Valuing New Hampshire Salt Marshes: An Approach to Measuring Ecosystem Services

David Burdick presented work a method for estimating the ecosystem services benefits of salt marsh restoration. The approach combines ecological valuation, which uses structural and functional indicators to measure the marshes response to restoration, and economic valuation, which uses ecosystem services valuations, to determine the net gain in ecosystem services of marsh restoration

Restoring Salt Marsh and Functions to Newly Acquired Shoreline in North Mill Pond, Portsmouth

A berm of construction debris used to fill salt marsh and steepen the shoreline along North Mill Pond many decades ago was removed in 2010 after the land was deeded to the City. Removal of the berm reestablished regular tidal flooding to over 2,400 ft2 of tidal marsh. From 2009 to 2011, the fifth grade classes at New Franklin School learned about the project and planted mussels, shrubs and marsh plants at the site. Plant survival was excellent in the low marsh (94%) and good in the high marsh (77%). By September 2011 (Year Two) plant cover increased to 42% in the low marsh and 13% in the high marsh. After the first growing season for the upper marsh (planted in May, 2011), cover reached 23%. Some fine-grained sediment was eroded from the surface of the high marsh due to low plant cover, but no linear features or erosion scours were observed. The site can be observed over time online, including construction and plant development at http://picturepost.unh.edu

\u27How To\u27 Guide for Synthesizing NERRs Marsh Monitoring Data

The purpose of this guide is to provide a user-friendly and informative guide on ‘How to’ synthesize salt marsh data from theNational Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRs). In this guide, we outline and detail the steps taken from requesting/cataloguing data to summarizing these data through visual and statistical analysis. These methods can be used at a single or multiple site(s) as well as over multiple years. Though this guide is specific to NERRs and focuses on plant community data, it may also be useful for other monitoring parameters and programs to guide protocol design and analyses. Here, we conduct a synthesis of New England salt marshes using NERRs data collected from the past decade

Results of 2013 Macroalgal Monitoring and Recommendations for Future Monitoring in Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire

The recently designated nitrogen impairment and reports of elevated macroalgal growth in Great Bay Estuary indicate ecological imbalance. However, reversing the Estuary’s ecological decline will require commitment of considerable resources and is complicated by the variety of sources that deliver nitrogen to the Estuary and the intermittent nature of historic macroalgal monitoring. To advance our understanding of the macroalgal and nitrogen dynamics of the Estuary, data were collected via three approaches: 1) assessing plant cover and biomass along transects; 2) assessing plant cover at randomly selected points; and 3) comparing the nitrogen isotope ratios of macroalgae collected from different habitats. The results offer insight into changes in macroalgal abundance and species composition and the relative importance of various nitrogen sources to macroalgae in Great Bay. Overall, our results corroborate the findings of increasing macroalgal blooms in previous studies and suggests plausible directions for a long-term macroalgal monitoring program

A Guide to Integrate Plant Cover Data From Two different Methods

There is a lack of consensus on how to monitor (measure) plant cover in tidal marshes. Multiple methods exist to estimate plant cover, which can confound interpretation when making comparisons across methods. Here, we provide a novel and more accurate approach, building off of traditional data transformations designed to integrate the two most common methods: Point Intercept and Ocular Cover

Hampton-Seabrook Estuary Habitat Restoration Compendium

The goal of this report is to identify restoration opportunities within the watershed derived from data on habitat change. Many other factors exist that are important in the identification and selection of restoration projects, including water quality and non-point source pollution, water withdrawal, harbor maintenance, recreational impacts, human history, and socioeconomic factors, among others. Although information regarding these factors is not explicitly included in this analysis, these factors must be considered and addressed as they may limit the potential for success in specific restoration effort

