism for marsh survival in the face of sea-level rise and leads to a fundamental reorganization of vegetation communities. Yet, the ecological implications of these changes remain unknown. To evaluate the effect of marsh migration on ecosystem function, we compared habitat, primary production, vertical accretion, nutrient cycling, and carbon accumulation between new and old salt marsh on Goodwin Island (Virginia, USA) where salt marsh is migrating landward into rapidly retreating coastal forest. Using historical imagery and radioisotopic dating of sediment cores, we determined marsh age (

To determine whether mangrove soil accretion can keep up with increasing rates of sea level rise, we modeled the theoretical, steady-state (i.e., excluding hurricane impacts) limits to vertical soil accretion in riverine mangrove forests on the southwest coast of Florida, USA. We measured dry bulk density (BD) and loss on ignition (LOI) from mangrove soils collected over a period of 12 years along an estuarine transect of the Shark River. The plotted relationship between BD and LOI was fit to an idealized mixing model equation that provided estimates of organic and inorganic packing densities in the soils. We used these estimates in combination with measures of root production and mineral deposition to calculate their combined contribution to steady-state, vertical soil accretion. On average, the modeled rates of accretion (0.9 to 2.4 mm year−1) were lower than other measured rates of soil accretion at these sites and far less than a recent estimate of sea level rise in south Florida (7.7 mm year−1). To date, however, no evidence of mangrove “drowning” has been observed in this region of the Everglades, indicating that assumptions of the linear accretion model are invalid and/or other contributions to soil accretion (e.g., additional sources of organic matter; feedbacks between physical sedimentation processes and biological responses to short-term environmental change) make up the accretion deficit. This exercise highlights the potential positive impacts of hurricanes on non-steady-state soil accretion that contribute to the persistence of neotropical mangroves in regions of high disturbance frequency such as the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean region.

As sea‐level rises, low‐salinity tidal marshes experience greater flooding with more saline water. In the Chesapeake Bay estuary, we compared the 1980 and 2014 tidal marsh inventories (TMIs) of plant communities from James City County, Virginia, USA, with respect to the spatial distribution of two species—the invasive reed Phragmites australis and native salt marsh grass Spartina alterniflora–plus overall species richness. Since the 1980 TMI, the total area of low‐salinity tidal marshes in which P. australis occurred increased from 0.46 km2 to 6.30 km2 in 2014. Between TMIs, however, the total area of low‐salinity marshes occupied by S. alterniflora increased by only 0.02 km2. Species richness in low‐salinity tidal marshes decreased from 41 to 25 between TMIs. To assess seedling emergence under increased flooding and salinity, we completed two seed bank germination experiments using soil samples collected from six low‐salinity marshes containing established P. australis stands. In the first experiment, more seedlings emerged in the two low‐salinity (0 vs. 5 ppt) treatments after seven weeks, irrespective of flooding (water 3.75 cm below vs. at soil surface), but no P. australis or S. alterniflora germinated. For the second experiment, we added seeds of P. australis and S. alterniflora to soils exposed to the same flooding and salinity treatments to test the impact of these plant competitors on seedling emergence. No difference in number of seedlings was detected among treatments, but the number of species and their relative abundance was significantly affected by flooding (ANOSIM, R = 0.138, P

Coastal communities increasingly invest in natural and nature‐based features (e.g., living shorelines) as a strategy to protect shorelines and enhance coastal resilience. Tidal marshes are a common component of these strategies because of their capacity to reduce wave energy and storm surge impacts. Performance metrics of restoration success for living shorelines tend to focus on how the physical structure of the created marsh enhances shoreline protection via proper elevation and marsh plant presence. These metrics do not fully evaluate the level of marsh ecosystem development. In particular, the presence of key marsh bivalve species can indicate the capability of the marsh to provide non‐protective services of value, such as water quality improvement and habitat provision. We observed an unexpected low to no abundance of the filter‐feeding ribbed mussel, Geukensia demissa, in living shoreline marshes throughout Chesapeake Bay. In salt marsh ecosystems along the Atlantic Coast of the United States, ribbed mussels improve water quality, enhance nutrient removal, stabilize the marsh, and facilitate long‐term sustainability of the habitat. Through comparative field surveys and experiments within a chronosequence of 13 living shorelines spanning 2–16 years since construction, we examined three factors we hypothesized may influence recruitment of ribbed mussels to living shoreline marshes: (1) larval access to suitable marsh habitat, (2) sediment quality of low marsh (i.e., potential mussel habitat), and (3) availability of high‐quality refuge habitat. Our findings suggest that at most sites larval mussels are able to access and settle on living shoreline created marshes behind rock sill structures, but that most recruits are likely not surviving. Sediment organic matter (OM) and plant density were correlated with mussel abundance, and sediment OM increased with marsh age, suggesting that living shoreline design (e.g., sand fill, planting grids) and lags in ecosystem development (sediment properties) are reducing the survival of the young recruits. We offer potential modifications to living shoreline design and implementation practices that may facilitate self‐sustaining ribbed mussel populations in these restored habitats.

