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The habitat evolution monitoring project will document the restoration of habitat in the South Bay from former salt ponds to tidal marsh and managed pond habitat, benefiting numerous species of birds and other wildlife, like these godwits and sanderling. By monitoring the changes in habitat caused by restoration actions, managers can learn and improve future restoration.
Photo by Pelican Media
Pond 8A
Photo by Coastal Conservancy
Remote sensing technology will be used to map and analyze vegetation, mudflat, and channel evolution in the South Bay Salt Ponds as restoration progresses. These findings will be essential in evaluating baylands restoration approaches and methodologies under changing conditions. Three years of annual satellite/aerial imagery will show the extent of mudflats and vegetation communities, and the monitoring will help develop new tools for designing wetland restoration projects, resulting in better success in restoring tidal marshes throughout the Estuary.
Five biosentinels (species of fish and/or wildlife) in Pond A8, located near the Guadalupe River, which is on the U.S. EPA's 303(d) list for mercury contamination, will be monitored for methyl mercury bioaccumulation. Water chemistry will be analyzed to understand the chemical processes that cause changes in mercury bioaccumulation in tidal marsh restoration. This project will provide information to managers to improve management decisions when attempting to limit mercury bioaccumulation in restored tidal marshes. For more information about mercury in the Guadalupe River watershed, click here.
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This project is funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund. |
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