Monitoring salt marsh vegetation and nekton at Assateague Island National Seashore: 2012 summary report
Nicosia EL. 2013. Monitoring salt marsh vegetation and nekton at Assateague Island National Seashore: 2012 summary report. Natural Resource Data Series. NPS/NCBN/NRDS—2013/655. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
The Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network (NCBN) began monitoring salt marsh vegetation and nekton at Assateague Island National Seashore (ASIS) in 2008. This report summarizes the third year of data collected at nine permanent monitoring sites during the summer of 2012. Monitoring will continue on a biennial basis. Approximately fifty vegetation plots were sampled at each of the nine marsh sites (total = 451 plots). The percent cover of each vegetation species and non-vegetation cover type within each 1 m2 plot was visually estimated using a revised Braun-Blanquet method. Fourteen vegetation species and four non-vegetation cover types (bare ground, water, wrack & litter, and trash) were recorded. A total of 127 nekton stations were established on creeks and pools/pannes. Each station was sampled twice during the field season (except for at site 8, where only the late summer sampling was conducted). Nekton stations were sampled using a 1 m2 aluminum throw trap. Eight species of nekton were recorded in 2012, including six fish, and two crab species. Common mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus), sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus), and rainwater killifish (Lucania parva) accounted for approximately 97% of all nekton captured in 2012.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Nicosia, Erika
- Date of Issue
- 2013-03
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- ASIS , NCBN , NRSS
- Keywords
- ASIS, Assateague Island National Seashore, Braun-Blanquet method, inventory and monitoring program, Monitoring, NCBN, Nekton, nekton stations, Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network, Salt Marsh, throw trap, Vegetation, Vegetation Plots, Vital Signs