The Brown Marsh Project Responds to Louisiana's Smooth Cordgrass Dieback
The browning and dieback
of over 100,000 acres of smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora)
served as a dire call to action for Louisiana's coastal science community.
This 6-part series explores the response to that call, from satellite
imagery to laboratory studies of individual plants.
The discovery of an ecological mystery, Governor Foster's call to action, and the coastal research community's call to arms.
2: Data Management and Synthesis
Laying the groundwork for the storage, access and retrieval of the multidisciplinary data to be generated, plus plans to disseminate findings.
Determining the extent and spread of the problem from space, air and at ground level.
The heart of the matter, including an investigation of the climate record, field studies, laboratory studies, greenhouse studies and computer modeling.
The challenge of finding a way to repair the damage done: breeding a heartier marsh grass, aerial seeding, shoring up critical zones and the use of dredged material.
Even prior to the investigation's conclusion, simply facing the challenge yields it own rewards.