Climate change and coastal development pressures have intensified the need for shoreline protection. Nature-first approaches that use natural habitats, particularly marshes, are being promoted globally as ecologically-beneficial alternatives to grey infrastructure. The ability of these novel shorelines to provide nursery habitat to blue crab, an ecologically and economically important species along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States, has not been quantified.We quantified the abundance and size distribution of juvenile blue crabs from a chronosequence of living shorelines (created fringing marshes) spanning 2 to 16 years in age (since construction) and compared with paired natural fringing marshes in the southern Chesapeake Bay.Both created and natural fringing marshes are being used by blue crabs as primary nursery habitats. While there were interannual differences in abundance, young blue crabs (≤ 2.5 cm carapace width) were observed in similar densities and sizes at living shoreline and natural marshes. There was no relationship between the age of the living shoreline and blue crab density, indicating that even the youngest living shorelines (2 years) were providing primary nursery habitat. Young blue crabs were more abundant in more isolated marshes and those that were inundated for longer periods of time each tidal cycle, which may be evidence for habitat-limitation.Synthesis and applications:We provide evidence that juvenile blue crabs are comparably using natural and created fringing salt marshes as primary nursery habitat. Although the relative importance of salt marshes as young crab nursery habitat is not fully understood and likely varies by system, the value of marshes within a suite of available structural nursery habitats may increase under a changing climate. The potential for living shorelines to serve as nursery habitat for an economically important species may provide additional incentives to implement these climate adaptation strategies.

Nature-based shoreline protection provides a welcome class of adaptations to promote ecological resilience in the face of climate change. Along coastlines, living shorelines are among the preferred adaptation strategies to both reduce erosion and provide ecological functions. As an alternative to shoreline armoring, living shorelines are viewed favorably among coastal managers and some private property owners, but they have yet to undergo a thorough examination of how their levels of ecosystem functions compare to their closest natural counterpart: fringing marshes. Here, we provide a synthesis of results from a multi-year, large-spatial-scale study in which we compared numerous ecological metrics (including habitat provision for fish, invertebrates, diamondback terrapin, and birds, nutrient and carbon storage, and plant productivity) measured in thirteen pairs of living shorelines and natural fringing marshes throughout coastal Virginia, USA. Living shorelines were composed of marshes created by bank grading, placement of sand fill for proper elevations, and planting of S. alterniflora and S. patens, as well as placement of a stone sill seaward and parallel to the marsh to serve as a wave break. Overall, we found that living shorelines were functionally equivalent to natural marshes in nearly all measured aspects, except for a lag in soil composition due to construction of living shoreline marshes with clean, low-organic sands. These data support the prioritization of living shorelines as a coastal adaptation strategy.

The range expansion of exotic plant species, including the invasive reed Phragmites australis, causes widespread structural and functional changes to coastal ecosystems along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of North America. Native estuarine species, such as the diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin), are at risk of adverse effects from rapid habitat changes due to exotic invasions. Diamondback terrapins currently face population threats including by-catch mortality in crab pots, predation, and habitat loss, and populations may continue to suffer if deleterious plant invasions into preferred nesting habitats are left unchecked. We examined the extent to which Phragmites affects nesting of a breeding population of diamondback terrapins at Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge on the eastern shore of Virginia, where Phragmites has recently expanded into known areas of terrapin nesting. With data collected from the 2015 nesting season, we quantified the extent to which Phragmites shading could impact nest incubation temperature and determined how Phragmites density impacts the risk of rhizome invasion into nests. We conclude that Phragmites cover greater than 50% would decrease incubation temperatures of terrapin nests sufficiently to produce predominantly male hatchlings. Phragmites cover had no observed effect on root growth into simulated nests, but cover by other dune plant species explained observed trends in root growth. These results suggest that terrapins may be negatively impacted by Phragmites expansion into open nesting sites. Breeding site fidelity exhibited by terrapins and other estuarine species could limit the ability of their populations to adjust to rapid coastal expansion of invasive plant species.

Experiments were completed in SE Virginia during June–July 2014 and 2015 to examine the responses of blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) and diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) to commercial-style crab pots modified in visual and other ways that might attract and retain crabs while excluding terrapins as by-catch. In a seawater tank, far fewer crabs entered crab pots fitted with red plastic by-catch reduction devices (BRDs), relative to pots without BRDs. Crab retention times, however, were significantly longer in pots fitted with red BRDs. In a second experiment, fewer terrapins entered crab pots with funnels painted red relative to black. From a field pilot study, the legal crab catch from pots with red BRDs was similar to pots without BRDs, and terrapin by-catch was reduced. Relative to those treatments, fewer crabs and more terrapins were captured in pots with orange BRDs and blue BRDs, and in pots with a magnetic field directed into the funnel openings. Based on these results, a final field trial yielded comparable crab catch from 15 pots without BRDs and 15 pots fitted with red plastic BRDs. Of a by-catch of 68 terrapins, 58 were from pots without BRDs. The structure and color of BRDs can exclude most terrapins; because crab retention rates are high, the net effect of BRDs on crab catch is relatively minor, even though fewer crabs may enter pots fitted with BRDs.

