Coastal marshes in the northern Gulf of Mexico provide essential habitat for various consumer species, however, land loss has severely degraded marsh habitat in this region. Few studies have examined restored black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus) marshes, such as those found in Mississippi (MS), and how they affect faunal inhabitants.
Restoration of Juncus-dominated marshes on Deer Island, MS sought to reestablish ecological functions with the intention of supporting natural consumer assemblages. To test this, quadrat and minnow trap sampling were used to compare invertebrate and nekton abundance, species richness, and diversity of two restored marshes (5+ yrs and 15+ yrs) with a natural reference marsh (100+ yrs old). Stable isotope analysis was also used to compare basal carbon sources and trophic support between sites. Quadrat sampling showed invertebrate abundance did not reach natural levels in either restored site, but minnow trap sampling showed abundance and species richness at the younger 5+ yr site surpassed that of the natural marsh. A comparison of community assemblage and stable isotope analysis showed similarity between the 5+ yr restored site and the natural site. The 5+ yr site better resembled a natural marsh than the 15+ yr site in many ways, suggesting that certain ecological processes are recovering faster in the younger site.
Our assessment of consumer community structure, combined with previous studies evaluating environmental and vegetative characteristics provide a thorough assessment of restoration efforts on Deer Island, MS. It also gives insight into future Beneficial Use restoration projects on Juncus-dominated marshes in this area.
","abstract_html":"<p>Coastal marshes in the northern Gulf of Mexico provide essential habitat for various consumer species, however, land loss has severely degraded marsh habitat in this region. Few studies have examined restored black needlerush (<em>Juncus roemerianus</em>) marshes, such as those found in Mississippi (MS), and how they affect faunal inhabitants.</p> <p>Restoration of <em>Juncus</em>-dominated marshes on Deer Island, MS sought to reestablish ecological functions with the intention of supporting natural consumer assemblages. To test this, quadrat and minnow trap sampling were used to compare invertebrate and nekton abundance, species richness, and diversity of two restored marshes (5+ yrs and 15+ yrs) with a natural reference marsh (100+ yrs old). Stable isotope analysis was also used to compare basal carbon sources and trophic support between sites. Quadrat sampling showed invertebrate abundance did not reach natural levels in either restored site, but minnow trap sampling showed abundance and species richness at the younger 5+ yr site surpassed that of the natural marsh. A comparison of community assemblage and stable isotope analysis showed similarity between the 5+ yr restored site and the natural site. The 5+ yr site better resembled a natural marsh than the 15+ yr site in many ways, suggesting that certain ecological processes are recovering faster in the younger site.</p> <p>Our assessment of consumer community structure, combined with previous studies evaluating environmental and vegetative characteristics provide a thorough assessment of restoration efforts on Deer Island, MS. It also gives insight into future Beneficial Use restoration projects on <em>Juncus</em>-dominated marshes in this area.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Marshall, Emelia"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Masters Thesis","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. M. Zachary Darnell","Dr. Patrick D. Biber","Dr. Kevin Dillon"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2021,"date_issued":"2021-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2021-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:45:19Z","subjects":["Marsh restoration","Beneficial Use","functional equivalence","consumer support","Environmental Sciences"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/808","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. M. Zachary Darnell","Dr. Patrick D. Biber","Dr. Kevin Dillon"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Marshall, Emelia"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2021-03-26T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Marsh restoration","Beneficial Use","functional equivalence","consumer support","Environmental Sciences"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/808"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Coastal marshes in the northern Gulf of Mexico provide essential habitat for various consumer species, however, land loss has severely degraded marsh habitat in this region. Few studies have examined restored black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus) marshes, such as those found in Mississippi (MS), and how they affect faunal inhabitants.
Restoration of Juncus-dominated marshes on Deer Island, MS sought to reestablish ecological functions with the intention of supporting natural consumer assemblages. To test this, quadrat and minnow trap sampling were used to compare invertebrate and nekton abundance, species richness, and diversity of two restored marshes (5+ yrs and 15+ yrs) with a natural reference marsh (100+ yrs old). Stable isotope analysis was also used to compare basal carbon sources and trophic support between sites. Quadrat sampling showed invertebrate abundance did not reach natural levels in either restored site, but minnow trap sampling showed abundance and species richness at the younger 5+ yr site surpassed that of the natural marsh. A comparison of community assemblage and stable isotope analysis showed similarity between the 5+ yr restored site and the natural site. The 5+ yr site better resembled a natural marsh than the 15+ yr site in many ways, suggesting that certain ecological processes are recovering faster in the younger site.
Our assessment of consumer community structure, combined with previous studies evaluating environmental and vegetative characteristics provide a thorough assessment of restoration efforts on Deer Island, MS. It also gives insight into future Beneficial Use restoration projects on Juncus-dominated marshes in this area.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Evaluating Marsh Restoration Success Using Structural and Trophic Metrics on Deer Island, MS"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. M. Zachary Darnell","Dr. Patrick D. Biber","Dr. Kevin Dillon"],"dc:creator":["Marshall, Emelia"],"dc:date.available":["2021-03-26T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Coastal marshes in the northern Gulf of Mexico provide essential habitat for various consumer species, however, land loss has severely degraded marsh habitat in this region. Few studies have examined restored black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus) marshes, such as those found in Mississippi (MS), and how they affect faunal inhabitants.
Restoration of Juncus-dominated marshes on Deer Island, MS sought to reestablish ecological functions with the intention of supporting natural consumer assemblages. To test this, quadrat and minnow trap sampling were used to compare invertebrate and nekton abundance, species richness, and diversity of two restored marshes (5+ yrs and 15+ yrs) with a natural reference marsh (100+ yrs old). Stable isotope analysis was also used to compare basal carbon sources and trophic support between sites. Quadrat sampling showed invertebrate abundance did not reach natural levels in either restored site, but minnow trap sampling showed abundance and species richness at the younger 5+ yr site surpassed that of the natural marsh. A comparison of community assemblage and stable isotope analysis showed similarity between the 5+ yr restored site and the natural site. The 5+ yr site better resembled a natural marsh than the 15+ yr site in many ways, suggesting that certain ecological processes are recovering faster in the younger site.
Our assessment of consumer community structure, combined with previous studies evaluating environmental and vegetative characteristics provide a thorough assessment of restoration efforts on Deer Island, MS. It also gives insight into future Beneficial Use restoration projects on Juncus-dominated marshes in this area.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/808"],"dc:subject":["Marsh restoration","Beneficial Use","functional equivalence","consumer support","Environmental Sciences"],"dc:title":["Evaluating Marsh Restoration Success Using Structural and Trophic Metrics on Deer Island, MS"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:45:19Z"}