Field Site Seminar, Jon Grabowski: Using ecological and socioeconomic approaches to inform the conservation, restoration and management of coastal watersheds

Abstract:

Estuarine ecosystems are among the most valuable on earth because they provide a vast array of ecosystem services such as storm protection, nutrient cycling, and essential fish habitat. Unfortunately, they face a multitude of anthropogenic stressors, from habitat degradation and loss to invasive species, sea level rise, and pollutants. I will discuss a series of experiments conducted over the past two decades using oyster reefs as a model system to investigate top-down forcing and community structure across multiple spatial scales. Then I will cover how we have used experimental restored oyster reefs to investigate how reef properties and setting influence key ecosystem functions such as fish utilization and denitrification. Lastly, I will review our research in collaboration with the federal agencies in charge of coastal habitat restoration investigating drivers of past restoration effort to better align future efforts with ecological and societal needs. Collectively, this work aims to enhance the management of coastal and estuarine ecosystems so that they continue to deliver valuable ecosystem services.

Zoom webinar ID:969 1093 3469

Northeastern University

Host: Mike Piehler