About 50 percent of the salt marshes in the Northeast have been destroyed by human development, and many of those that remain have been severely degraded by roads and other crossings, restricting tidal flows and limiting their ability to provide flood protection, water quality maintenance and wildlife habitat.

A new book, co-edited by a University of Rhode Island scientist and including chapters written by several others affiliated with URI, provides the scientific foundation and practical guidance to reverse this trend and restore many of these marshes.
Tidal Marsh Restoration: A Synthesis of Science and Management was edited by Charles Roman, a coastal ecologist for the National Park Service and professor-in-residence at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography, and David Burdick, a research associate professor at the University of New Hampshire. Roman’s book compiles the current state of knowledge of the science and practice of salt marsh restoration, including numerous case studies from throughout New England.

“New England is ahead of the curve on restoring these marsh systems, perhaps because we’re in a region where the coastline is highly developed,” said Roman, who has been studying coastal marshes for over 30 years. “Because of the intensity of tidal restrictions to our coastal areas, it was a logical event for scientists and managers to begin to restore these systems, and moreover, to bring them together in this book to report on their findings and help guide future marsh restoration efforts.”

A chapter on the affect of salt marsh restoration on invasive Phragmites was co-written by URI Associate Professor Laura Meyerson and her graduate student Kimberly Dibble, while Professor Peter Paton, Professor Emeritus Frank Golet, and Adjunct Professor Brian Tefft contributed to a chapter about the restoration of the Galilee Bird Sanctuary in Narragansett. URI alumni Kenneth Raposa, Susan Adamowicz and Dennis Myshrall also co-authored chapters in the book.

For more information, please see the related press release.