Marsh of the future?


Emily and I found this flowering red mangrove in St. Joe Bay today. It’s clearly survived the last few harsh winters just fine! A sign of the future for Panhandle marshes?

-Randall

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About Randall

Dr. Randall Hughes is an ecologist and marine biologist focusing on the causes and consequences of species and genetic diversity in coastal systems. She has conducted experimental work on plants and animals in seagrasses, salt marshes, oyster reefs, and kelp forests. The common thread throughout these activities is a long-standing interest in generating information that can enhance the effectiveness of conservation and management decisions.
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One Response to Marsh of the future?

  1. Rob says:

    Last October, Randall wrote a post (and we produced a video featuring Dr. Ed Proffitt) on Mangroves migration northward into salt marsh habitats. In it she explains that black mangroves can survive north of their range (up to around Tampa Bay in the West; around Saint Augustine in the East), even if they do not grow as large as they do down south. Red Mangroves are far less cold tolerant, so this is an interesting discovery. Here are the post and video from last October:

    http://wfsu.org/blog-coastal-health/?p=1354

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