Annual Report 2000

A major milestone among activities in 2000 was the establishment of the L A B Coastal website providing a focus for publicity and a source of information for potential clients and for the scientific community and coastal zone managers generally.

Scientifically the completion of the 'EUROSAM' project represented a major achievement as well establishing the position of L A B Coastal in the forefront of salt marsh research. The work of L A B Coastal was to define the main parameters in the cycling of organic matter and nitrogen in the salt marsh ecosystem and to identify the environmental factors which controlled them. The data gathered enabled models of these processes to be constructed. The results from this project will provide a secure basis for future research for many years to come.

The 'ISLED' project on the effects of rising sea levels on salt marsh accretion reached its final year. The pattern of sediment deposition and erosion at the three Dutch study sites became much clearer and important experiments were conducted in experimental mesocosms on the effects of enhanced sedimentation rates on the seedlings of key salt marsh plant species.

The theme of salt marsh processes was carried through in the research article which considered 'Comparative processes and functions in salt marshes and mangrove forests and their role in coastal ecosystems'. Despite the very visible physical differences between salt marshes and mangroves there are clear biological, biochemical and biophysical parallels leading to close functional similarities. There are clear indications that similarities of function can benefit the practical management of both habitats.

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