An Integrated Approach Towards a Quantitative Model of Salt Marsh Biocomplexity and Morphodynamics

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Furbish0120582Salt marshes are important ecosystems that are frequently impacted by human activities. Because of the nonlinear nature of many salt marsh processes and the complex interactions among them, computer modeling based on experiments, field studies and emerging remote sensing techniques offers a critical opportunity for achieving significant advances in understanding and predicting salt marsh dynamics. During this project we will: (i) identify essential key physical, biological and chemical components that should become the foci of predictive models of salt marsh dynamics; (ii) identify and assemble key personnel necessary to pursue a collaborative modeling effort, coordinating our efforts with scientists pursuing related work at Pace, Yale and Rutgers Universities; (iii) identify key theoretical concepts, computational tools and field-based studies necessary for rigorous model development and testing; and (iv) prepare a full-scale proposal for a comprehensive research program that effectively combines these theoretical, computational and field-based components. The centerpiece of our efforts during the 1.5-year project period involves organizing and convening two novel workshops. The first will be focused on salt marsh processes and dynamics; the second will be focused on implementing and testing predictive modeling, and the coupling of remote sensing techniques with modeling. Both will involve field excursions to wetland/salt marsh sites. Project activities will be organized through the Center for Earth Surface Processes Research (CESD), an interdisciplinary Center of Excellence at FSU, and involve mutual participation of scientists at FSU and the Pace-Yale-Rutgers group.