Collecting sediment samples in the marshes of Grand Bay

Joseph Terrano of the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center retrieves a sediment sample from under the marsh grass. Scientists installed several Net Sediment Tiles (NST) on the surface of the marsh to measure sediment deposition. The grid allows him to find the tile, which is randomly assigned a grid slot in the plot, because it is covered in sediment and not visible. The samples are retrieved and measured in the lab to identify short-term sediment deposition rates on the marsh surface. It is important to study sediment delivery since it is a critical process influencing marsh elevation and how the marsh will respond to changing sea level.

Learn more about the Estuarine and MaRsh Geology (EMRG) Project.