The arrival of summer brings with it the start of field season, my favorite time of the year! This summer, I’m continuing to study how animals are influencing salt marsh responses to sea-level rise. Last year, I went from marsh to marsh, taking observational measurements of crab activity, grass abundance, and sedimentation. This summer, I’m switching gears and manipulating marsh crabs in cages to see how grass and sedimentation respond to the crabs’ continual presence. Stay tuned to hear how it goes! For now, check out the pictures below to see how setup went!
A few of the team, setting up cages, Cape Charles, VA
One set of cages, Cape Charles, VA
A female purple marsh crab (Sesarma reticulatum) with eggs! Cape Charles, VA
The whole caging team! Couldn’t have done this without all their help. Cape Charles, VA
Finished cage deployment, now just to collect all the data! Cape Charles, VA
Bethany L. Williams 