Stormwater ponds are ubiquitous features of developed landscapes of the eastern United States. Their design specifically controls the pace of water runoff from impervious cover of surrounding watersheds. Ponds accumulate organic matter that typically decomposes anaerobically in bottom sediments, and thus may be significant sources of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere (e.g., carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4)). We sampled fifteen stormwater retention ponds in southeastern Virginia (USA) during summer 2018 to determine the diffusive emission of greenhouse gases with respect to measured environmental parameters. The equivalent CO2 (CO2e) flux from ponds ranged from 8.3 to 80 mmol m-2 h-1, with CH4 contributing 94%, CO2 6% and nitrous oxide less than 1% of the CO2e flux, on average. From linear mixed-effects modelling, diffusive flux of CO2 was inversely associated with pH. Maximum depth best explained diffusive flux of CH4, with surface area of secondary importance, i.e. CH4 flux was higher in smaller and more shallow ponds. With 300 stormwater ponds in the county where we conducted this study, we estimate that, during a 100-day warm season, these ponds emit 2.3 × 109 ± 1.5 × 109 SD g C as CO2e. As small, human-constructed ponds are becoming common features of urbanizing landscapes globally, results from this study suggest that, collectively, small ponds can contribute substantially to climate forcing. Better pond designs that reduce sediment methanogenesis, however, can mitigate the hypothesized potential disservice of GHG emissions from unvegetated stormwater retention ponds.

We compared two models of Bycatch Reduction Devices (BRDs), designed to maintain the catch of commercially harvestable Blue Crabs Callinectes sapidus while excluding Diamondback Terrapins Malaclemys terrapin. The “Virginia BRD” model was a thick plastic, 5.1 × 15.3 cm rectangular red frame. The “South Carolina BRD” model was a thin plastic, 6.4 × 7.3 cm rectangular red frame. Baited crab traps were fished in groups of three (No BRD, VA BRD, SC BRD) in tidal creeks in Virginia and South Carolina. In Virginia, legal-sized crabs from traps with BRDs were 2 mm smaller than from traps without BRDs. In South Carolina, significantly fewer and smaller crabs were captured in traps with SC BRDs relative to traps without BRDs or VA BRDs. Shorter soak times in South Carolina may have reduced traffic flow of crabs into traps fitted with BRDs, an effect that was overcome by longer soak times in Virginia. Twenty-three of 29 diamondback terrapins in the Virginia study were captured in traps without BRDs, with thr...

Suspended particulate organic matter (POM) in headwater streams is an important source of food and energy to stream food webs. In order to determine the effects of watershed land use on the sources and characteristics of POM, we compared the lipid composition of POM (fatty acid, aliphatic alcohol and sterol) from streams influenced by different types of watershed land use. Eight first-order streams discharging to the York River Estuary (Virginia, USA) were sampled during baseflow conditions bi-monthly from February to November 2009, including streams draining forest-dominated, pasture-dominated, cropland-dominated, and urban land-dominated watersheds. Allochthonous vs. autochthonous lipids showed that POM in most of these streams was dominated by allochthonous sources (59.5 ± 14.2 vs. 39.6 ± 14.5 % for aliphatic alcohols and 52.9 ± 11.5 vs. 34.1 ± 10.3 % for sterols). The relative abundance of allochthonous vs. autochthonous lipid inputs to POM varied as a function of land use type. POM in streams draining forest-dominated watersheds contained a higher proportion of allochthonous lipids and a lower proportion of autochthonous lipids than the streams influenced by human land use. The contribution of bacterial fatty acids differed significantly among sampling times (P = 0.003), but not among land use types (P = 0.547). Stepwise linear regression model selected nitrate and temperature as the best predictors of variation in bacterial inputs to POM. Proxies used to assess the nutritional value of POM potentially available to stream consumers included C:N ratios, and the concentrations of total long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid, arachidonic acid, and cholesterol. None of these nutritional proxies differed among sampling months (P ≥ 0.171), but the proxies showed that the nutritional value of POM in forest streams was lower than in urban streams. Collectively, these findings suggest that human land use in upstream watersheds alters the source composition and nutritional value of stream POM, which not only impacts food quality for stream biota, but also potentially changes the characteristics of OM reaching downstream ecosystems.

Mill ponds appeared throughout the eastern United States following European settlement. Sedimentation in these systems records centuries of past landscape change. To date, mill ponds on the Atlantic Coastal Plain have received little attention, yet this region had the earliest colonial settlements. Mill ponds here also have potential to record geomorphic change and pollution histories at high-resolution because of easily erodible underlying unconsolidated sediments. This paper presents a c. 300-year record of sedimentation in Lake Matoaka, a former mill pond in Williamsburg, Virginia. We used lead (Pb) and cesium (Cs) isotopes (210Pb, 137Cs), Pb concentrations, stable Pb isotopes (206Pb/207Pb), and chronostratigraphic horizons to develop a chronology, which shows remarkably high sedimentation rates, ∼0.5 cm/yr. Sedimentological data including the analysis of organic matter, grain size, and elemental compositions, revealed past conditions within the lake and its watershed. These data are linked to the operation of the mill c. CE 1700–1910, changes in the dam structure, and other historic developments of the region. Tracing pollution history with 206Pb/207Pb showed mid-1800s atmospheric deposition from smelting of Upper Mississippi Valley district Pb ores, and a sharp maxima in total Pb of 134 μg/g in the 1970s from the peak use of leaded gasoline in North America. Mass accumulation rates climbed from c. 0.08 to 0.28 g/cm/yr during the 18th and 19th centuries from deforestation and agriculture, which is somewhat lower than sediment yields documented in other regions. We suggest that stream channel storage may buffer pond sedimentation within low gradient, coastal plain landscapes. This study contributes to the understanding of sedimentation in mill ponds for reconstructing historic landscape changes and regional pollution history.

