Project Description: The goals of this project were to increase the height and cover of vegetation in low and high marsh treatment plots in a component of the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Virginia called Goodwin Islands. The reserve had 40-50 treatment plots with sediment treatment. Two sediment layer thicknesses were tested, 7 cm and 14 cm. A mixture of sand, silt, and clay with an addition of local mud was utilized for each treatment plot. An additional plot incorporated dredged sediment to examine the effects of sediment type on marsh responses to TLP. Results indicated that a thicker sediment addition, 14 cm, was optimal for the restoration of degraded marshes, their higher elevation kept pace with sea level change.
