College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Term of Award

Summer 2026

Degree Name

Master of Science in Biology (M.S.)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Digital Commons@Georgia Southern License

Department

Department of Biology

Committee Chair

Heather Joesting

Committee Member 1

Michele Guidone

Committee Member 2

Anthony Siccardi

Abstract

Salt marshes provide critical ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, flood attenuation, and habitat for diverse aquatic and terrestrial species. Despite their ecological importance, these habitats are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic activities and rising sea levels. To protect and restore salt marshes and their ecosystem services, restoration efforts using living shorelines (LS) have become more common. Along the Eastern and Gulf coasts of the United States, the native grass Spartina alterniflora is commonly used in LS installations for its key role in salt marsh food webs, resilience to abiotic stress, and ability to stabilize and build sediment. Previous studies have documented substantial genetic variation in S. alterniflora across its natural range, resulting in morphological, physiological, and phenological differences among populations. Thus, to enhance restoration success, it is recommended that nursery stock be obtained from local sources. Furthermore, significant variation has been found within populations, indicating that seedling recruitment plays an important role in population maintenance and suggesting that transplants propagated from seeds be used to ensure genetic diversity and increased resilience in the transplant population. The purpose of this research was to facilitate the nursery production of locally sourced S. alterniflora propagated from seed to support salt marsh restoration using LS in coastal Georgia. Specifically, the aim was to (1) contribute to seed propagation protocols for coastal Georgia by evaluating the effect of salinity on seedling production and (2) compare growth, productivity, and pathogen incidence of S. alterniflora plants in coastal Georgia from different propagation sources (rhizomes vs. seed) and sources (local and non-local) grown under simulated salt marsh condition to test the “local is best” hypothesis. Results revealed that storage for winter stratification and germination was enhanced in zero to low salinity conditions. Additionally, rhizome-propagated plants had the greatest overall growth under simulated salt marsh conditions, but locally sourced plants propagated from seeds had a combination of the greatest biomass, particularly belowground, and reduced pathogen incidence. Results of this research will contribute to restoration efforts by contributing to a seed propagation protocol that can be shared with native plant producers in Georgia, thereby facilitating commercial production. Results will also inform coastal management and restoration practitioners on the optimal sourcing of S. alterniflora plants for LS projects.

Research Data and Supplementary Material

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