The freshwater amphipod, Gammarus fasciatus, and a population that keys to Gammarus pseudolimnaeus are broadly sympatric in southeastern Virginia. By documenting the successful formation of pre-copulatory mate-guarding pairs between individuals collected from Virginia and New York, we confirmed the occurrence of a G. pseudolimnaeus population strongly disjunct from the previously described range in the Mississippi and St. Lawrence River drainage basins. Gammarus pseudolimnaeus appears restricted to high-quality, spring-fed streams that occur at low density across an increasingly fragmented natural landscape in Virginia. Gammarus fasciatus, however, occurs in lakes and streams of developed landscapes that typically are more degraded, and this species does not co-occur with G. pseudolimnaeus in high-quality habitat. Gammarus pseudolimnaeus reproduces year-round, with adults and juveniles of all size classes continuously present. Gammarus fasciatus reproduces primarily from February through June, at...

We examined interannual variation in soil properties from wetlands occurring in adjacent drainage basins from the southeastern Everglades. Triplicate 10-cm soil cores were collected, homogenized, and analyzed during the wet season 2006–2010 from five freshwater sawgrass wetland marshes and three estuarine mangrove forests. Soil bulk density from the Taylor Slough basin ranged from 0.15 gm-cm−3 to 0.5 gm-cm−3, was higher than from the Panhandle basin every year, and generally increased throughout the study period. Organic matter as a percent loss on ignition ranged from 7 % to 12 % from freshwater marshes and from 13 % to 56 % from estuarine mangroves. Extractable iron in soils was similar among drainage basins and wetland types, typically ranging from 0.6 to 2.0 g Fe kg−1. In contrast, inorganic sulfur was on average over four times higher from estuarine soils relative to freshwater, and was positively correlated with soil organic matter. Finally total soil phosphorus (P) was lower in freshwater soils relative to estuarine soils (84 ± 5 versus 326 ± 32 mg P kg−1). Total P from the freshwater marshes in the Panhandle basin rose throughout the study period from 54.7 ± 8.4 to 107 ± 17 mg P kg−1, a possible outcome of differences in water management between drainage basins.

We used an occupancy modeling framework to test the relative importance of upland habitat composition (proportion of different types of vegetation and development) and pond characteristics (water chemistry and vegetation) in determining the occurrence of two species of pond-breeding salamanders, the Marbled Salamander (Ambystoma opacum) and Mabee's Salamander (Ambystoma mabeei), in an urban nature reserve in southeastern Virginia, USA. Of 55 ponds surveyed in 2009, we found A. opacum larvae in 17 (30.9%) ponds and A. mabeei larvae in seven (12.7%) ponds. We found a strong positive relationship between A. opacum larval occupancy probability and pH; salamanders were more likely to occupy less acidic waters. Sampled ponds were highly acidic, with pH values ranging between 3.36 and 4.41, but A. opacum occupied only ponds with pH values >3.66. Ambystoma mabeei was more tolerant of the highly acidic conditions and was more likely to occupy larger ponds with fewer trees and scrubs. Landscape-level model...

[1] Photochemical and microbial transformations of DOM were evaluated in headwater streams draining forested and human-modified lands (pasture, cropland, and urban development) by laboratory incubations. Changes in DOC concentrations, DOC isotopic signatures, and DOM fluorescence properties were measured to assess the amounts, sources, ages, and properties of reactive and refractory DOM under the influence of photochemistry and/or bacteria. DOC in streams draining forest-dominated watersheds was more photoreactive than in streams draining mostly human-modified watersheds, possibly due to greater contributions of terrestrial plant-derived DOC and lower amounts of prior light exposure in forested streams. Overall, the percentage of photoreactive DOC in stream waters was best predicted by the relative content of terrestrial fluorophores. The bioreactivity of DOC was similar in forested and human-modified streams, but variations were correlated with temperature and may be further controlled by the diagenetic status of organic matter. Alterations to DOC isotopes and DOM fluorescence properties during photochemical and microbial incubations were similar between forested and human-modified streams and included (1) negligible effects of microbial alteration on DOC isotopes and DOM fluorescence properties, (2) selective removal of 13C-depleted and 14C-enriched DOC under the combined influence of photochemical and microbial processes, and (3) photochemical alteration of DOM resulting in a preferential loss of terrestrial humic fluorescence components relative to microbial fluorescence components. This study provides a unique comparison of DOC reactivity in a regional group of streams draining forested and human-modified watersheds and indicates the importance of land use on the photoreactivity of DOC exported from upstream watersheds.

Electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FTICR-MS) has proven to be a powerful technique revealing complexity and diversity of natural DOM molecules, but its application to DOM analysis in grazing-impacted agricultural systems remains scarce. In the present study, we presented a case study of using ESI-FTICR-MS in analyzing DOM from four headwater streams draining forest- or pasture-dominated watersheds in Virginia, USA. In all samples, most formulas were CHO compounds (71.8–87.9%), with other molecular series (CHOS, CHON, CHONS, and CHOP (N, S)) accounting for only minor fractions. All samples were dominated by molecules falling in the lignin-like region (H/C = 0.7–1.5, O/C = 0.1–0.67), suggesting the predominance of allochthonous, terrestrial plant-derived DOM. Relative to the two pasture streams, DOM formulas in the two forest streams were more similar, based on Jaccard similarity coefficients and nonmetric multidimensional scaling calculated from Bray-Curtis distance. Formulas from the pasture streams were characterized by lower proportions of aromatic formulas and lower unsaturation, suggesting that the allochthonous versus autochthonous contributions of organic matter to streams were modified by pasture land use. The number of condensed aromatic structures (CAS) was higher for the forest streams, which is possibly due to the controlled burning in the forest-dominated watersheds and suggests that black carbon was mobilized from soils to streams. During 15-day biodegradation experiments, DOM from the two pasture streams was altered to a greater extent than DOM from the forest streams, with formulas with H/C and O/C ranges similar to protein (H/C = 1.5–2.2, O/C = 0.3–0.67), lipid (H/C = 1.5–2.0, O/C = 0–0.3), and unsaturated hydrocarbon (H/C = 0.7–1.5, O/C = 0–0.1) being the most bioreactive groups. Aromatic compound formulas including CAS were preferentially removed during combined light+bacterial incubations, supporting the contention that black carbon is labile to light alterations. Collectively, our data demonstrate that headwater DOM composition contains integrative information on watershed sources and processes, and the application of ESI-FTICR-MS technique offers additional insights into compound composition and reactivity unrevealed by fluorescence and stable carbon isotopic measurements.

