Fisher College of Science and Mathematics professor Alice Besterman is playing a key role in a multi鈥慽nstitutional research effort with the National Audubon Society to improve the health and long鈥憈erm resilience of tidal marshes in Maryland.

These marshes鈥攁mong the Chesapeake Bay鈥檚 most biologically productive habitats鈥攁re facing accelerating threats from rising seas, more frequent coastal flooding and the resulting 鈥減onding,鈥� which traps water in marsh meadows and breaks them apart. This loss of habitat has contributed to sharp declines in marsh鈥慴reeding bird species, including the saltmarsh sparrow and seaside sparrow, for which nest flooding is now a leading cause of nestling mortality.

A major focus of Besterman鈥檚 work, in collaboration with University of Maryland, College Park, professor Andrew Baldwin, is evaluating the effectiveness of runnels, shallow channels used to drain trapped water and jump鈥憇tart ecological recovery. Through the project鈥檚 large鈥憇cale bird and habitat surveys; ecosystem鈥憀evel restoration experiments; and detailed analyses of plant, soil and hydrologic changes, Besterman and collaborators are identifying the conditions that determine when and how runnel鈥慴ased restoration succeeds. The research team is also assessing landscape鈥� and microhabitat鈥憇cale variables that influence drainage, sediment movement and vegetation recovery鈥攌ey factors for reversing interior marsh dieback.

The findings will directly support , Audubon鈥檚 statewide initiative to restore thousands of acres of tidal wetlands by 2035. Working with the University of Maryland (College Park), coastal landowners, restoration practitioners and local communities, the project integrates rigorous ecological science with practical, on鈥憈he鈥慻round conservation planning. In addition to informing restoration decisions, Besterman鈥檚 work will help produce new practitioner manuals, landowner toolkits, science鈥慴ased restoration targets and peer鈥憆eviewed research that strengthens understanding of tidal marsh vulnerability and resilience.

The collaboration also creates meaningful opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, who receive hands鈥憃n training in conservation research, field ecology and community engagement while contributing to a project with direct environmental impact.

The research is made possible through grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Maryland Sea Grant and National Science Foundation (Allen Family Philanthropies).