Name
Fowl River Marsh and Shoreline Stabilization and Restoration Project 2025 Marsh Vegetation Survey
Date & Time
Thursday, May 7, 2026, 11:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Description

The Mobile Bay National Estuary Program funded the 2025 Fowl River Marsh Vegetation Survey through a grant provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund. The survey supports the Fowl River Marsh and Shoreline Stabilization and Restoration Project in Mobile County, AL. Project elements include sediment thin-layer placement (TLP) to raise the elevation of tidal marsh platforms at five sites and installation of timber breakwaters to protect their shorelines and wetlands during site recovery. The August 2025 marsh assessment was performed four months after completion of the initial TLP event in April 2025. Vegetation metrics were collected along the same transects surveyed for the pre-project baseline within standard 1-m2 quadrats. 42 vascular plant species were identified across all sites, with greater numbers to the north at Shrout (31 species), Perez Point (29), Lightcap (37), and Tapia (31), and fewer species at Bellingrath (12). Mean % cover was greatest at Perez Point (73.8%), with the other sites ranging from 66.3% to 54.0%. Compared to pre-project conditions, non-native % cover and the total number of non-native species increased at all sites except Shrout. Non-native sharp-scale flatsedge (Cyperus oxylepis) was among the most prevalent species at Lightcap and Tapia. Mexican sprangletop (Diplanche uninervia), first observed in the Fowl River project area in 2024 but not at the project sites, was common at Perez Point, Lightcap, and Tapia. Adaptive management to address non-native plant cover may be necessary to assure recovery and enhancement of marsh ecosystem function at the Fowl River sites, including increased data collection to better assess areal coverage and percent cover, and to identify potential treatment areas. It is recommended that prior to future TLP at the Fowl River sites, a thorough inspection of the upland sediment source be conducted for non-native species.

Location Name
203A
Is presenter a student?
No