Saltmarshes

Typical southern New England saltmarshes were historically dominated by high marsh meadow, containing Spartina patens and other marsh grasses and shrubs, but Rhode Island salt marshes have transitioned to smooth cordgrass-dominant (Spartina alterniflora) ecosystems, signaling an ecological transition. The change…

Saltmarshes

Federal and state agencies, and non-governmental organizations monitor many aspects of Rhode Island salt marsh conditions including area, location, abundance of fish and shellfish, species composition and abundance of vegetation, water level, and water quality. In 2016, the Narragansett Bay…

Saltmarshes

Value to Management Protects salt marshes from current and future stressors: Salt marsh monitoring helps identify trends in marsh ponding, subsidence, vegetation change, and soil degradation, all of which are associated with sea level rise and other stressors. Monitoring data…