Hampton-Seabrook Estuary Restoration Compendium

The Hampton-Seabrook Estuary Habitat Restoration Compendium (HSEHRC) is a compilation of information on the historic and current distributions of salt marsh and sand dune habitats and diadromous fishes within the Hampton-Seabrook Estuary watershed. These habitats and species groups were selected due to the important ecological role they play within the watershed and with effective restoration and conservation efforts, will continue to play. Other ecologically important habitats and species, such as avifauna, shellfish and eelgrass beds, currently are or historically were present within the watershed. Shellfish and seagrass are recognized as important habitats within the Estuary, but were not included in the current report because a different analytical approach may be required for such dynamic and/or short-lived species. A recent report by the New Hampshire (NH) Audubon Society details modern bird use of the Hampton-Seabrook Estuary (McKinley and Hunt 2008). Restoration opportunities have been identified within the watershed by evaluating habitat loss and changes in land use over time. Restoration opportunities are not prioritized in order to allow the goals and objectives of each restoration practitioner to govern project selection. However, in accordance with an ecosystem-based approach to restoration, areas containing multi-habitat restoration opportunities are considered to be of the highest priority. Furthermore, restoration efforts should ensure processes critical for the support of restored components are maintained or reestablished. The goal of this report is to identify restoration opportunities within the watershed derived from data on habitat change. Many other factors exist that are important in the identification and selection of restoration projects, including water quality and non-point source pollution, water withdrawal, harbor maintenance, recreational impacts, human history, and socioeconomic factors, among others. Although information regarding these factors is not explicitly included in this analysis, these factors must be considered and addressed as they may limit the potential for success in specific restoration efforts We present a series of maps detailing changes in the extent of sand dune and salt marsh habitats over time, the current and historic distribution of seven diadromous fish species, and restoration opportunities within the Hampton-Seabrook Estuary and watershed. A narrative describes the methods used, the results of analyses and examples of prominent restoration projects. Each major section concludes with references used in the narrative and maps. The maps are available for viewing as portable document format (.pdf) files. For those with GIS capabilities, the ArcMap 9.2 project files, associated data files and metadata are included on the compact disc as well. The underlying concept and methods for the HSEHRC stem from a previous project conducted within the Great Bay Estuary, the Great Bay Estuary Restoration Compendium (Odell et al. 2006)

Wetlands Evaluation for Philbrick\u27s Pond Marsh Drainage Evaluation North Hampton, NH

Philbrick’s Pond is a lagoon type estuary that formed landward of barrier beach spits in North Hampton, NH. Its inlet was stabilized and restricted by the road that is now Route 1A or Ocean Boulevard. Water flow from the Gulf of Maine passes through a culvert running under Route 1A and into a small waterway and is further restricted as it runs through a clay pipe under an old trolley berm. The lagoon is characterized as a 29 acre tidal marsh. The goal of the overall project is to evaluate the condition and hydrology of the two restrictions recognizing the conflicting needs for improved drainage from upstream flooding and limiting tidal flooding associated with extreme (i.e., storm surge) and normal flooding events due to sea level rise. The tidal marsh itself is a resource held in the public trust and therefore should be protected from any negative impacts associated with current conditions or predicted impacts due to future alternatives that may be chosen by the Town and its residents. Ditching of the marsh in the mid twentieth century rerouted drainage paths (e.g., Chapel Brook) and has resulted in large areas of vegetation loss between ditches in the past 60 years, as first reported by Short in 1984. The objectives of this report on the tidal marsh are threefold: 1) to evaluate the health of the tidal marsh by comparing existing and new data in Philbrick’s Pond with conditions found in the Little River tidal marsh just to the south; 2) characterize the relative benefits to the tidal marsh for the hydraulic alternatives evaluated by the hydrologic modeling; and 3) recommend management actions to restore marsh health using small scale drainage improvements (also known as runneling)

Eelgrass Habitat Creation in Nantucket Harbor, Massachusetts

In response to eelgrass habitat losses associated with development and marine activities in and around Nantucket Harbor, a plan to restore a meadow by transplanting eelgrass to previously vegetated areas was developed in conjunction with the Nantucket Land Council. Over 6,000 eelgrass shoots were sustainably harvested from an extensive bed within the Harbor that was located just west of First Point and near the inlet to Nantucket Sound. Four weeks following collection, impacts from our collection were shown by a 24% decline in shoot density, but live eelgrass cover did not decline significantly. After 12 weeks, no effects of collecting could be measured at the donor site for shoot density or cover. Plants had difficulty establishing within the restoration area due in part to extensive phytoplankton and macroalgal blooms that dramatically shaded the transplants for the initial three months following transplanting. After the first growing season, few of the 6,000 plants had survived, but those plants that survived became well established and grew through the second growing season in 2011. The significance of the macroalgae was documented through estimates of percentage cover, whereas light measurements showed the decline in water clarity from phytoplankton blooms to less than 10% ambient. Combined with our planting and monitoring results, our observations suggest that reestablishment of eelgrass beds in Nantucket Harbor is not limited by the distribution of seedlings, but by shading from phytoplankton and macroalgal blooms that resulted in levels of light too low to support eelgrass establishment during the summer months in 2010