EDUCATION
M.S., Louisiana State University, 2003 -- Thesis: Nekton use and growth in three brackish marsh pond microhabitats
B.S., Marine Fisheries, Texas A&M University, 1998
B.S., Marine Biology, Texas A&M University, 1998
Sarai began working at the Wetland and Aquatic Research Center in 2006 with a group of field ecologists interested in monitoring and assessment of coastal restoration projects. She now serves as the program manager for the Coastwide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS) funded by the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA). CRMS is one of the world's largest wetland monitoring programs with publically available data. Since 2006, nearly 400 CRMS sites have been collecting data throughout Louisiana's coastal zone monitoring aspects of wetland hydrology, vegetation, surface elevation and land area change. As program manager, Sarai represents USGS as the federal sponsor for CRMS. She is responsible for all aspects of budgeting, contracting, coordination, work planning, supervision and staffing. Program level interactions require regular coordination with the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana and 5 federal partner agencies. She also acts as a liaison between the CRMS analytical teams and data delivery teams to develop web tools and maintain the CRMS website.
USGS researchers will provide technical guidance to inform the development of monitoring plans for the western coast of Louisiana.
CRMS uses a multiple reference approach to biological monitoring and uses aspects of hydrogeomorphic functional assessments and probabilistic sampling that address the limited effectiveness of the traditional paired-reference monitoring approach in Louisiana.
This approach includes a suite of sites that encompass the range of ecological conditions for each stratum, with projects placed...
The Coastwise Reference Monitoring System was designed to monitor the effectiveness of restoration actions at individual sites, as well as across the entire Louisiana coast.
This study will employ a space for time substitution to show long-term effects of rising sea-level and increasing salinity on vegetation community structure, primary production and decomposition. Productivity and decomposition rates will be estimated for four wetland plant community types defined by salinity zones and dominant plant species.