Hancock, Gregory S., Jonathan W. Holley, and Randolph M. Chambers, 2010. A Field-Based Evaluation of Wet Retention Ponds: How Effective Are Ponds at Water Quantity Control? Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(6):1145–1158. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00481.x Abstract: Wet retention ponds are widely used structural stormwater best management practices (BMPs) with the primary goals of reducing peak flows and extending flow duration. Despite widespread use, few field-based studies have evaluated the success of wet retention ponds at meeting these goals. We determined pond elevation, flow rate, and pond volume over four years in five suburban watersheds in James City County, Virginia. We selected five ponds designed under regulations requiring a 24 hour inflow-to-outflow centroid lag time for a one year, 24 hour design storm. We used pressure transducers to measure pond water surface elevation at 5 min intervals, and calculated pond outflow and volume using rating curves obtained from site stormwater management plans (SWMPs). Peak inflows, peak outflows, and runoff ratios frequently exceeded SWMP calculations in measured events. Four ponds never achieved the required 24 hour inflow-to-outflow centroid lag for storms similar to the one year, 24 hour storm. These BMPs fail to achieve regulatory goals for channel protection because of regulatory loopholes, underprediction of rainfall intensity, unrealistic predictions of postdevelopment flows in SWMPs, and the inability of wet retention ponds to reduce overall runoff volume. While specific to one locality, the shortcomings highlighted suggest similar field-based assessments of retention pond performance are needed in other locations.

The effectiveness of bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) on commercial pots designed to capture blue crabs Callinectes sapidus was tested in the York River on Felgates Creek (37.2667 N, −76.5850 W) over the period 4 June through 31 July 2009. For each of 10 pairs of pots, one had BRDs affixed to all four entrance gapes and the other had none. Pots were baited approximately once each week but were sampled for blue crabs and bycatch 6 of 7 days each week for the duration of the study. More than one fourth of 1,643 total crabs were caught on the first day after baiting, and for these 7 days, no statistical difference was detected between either the number or size of legal-size crabs caught in BRD versus non-BRD pots. Of 51 Malaclemys terrapin and 44 fish caught as bycatch throughout the study, all but three fish were captured in non-BRD pots. BRDs exclude bycatch and may reduce incidental mortality of crabs in pots that are not tended regularly.

Bycatch mortality of non-target species in fisheries is a major threat to the conservation and restoration of marine and estuarine species. Attempts to reduce bycatch by fitting fishing gear with excluder devices have typically been met with resistance due to reductions in catch of target species. We examined the possibility that conservation and fishery goals could be met simultane- ously. In lower Chesapeake Bay, we tested a mechanism for reducing bycatch of diamondback ter- rapin Malaclemys terrapin in blue-crab traps without affecting crab catch. Over 23 sampling dates during summer 2008, we compared terrapin captures at 2 shallow-water sites typical of recreational crabbing, using 10 paired sets of an un-baited trap fitted with bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) and a trap without BRDs at each site on each date. In a separate experiment, traps were baited and fished 4 times during the summer, when we recorded number, size, and condition of captured crabs. Of 48 terrapin captures in crab traps, only 2 were from traps fitted with BRDs. Crab catch (number, size, and biomass) was equivalent between traps with and without BRDs. Because BRDs are effective in excluding all but the smallest terrapins from entering crab traps and had no effect on crab catch, BRDs are recommended for all recreational crab traps at this time and should be seriously considered for commercial traps throughout shallow estuarine waters. Combined with bycatch reduction policies in other North American estuaries, a comprehensive and effective strategy for the conservation of diamondback terrapin threatened by fisheries is emerging.

Juvenile growth rate and adult body size are important components of life-history strategies because of their direct impact on fitness. The diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is a sexually dimorphic, long-lived turtle inhabiting brackish waters throughout the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. In parts of its range, terrapins face anthropogenically imposed mortality: juveniles of both sexes inadvertently enter commercial crab traps and drown. For adult females, the carapace eventually grows large enough that they cannot enter traps, whereas males almost never reach that critical size. We compared age structure, carapace dimensions, growth curves, and indices of sexual dimorphism for a Chesapeake Bay population of terrapins (where mortality of turtles is high due to crab traps) with contemporary terrapins from Long Island Sound and museum specimens from Chesapeake Bay (neither group subject to commercial crab traps). We also calculated the allochronic and synchronic rates of evolutionary change (haldanes) for males and females to measure the rate of trait change in a population or between populations, respectively. We found a dramatic shift to a younger male age structure, a decrease in the length of time to terminal female carapace size, a 15% increase in female carapace width, and an increase in sexual dimorphism in Chesapeake Bay. In a new twist, our results implicate a fishery in the selective increase in size of a reptilian bycatch species. These sex-specific changes in life history and demography have implications for population viability that need to be considered when addressing conservation of this threatened turtle.

