Abstract
Restoring tidally restricted salt marshes has become common practice in New England due to the importance of salt marshes and the large number of restricted and degraded systems. Tidal restoration has been shown to restore normal ecological function to restricted marshes, although it may take decades for the process to complete.The Nonquitt Salt Marsh in Dartmouth, MA had tidal exchange restored in Nov. 2013 after being tidally restricted for 80+ years. Data on marsh elevation, flooding regimes, sediment pore water salinity, vegetation, and fauna were gathered pre- and post restoration to track changes through time. In summer 2015, two field experiments were implemented to accelerate recovery of the marsh due to slow plant colonization of denuded mudflats and the absence of keystone invertebrate species. Experimental plots (0.25m [superscript] 2) in sparsely vegetated mudflat areas were used to test if periodic additions of fertilizer would increase Spartina alterniflora recolonization rates. A second experiment was aimed at restoring invertebrate populations of fiddler crabs (Uca pugnax) and ribbed mussels (Geukensia demissa). The animals were transplanted into the marsh at the beginning of their reproductive season to establish populations. Future salt marsh tidal restorations could use these techniques to decrease the time to complete restoration..