Andrew R. Payne

Drexel University | DU · Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science

Salt marsh survival in the face of sea-level rise (SLR) depends largely on a marsh’s ability to compensate for increased flooding by building in elevation, but the rate of elevation gain depends on processes that are not well-understood (i.e., belowground productivity, sediment accretion, and subsidence). An array of planted and unplanted pots was...

In mid-winter 2018, an unprecedented sediment deposition event occurred throughout portions of the Great Marsh in Massachusetts. Evaluation of this event in distinct marsh areas spanning three towns (Essex, Ipswich, and Newbury) revealed deposition covering 29.2 hectares with an average thickness of 30.1±2.1 mm measured shortly after deposition. Wh...

Salt marshes can build in elevation with sea level rise through accumulation of inorganic sediment and organic matter, but marshes worldwide are under threat of drowning due to rapid rates of sea level rise that outpace natural marsh building rates. The application of a thin layer of sediment to the marsh surface (thin-layer placement, TLP) is a to...

One of the main mechanisms for salt marsh decline across the United States is the inability of the marsh surface to keep pace with sea level rise. The interior platform is especially vulnerable, leading to the encroachment of short form Spartina alternifora pannes, pool formation, and ultimately runaway pool expansion if recovery is not possible. C...

One of the main mechanisms for salt marsh decline across the United States is the inability of the marsh surface to keep pace with sea level rise. The interior platform is especially vulnerable, leading to the encroachment of short form Spartina alterniflora pannes, pool formation, and ultimately runaway pool expansion if recovery is not possible....

The long-term ecological success of compensatory freshwater wetland projects has come into question based on follow-up monitoring studies over the past few decades. Given that wetland restoration may require many years to decades to converge to desired outcomes, long-term monitoring of successional patterns may increase our ability to fully evaluat...

Eastern oyster farm production has increased dramatically in the northeastern United States in recent decades. Farming methods vary, but different configurations of off‐bottom “rack‐and‐bag” gear are commonly used and there is little published research on how different methods affect oyster growth. Field experiments were conducted during 2016–2018...

Coastal dunes are valued for habitat provision and flood protection. The dominant dune plant in New England, American beachgrass (Ammophila breviligulata) stabilizes dunes by trapping sand and slowing erosion. The system’s natural mechanism to stabilize sediment and protect coasts from erosion may be threatened by die-off, a rapidly spreading bligh...

The invasive crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus (Asian Shore Crab) arrived on the northeast coast of the United States about fifteen years ago, and has attained high popu-lation levels at the expense of other resident crabs. Data collected between 1998–2012 at a low-energy, rocky intertidal site in the western Long Island Sound reveal continued Asian Shor...