We completed a shoreline survey of Phragmites occurrence and adjacent land use along more than 8,400 km of shoreline in the Maryland and Virginia portions of the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries. Phragmites occurred along 14.6% of Maryland estuarine shoreline in the mid-to-upper portion of Chesapeake Bay, but along only 2.0% of the surveyed Virginia shoreline in the mid-to-lower portion. The dramatic difference in occurrence was not related exclusively to high salinity restrictions on plant distribution in the lower portion of the bay since most of the survey was completed in mesohaline to oligohaline sections of the estuary. Phragmites occurrence was highest—up to 30% of all shoreline—in the upper northeastern section of the bay and was over-represented adjacent to cleared but undeveloped land. Although Phragmites was found growing adjacent to all types of land uses including undisturbed forest in the mid-to-upper estuary, its occurrence was positively correlated with the percentage of agricultural shoreline. The extensive Phragmites occurrence throughout the upper estuary suggests that both local and regional environmental factors of management concern may contribute to the suspected spread of Phragmites along both Maryland and Virginia shoreline.

We completed laboratory-feeding studies that demonstrated preference of the headwater stream fishes Gambusia holbrooki (Mosquitofish) and Clinostomus funduloides (Rosyside Dace) for smaller Gammarus pseudolimnaeus (amphipods) over larger ones. We also submerged oak leaf-litter bags in sections of streams with and without these fish predators. After three weeks, the mean number ± s.e. of amphipods per litter bag in streams with fish was significantly lower (289 ± 50 vs. 978 ± 122) and the average size of amphipods was significantly larger (13.9 ± 0.1 mg vs. 8.1 ± 0.1 mg), relative to streams without fish. The quantity and quality of leaf litter, however, were not significantly different. Top-down predation may have altered the population structure of stream-dwelling amphipods, but did not change leaf decomposition over the time of the study.

Chemical cues can assist intraspecific communication associated with sexual behavior, territoriality, and home-site philopatry. We tested experimentally the influence of chemical cues on the behavior of male Common Musk Turtles (Sternotherus odoratus). In laboratory-controlled choice boxes, we video recorded the location of turtles moving between two water tanks separated by a raised divider. Water was scented by no turtles, the test turtle, another male, or a female. Based on two-hour trials, we considered turtles that spent > 55% of the time in one water tank as having demonstrated a scent preference. From at least 10 replicates of each of six different treatment combinations, males significantly chose tanks with the scent of a female versus tanks with clean water, the scent of self, or the scent of another male. We propose that the smell produced by a female turtle includes an intraspecific chemical cue that helps males search for potential mates.

Spatial distributions and patchiness of dominant megafaunal invertebrates in deep-sea seep environments may indicate heterogeneities in the flux of reduced chemical compounds. At the Blake Ridge seep off South Carolina, USA, the invertebrate assemblage includes dense populations of live vesicomyid clams (an undescribed species) as well as extensive clam shell beds (i.e. dead clams). In the present study, we characterized clam parameters (density, size-frequency distribution, reproductive condition) in relation to sulfur chemistry (sulfide and sulfate concentrations and isotopic compositions, pyrite and elemental sulfur concentrations) and other sedimentary metrics (grain size, organic content). For clams >5 mm, clam density was highest where the total dissolved sulfide concentration at 10 cm depth (ΣH2S10cm) was 0.4 to 1.1 mmol l -1 ; juvenile clams (

We compared the distribution and nutrient status of native haplotype F ofPhragmites australis along the freshwater to mesohaline tidal marsh gradient of the Rappahannock River, Virginia, for comparison with the nonnative, invasive haploty M. Using GIS analysis of aerial photography and GPS-based ground truthing, we identified 55 separate clones of native haplotype F comprising a total of 3.68 ha (range 0.002–0.734 ha), all found in tidal wetlands where surface water salinity was 0 psu. We identified 219 separate clones of the invasive haplotype M covering 68.3 ha along the same stretch of river (range 0.004–11.86 ha), found in wetlands where salinity ranged from 0 to 11 psu. From 15 separate clones for each haplotype, average carbon content in leaves of the native was significantly higher than the invasive (43.90±0.08% versus 42.82±0.15%, F1,28=20.938, p

