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

These marshes—among the Chesapeake Bay’s most biologically productive habitats—are facing accelerating threats from rising seas, more frequent coastal flooding and the resulting “ponding,” which traps water in marsh meadows and breaks them apart. This loss of habitat has contributed to sharp declines in marsh‑breeding 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’s 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‑start ecological recovery. Through the project’s large‑scale bird and habitat surveys; ecosystem‑level restoration experiments; and detailed analyses of plant, soil and hydrologic changes, Besterman and collaborators are identifying the conditions that determine when and how runnel‑based restoration succeeds. The research team is also assessing landscape‑ and microhabitat‑scale variables that influence drainage, sediment movement and vegetation recovery—key factors for reversing interior marsh dieback.

The findings will directly support Marshes for Tomorrow, Audubon’s 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‑the‑ground conservation planning. In addition to informing restoration decisions, Besterman’s work will help produce new practitioner manuals, landowner toolkits, science‑based restoration targets and peer‑reviewed research that strengthens understanding of tidal marsh vulnerability and resilience.

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

Learn more about salt marsh restoration.

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