GTM RESEARCH RESERVE MARINELAND OFFERS LECTURE: THE AMAZING SALT MARSH, COASTAL FLORIDA'S VALUABLE BACKYARD

Florida DEP Banner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 10, 2014

CONTACT: Patrician Price, 904-823-4506, Patrician.D.Price@dep.state.fl.us

GTM RESEARCH RESERVE MARINELAND OFFERS LECTURE: 'THE AMAZING SALT MARSH, COASTAL FLORIDA'S VALUABLE BACKYARD'

~Attend a free lecture to learn more about one of our important coastal resources~

GTM Salt Marsh

GTM Research Reserve biologist Jason Lynn will share his knowledge about salt marshes.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH The Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve invites the public to a free lecture, "The Amazing Salt Marsh: Coastal Florida's Valuable Backyard," on Tuesday, Dec. 16 from 10-11 a.m. at the Marineland Field Office. 

"This fragile ecosystem provides critical habitat for many species of birds, fish and shellfish," said Michael Shirley, director of the GTM Research Reserve. "It's an important source of food for wildlife and helps reduce pollutants and carbon through storage in mud and plant tissues."

Nestled between islands and the mainland, Northeast Florida's salt marshes are an important and valuable resource to coastal communities. Co-speakers and GTM Research Reserve biologists Pamela Marcum and Jason Lynn have spent the past year taking a close look at the salt marshes to better understand how this dynamic ecosystem functions and what vulnerabilities it may face in the future.

Pamela Marcum has a bachelor’s in biology from Arizona State University and a master's in coastal zone management from Nova Southeastern University. She spent the last 10 years studying coastal ecosystems from Georgia to the Florida Keys, including coral reefs, seagrass beds and salt marshes.

Jason Lynn has a bachelor’s in biology from the University of North Florida. He interned with the GTM Research Reserve where he now works on emergent vegetation monitoring and surface elevation monitoring. He has also assisted with benthic sampling, native bee surveys, gopher tortoise surveys and constructing marsh platforms.

The program is one of an ongoing third-Tuesday-of-the-month lecture series designed to help inform the public about their coastal natural world. These events are free, so space is limited and reservations are requested. Reservations can be made online here or call 904-823-4500 for more information.