To determine relationships between soil nutrient status and known gradients in primary production, we collected and analyzed soils from 17 LTER sampling sites along two transects through south Florida wetland ecosystems. Through upstream freshwater marsh, a middle reach including the oligohaline marsh/mangrove ecotone, and downstream estuarine habitats, we observed systematic variation in soil bulk density, organic content, and pools of phosphorus (P), inorganic sulfur, and extractable iron. Consistent with observed differences in wetland productivity known to be limited by P availability, total P averaged ~200 μg g dw−1 in soils from the eastern Taylor Slough/Panhandle and was on average three times higher in soils from the western Shark River Slough. Along both transects, the largest pool of phosphorus was the inorganic, carbonate-bound fraction, comprising 35–44% of total P. Greater than 90% of the total inorganic sulfur pool in these south Florida wetland soils was extracted as pyrite. Freshwater marsh sites typically were lower in pyrite sulfur (0.2–0.8 mg g dw−1) relative to marsh/mangrove ecotone and downstream estuary sites (0.5–2.9 mg g dw−1). Extractable iron in freshwater marsh soils was significantly higher from the Taylor Slough/Panhandle transect (3.2 mg g dw−1) relative to the western Shark River Slough transect (1.1 mg g dw−1), suggesting spatial variation in sources and/or depositional environments for iron. Further, these soil characteristics represent the collective, integrated signal of ecosystem structure, so any long-term changes in factors like water flow or water quality may be reflected in changes in bulk soil properties. Since the objective of current Everglades restoration initiatives is the enhancement and re-distribution of freshwater flows through the south Florida landscape, the antecedent soil conditions reported here provide a baseline against which future, post-restoration measurements can be compared.

We tested philopatry by common musk turtles Sternotherus odoratus in a Virginia lake for 9 wk during summer 2003. Using unbaited crab pots, 10 trapping sites were established in the littoral zone around the lake perimeter and pots were sampled daily, yielding 560 turtle captures. Musk turtles trapped at the two sites separated by the greatest distance (1.1 km) were marked and released at the opposite site; turtles captured at the eight sites in-between were marked and released at the capture site. Of 287 captures of turtles released at their capture site, 57 were recaptured and 43 of these were at the original capture site. Of 140 captures of turtles displaced 1.1 km, 76 were recaptured and 15 of these were turtles that returned to their site of original capture. Turtles moved significantly more once they had been displaced, and males moved more frequently, but not over longer distances than females. These data indicate that S. odoratus is capable of homing and that site fidelity is exhibited by both male and female turtles. In a lake where the ratio of male:female turtles is approximately 1:1, the occurrence of philopatry is consistent with turtles having discrete home ranges.

Efforts to manage or prevent Phragmites australis invasion in salt and brackish marshes are complicated by the lack of a general causal role for specific human activities. The pattern of invasion within a marsh differs among sites, and each may have different causal histories. A review of the literature finds three establishment/invasion patterns: (1) from stands established on ditch- or creek-bank levees toward interior portions of high marshes, (2) from stands along upland borders toward high marsh interiors, and (3) centroid spread from high marsh stands established in ostensibly random locations. Each invasion pattern seems to have different anthropogenic precursors, therefore preventing generalizations about the role of any one human activity in all sites. However, historical and experimental evidence suggests that regardless of invasion pattern, establishment is much more likely at sites where rhizomes are buried in well-drained, low salinity marsh areas. Any human activity that buries large rhizomes, increases drainage, or lowers salinity increases chances of establishing invasive clones. To integrate these patterns and improve our understanding of the rapid spread of Phragmites, recent evidence has been synthesized into a dichotomous flow chart which poses questions about current site conditions and the potential for proposed activities to change site conditions that may facilitate invasion. This simple framework could help managers assess susceptibility and take preventative measures in coastal marshes before invasion occurs or before removal becomes very expensive.

For nine weeks during the summer of 2002, a mark and recapture technique was used to study homing behavior of Musk Turtles (Sternotherus odoratus) living in Lake Matoaka, VA. During the first three weeks of the study, 119 turtles (83 male, 36 female) were captured using unbaited crabpots, then marked and displaced from the site of capture. Turtles were displaced 100 m across open water 4 m deep, 520 m along the same shore, or 550 m across open water. For the last six weeks of the study, 110 turtles (65 males, 45 females) were captured and released with no displacement. Overall, 39% (49/126) of males and 21% (15/71) of females in this study were captured more than once. Seventy-five of 118 recaptures (64%) were at the site of most recent release (sedentary behavior) and 11 recaptures (9%) were at neither the original nor most recent site of capture (non-homing behavior). Thirty-four of 118 recaptures of displaced turtles (29%) occurred at the site of original capture, and 31 (91%) of these movemen...

Through their physiological effects on ion, oxygen, and carbon balance, respectively, salinity, sulfide, and prolonged flooding combine to constrain the invasion and spread ofPhragmites in tidal wetlands. Initial sites of vigorous invasion by seed germination and growth from rhizome fragments appear limited to sections of marsh where salinity is

Storm events impact freshwater microbial communities by transporting terrestrial viruses and other microbes to freshwater systems, and by potentially resuspending microbes from bottom sediments. The magnitude of these impacts on freshwater ecosystems is unknown and largely unexplored. Field studies carried out at two discrete sites in coastal Virginia (USA) were used to characterize the viral load carried by runoff and to test the hypothesis that terrestrial viruses introduced through stormwater runoff change the composition of freshwater microbial communities. Field data gathered from an agricultural watershed indicated that primary runoff can contain viral densities approximating those of receiving waters. Furthermore, viruses attached to suspended colloids made up a large fraction of the total load, particularly in early stages of the storm. At a second field site (stormwater retention pond), RAPD-PCR profiling showed that the viral community of the pond changed dramatically over the course of two intense storms while relatively little change was observed over similar time scales in the absence of disturbance. Comparisons of planktonic and particle-associated viral communities revealed two completely distinct communities, suggesting that particle-associated viruses represent a potentially large and overlooked portion of aquatic viral abundance and diversity. Our findings show that stormwater runoff can quickly change the composition of freshwater microbial communities. Based on these findings, increased storms in the coastal mid-Atlantic region predicted by most climate change models will likely have important impacts on the structure and function of local freshwater microbial communities.

