COASTAL SALT MARSH ECOSYSTEMS
in the GULF OF MAINE

Thursday, May 1, 1997

WORKSHOP at the NEERS SPRING MEETING

Salt marsh ecosystems are a prominent feature of Gulf of Maine (GOM) estuaries, with extensive back-barrier marshes dominating the coastal landscape from the tip of Cape Cod to the Kennebec River. From the Kennebec River to the Bay of Fundy, marshes are smaller, but abundant. Larger marshes again appear along much of the Bay of Fundy. Current understanding of Gulf of Maine salt marsh ecology draws largely from studies of more southerly sites, from Buzzard's Bay in Massachusetts to Sapelo Island in Georgia. It is likely that the ecology of Gulf of Maine marshes varies in important ways from these model systems to the south. We announce a workshop to discuss specific research and management needs regarding fisheries ecology, productivity, habitat degradation-restoration, and biodiversity of Gulf of Maine salt marsh ecosystems.

The objectives of the workshop are:

• provide a forum for researchers and coastal resource managers to discuss the role of salt marsh ecosystems, in the ecology of the Gulf of Maine, relative to other GOM coastal ecosystems
• identify the critical issues concerning resource management of Gulf of Maine salt marshes
• define research questions that best address management needs (for issues that cannot be resolved by existing research)
• define research questions regarding ecology of Gulf of Maine salt marshes best addressed through comparative study with other regions
• outline strategies to support needed research
• outline strategies to transfer research results to coastal resource managers
• produce and distribute workshop objectives, results and conclusions to appropriate audiences at state, regional and national levels

Workshop Structure

This one day workshop will begin with a morning plenary session presenting research followed in the afternoon by discussions in working groups. Topics for plenary papers and working groups will be:

Role of salt marsh ecosystems in supporting Gulf of Maine fisheries

• feeding, growth and survival of fin and shellfish (larval to adult stages)

Salt marsh ecosystem productivity

• primary and secondary productivity; energetic and nutrient linkages with near shore waters; comparison with other vegetated habitats (macroalgae, eelgrass), and unvegetated habitats

Degradation and restoration of salt marsh systems

• human disturbance to salt marsh ecosystems, (e.g. tidal restriction and invasive species): ecosystem response to disturbance and to restoration efforts.

Biodiversity supported by salt marsh ecosystems

• species, communities and habitats maintained by salt marsh estuaries

Each working group will be lead by a chair and the proceedings recorded by a rapporteur. Participants will receive specific questions for discussion in each working group prior to the workshop. The steering committee, working group chairs and rapporteurs will meet after the workshop to construct a workshop report. A draft report will be reviewed by workshop participants to incorporate their comments into the final document.

Sponsors

The workshop will be held in conjunction with the Spring 1997 meeting of the New England Estuarine Research Society (NEERS - a regional chapter of the Estuarine Research Federation). The Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve (WNERR, Wells, Maine) is the local, sponsor for the workshop and the meeting. A planning grant from the National Science Foundation is providing funds for the workshop.

Date and Location

'The workshop will be held on Thursday, May 1, 1997, followed by regular NEERS sessions on Friday and Saturday, May 2 - 3. 'The workshop and meeting will be held at the Wells NERR. Call Tin Smith at the Reserve for more information about the meeting (207) 646-1555 x 19.

Workshop Participants

The workshop and meeting are open to all interested participants. If you would like to participate in the Coastal Salt Marsh Workshop, please register by April 7, 1997. For more information about the workshop, call Michele Dionne at the Reserve

(207)646-1555 x 36.