The marsh organ is a device used to determine how well various coastal processes will respond to sea level rise. The device  was developed by the University of South Carolina and NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. Their objective was to quantify short-term and long-term effects of sea level rise on coastal processes such as plant productivity, decomposition of organic matter in soil, sedimentation that contribute to the structuring of wetland stability. Climate change  impacts such as accelerated sea level rise causes coastal marshes to experience higher water levels than normal, which leads to higher salinity inland, sediment and elevation loss, and change to the plant community structure.  These consequences will affect stress-gradients that are imposed on coastal vegetation, but the tolerances of these plant species and the trade-offs they may experience are unclear. This device is a way to directly manipulate what marsh vegetation may experience in the future and provide better insight into the restoration efforts needed to prevent detrimental consequences to coastal marshes. Design The marsh organ is a structure with rows of pipes at different vertical elevations. These pipes are filled with mud and marsh plant species are planted into each pipe. The various vertical levels represent varying water-level "elevation" that the marsh plants would experience. As the tides ebb and flow, the pipes are exposed to rising and falling water levels. Scientists can adjust various factors, such as the total elevation of the setup, flooding duration, added nutrients and much more. Over time, scientists can gather information such as total plant biomass accumulation, total organic matter, peat formation, decomposition rates, and sedimentation. The data can be used to forecast the future health of the marsh being studied, and to infer how the marsh will respond to sea level rise in the future. Researchers studying marsh plant responses in northeast Pacific tidal marshes utilized a marsh organ and found that species typically found in the high marsh (flooded only during high tide or extreme weather events) like Salicornia pacifica and Juncus balticus were sensitive to increased flooding. Other species such as Bolboschoenus maritimus and Carex lyngbyei were abundant in marshes at or above the elevation corresponding with their maximum productivity. Another group using the marsh organ also found that increased inundation reduced biomass for species commonly found at higher marsh elevations. The presence of neighbors reduced total biomass even more.
The marsh organ is a collection of plastic pipes attached to a wooden framework that is placed in marshes to measure water level changes for research purposes. The marsh organ was developed by the University of South Carolina and NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. Their objective was to quantify short-term and long-term effects of sea level rise on coastal processes such as plant productivity, decomposition of organic matter in soil, sedimentation that contribute to the structuring of wetland stability. Climate change The marsh organ is used to determine how well various coastal processes will respond to sea level rise. Climate change impacts such as accelerated sea level rise causes coastal marshes to experience higher water levels than normal, which leads to higher salinity inland, sediment and elevation loss, and change to the plant community structure. T These consequences will affect stress-gradients that are imposed on coastal vegetation, but the tolerances of these plant species and the trade-offs they may experience are unclear. This device is a way to directly manipulate what marsh vegetation may experience in the future and provide better insight into the restoration efforts needed to prevent detrimental consequences to coastal marshes. Design The marsh organ is a structure with rows of pipes at different vertical elevations. These pipes are filled with mud and marsh plant species are planted into each pipe. The various vertical levels represent varying water-level "elevation" that the marsh plants would experience. As the tides ebb and flow, the pipes are exposed to rising and falling water levels. Scientists can adjust various factors, such as the total elevation of the setup, flooding duration, added nutrients and much more. Over time, scientists can gather information such as total plant biomass accumulation, total organic matter, peat formation, decomposition rates, and sedimentation. The data can be used to forecast the future health of the marsh being studied, and to infer how the marsh will respond to sea level rise in the future. Researchers studying marsh plant responses in Northeast Pacific tidal marshes utilized a marsh organ and found that species typically found in the high marsh (flooded only during high tide or extreme weather events) like Salicornia pacifica and Juncus balticus were sensitive to increased flooding. Other species such as Bolboschoenus maritimus and Carex lyngbyei were abundant in marshes at or above the elevation corresponding with their maximum productivity. Another group using the marsh organ also found that increased inundation reduced biomass for species commonly found at higher marsh elevations. The presence of neighbors reduced total biomass even more.
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device used to determine how well various coastal processes will respond to sea level rise. The device
collection of plastic pipes attached to a wooden framework that is placed in marshes to measure water level changes for research purposes.
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The marsh organ
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The marsh organ is used to determine how well various coastal processes will respond to sea level rise. Climate change
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