USA Teams Research, Plant Marsh Grass On Daulphin Island

Teams from the University of South Alabama (USA) have been working to protect and boost the viability of marsh grass on Dauphin Island for generations to come. Ron Baker, associate professor at the USA Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences, and his group focused on strategic planting and long-term monitoring to track how the shoreline changes over time on a sandy stretch of land the USA Foundation donated to USA in 2023, just down the shore from the future site of the school’s outdoor classroom on the bay. Meanwhile, Biology Associate Professor Jeremiah Henning and master’s student Camille Thompson are progressing toward determining whether smooth cordgrass, which stabilizes shorelines and creates vital habitat for fish, shellfish and birds, planted with beneficial root fungi will grow stronger and more resilient. This summer, Baker coordinated a project that brought approximately 100 volunteers and students to plant 16,000 salt marsh plugs of smooth cordgrass along the shore in just two days. For the biologists on the shore, this work is “proof of concept” to generate preliminary data for a three-year, $1.1-million National Science Foundation-funded study.