Life Sciences Commons^™

Assessing The Effects Of The Mud Snail, Ilyanassa Obsoleta, On The Benthic Microalgal Community In A Pristine Saltmarsh, Miranda Gore

Theses and Dissertations

Saltmarshes are among the most productive ecosystems globally. At North Inlet estuary, South Carolina, about one third of the primary production comes from benthic microalgae. During the tidal cycle, mobile microalgae vertically migrate through the upper 3 mm of sediment. At low tide, algae are vulnerable to a variety of grazers, including the mud snail, Ilyanassa obsoleta, which is abundant in tidal creeks. Many species of intertidal snails have been shown to significantly alter the community structure and density of microalgae within the sediment. The purpose of this study was to determine how I. obsoleta affects the benthic microalgae community …

Applicability Of Lidar Technology In Saltmarshes: Landscape-Scale Predictive Models To Local-Scale Biomass Estimation, James Dean Edwards Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The management of saltmarshes requires detailed knowledge of the underlying processes driving their distribution in both time and space to make appropriate management decisions. With most of the world’s population living in the coastal zone and rising sea levels, one of our most important natural resources in the coastal zone faces increasing threat of collapse. This study uses the current state of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology to model and predict saltmarsh distribution at a landscape-scale and provide evidence that a terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) can be used to estimate saltmarsh biomass for inclusion into existing models.

Land cover …