Phragmitesexpansion into tidal wetlands of North America is most extensive along the northern and middle Atlantic coasts, but over 80% of the US coastal wetland area occurs along the Gulf of Mexico and southern Atlantic coasts and may be susceptible to ongoing expansion. Rapid spread of Phragmiteshas been documented in freshwater (

Selected nitrogen and phosphorus pools in two freshwater tidal marsh ecosystems on the lower Connecticut River were measured relative to Phragmites, Typha and mixed native wetland plant cover types. For both the Chapman Pond Preserve and Chester Creek Marsh, significant differences were found between plant cover types in porewater ammonium and phosphate for some months during the 1998 growing season; porewater nitrate was always below the detection limit. At Chapman Pond, no significant differences were detected between Phragmites and Typha for plant tissue N concentrations. The standing stock of nitrogen was higher in Phragmites stands, however, owing to its greater aboveground biomass. No significant difference was found between plant cover types for total soil N at Chapman Pond, but KCl extractable ammonium was higher in the mixed cover type than Phragmites or Typha. The results of this study suggest that Phragmites is affecting nutrient pools in freshwater tidal marshes, a result that should be considered in future management design.

Porewater chemistry and plant height were examined along 5 short transects extending from sections of tidal marsh dominated by the common reedPhragmites australis to those dominated bySpartina alterniflora. Phragmites was found at relatively higher tidal elevations along 4 of 5 transects; along all transects,Phragmites was growing and flowering throughout a porewater salinity range from 12 to 30 ppt. Dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentrations varied from 0 to >35 μM in bothSpartina andPhragmites sections of marsh, but ammonium concentrations averaged >40 μM in zones dominated bySpartina and 400 μM, perhaps due to sulfide inhibition of nitrogen uptake for growth. The persistence ofPhragmites at field conditions of high salinity and elevated sulfide concentrations suggests that hydrologic management may be insufficient to eradicatePhragmites in tidal wetlands.

Tidal wetland restoration typically has as one of its primary goals the reestablishment of ecosystem-level functions and services to marsh habitats degraded by reductions in tidal flow. On a fundamental level, reduction or restriction of tidal flooding alters the wetland environment so dramatically that soils, hydrology, and vegetation are all impacted, so that wetland function de facto is changed. Luckily, restoration of tidal flows in many wetlands can reverse some of the functional changes caused by tidal restriction.

In the United States, Phragmites australis is often viewed as a pest species because it forms monocultures that dominate a site for longer time scales than other wetland plants and because it decreases biodiversity. While research has shown that Phragmites is successful in tidal marshes where it tolerates the effects of prolonged flooding and salinity, to date there is little evidence of its influence on ecosystem-level processes. We review the literature and suggest future areas of research by regarding the specific question of whether Phragmites can dominate a site through its ability to control the cycling of limiting nutrients. Phragmites sequesters nutrients in standing live and dead biomass that either accumulates in the soil or is removed from the system by tidal flushing. Phragmites reduces light and temperature under its dense growth that decreases decomposition rates and immobilizes nutrients in long-term storage pools. Phragmites outcompetes other species for increased nutrient inputs from various anthropogenic sources. We focus in particular on two possible mechanisms which may be related to Phragmites success: Phragmites immobilizes nitrogen into forms (e.g., DON) which cannot be utilized by other species; and/or Phragmites accumulates Si and/or Al which immobilize P making it unavailable to other plants. Identifying the relative importance of these mechanisms to Phragmites expansion could assist the development of successful wetland restoration and management plans.

Seagrass meadows in Florida Bay and Shark Bay contain substantial stores of both organic carbon and nutrients. Soils from both systems are predominantly calcium carbonate, with an average of 82.1% CaCO3 in Florida Bay compared with 71.3% in Shark Bay. Soils from Shark Bay had, on average, 21% higher organic carbon content and 35% higher phosphorus content than Florida Bay. Further, soils from Shark Bay had lower mean dry bulk density (0.78 ± 0.01 g mL–1) than those from Florida Bay (0.84 ± 0.02 mg mL–1). The most hypersaline regions of both bays had higher organic carbon content in surficial soils. Profiles of organic carbon and phosphorus from Florida Bay indicate that this system has experienced an increase in P delivery and primary productivity over the last century; in contrast, decreasing organic carbon and phosphorus with depth in the soil profiles in Shark Bay point to a decrease in phosphorus delivery and primary productivity over the last 1000 y. The total ecosystem stocks of stored organic C in Florida Bay averages 163.5 MgCorg ha–1, lower than the average of 243.0 MgCorg ha–1 for Shark Bay; but these values place Shark and Florida Bays among the global hotspots for organic C storage in coastal ecosystems.

We investigated the size and structure of a population of diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) inhabiting Piermont Marsh on the lower Hudson River, New York. From 6 June through 24 August 1997, 39 trapping periods were completed using trammel nets set in and around the marsh complex. Only eight terrapins were captured six males and two females indicative of a small or broadly-dispersed population. Terrapins were trapped near a sandbar area outside of the marsh but never seen or trapped in two marsh creeks, suggesting the creeks were not used by terrapins during the time of the study. Instead, terrapins were observed basking and swimming around the rocky piers and breakwaters in the Hudson River. Recent development, soil subsidence, and Phragmites australis growth may have deteriorated traditional terrapin nesting sites in the region.