Graduate and Undergraduate Programs and Opportunities

Students interested in Tidal Marsh Ecology usually major or minor in a broader field, such as Biology (especially in the Marine and Fresh Water Biology option), Environmental Sciences, Plant Biology, Wetlands Ecology or Zoology. Undergraduates receive a B.S. or minor in one of these fields. Masters of Science degrees are granted through the academic departments at the University of New Hampshire depending on field of research and major advisor (usually the Departments of Earth Sciences, Natural Resources and the Environment and Biological Sciences). The Ph.D. is offered in some of these departments, but is also available through the Natural Resources and Earth Systems Science Ph.D. Program (a joint program between Earth Sciences and Natural Resources).

Details of entrance requirements and degree requirements can be found on appropriate web sites. Typically, graduate students complete their course work on the Durham campus and conduct their thesis research within the varied field programs run by the faculty associated with Tidal Marsh Ecology group. Interested students should contact appropriate faculty members.

Many graduate and undergraduate students become involved in tidal marsh research at Jackson Estuarine Laboratory (JEL). Graduate students conduct their research at the lab and are advised and guided by JEL faculty. Undergraduates can become involved in research at JEL through participation in graduate and faculty research projects. In addition, students can conduct independent studies directed by JEL faculty that earn credits. Particularly motivated undergraduates can also start up their own research with a faculty mentor through one of the UNH undergraduate research opportunities (UROP, SURF). For more information, visit the Student Opportunities at JEL page.

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Former Graduate Students

Christopher Peter. 2007. (Advisor: Burdick), Can Plant Competition and Diversity Reduce the Success of Exotic
Phragmites australis Invading a Salt Marsh? Thesis, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment.

Troy Bray. 2006. (Co-Advisor: Neefus/Mathieson), A Molecular and Morphological Investigation of the Red Seaweed Genus Porphyra (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) in the Northwest Atlantic. Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Plant Biology.

Aaron Wallace. 2005. (Co-Advisor: Klein/Mathieson), The Taxonomic and Systematic Relationships of Several Salt Marsh Fucus Taxa (Heterokontophyta, Phaeophyceae) within the Gulf of Maine and Ireland Examined Using Microsatellite Markers. Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Alyson Eberhardt. 2004. (Advisor: Burdick), Can Fish Access and Use Restored Tidal Marshes? M.S. Thesis, Department of Natural Resources.

Paula Philbrick. 2004. (Advisor: Mathieson), Factors Restricting Recruitment of Ascophyllum nodosum L. (Le Jolis). Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Plant Biology.

Brian Teasdale. 2004. (Co-Advisor: Klein/Mathieson), An Investigation of Genetic Variation within Northwest Atlantic Porphyra (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) with Specific Phylogeographic Analysis of the common, Rocky Intertidal Species, Porphyra umbilicalis. Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Plant Biology.

Cathy Bozek. 2003. (Advisor: Burdick), Impacts of Seawalls on Salt Marsh Plant Communities in the Great Bay Estuary of New Hampshire. M.S. Thesis, Department of Natural Resources.

Troy Bray. 2003.(Co-Advisor: Neefus/Mathieson), A Molecular and Morphological Survey of Porphyra purpurea (Roth) C. Agardh (Rhodophyta, Bangiales) in the Northwest Atlantic. M.S. Thesis, Department of Plant Biology.

Raymond Konisky. 2003. (Advisor: Burdick), Spatial Modeling and Visualization of Habitat Response to Hydrologic Restoration in New England Salt Marshes. Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Earth and Environmental Science.

Andrew West. 2001. (Co-Advisor: Klein/Mathieson), Molecular and Ecological Studies of New Hampshire Species of Porphyra (Rhodophyta, Bangiales). M.S. Thesis, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Allison Bowden. 2000. (Advisor: Burdick), Effects of Urban Runoff on the Invertebrate Communities of Natural and Created Salt Marshes in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. M.S. Thesis, Department of Natural Resources.

Pamela Morgan. 2000. (Advisor: Short), Conservation and Ecology of Fringing Salt Marshes Along the Southern Maine/New Hampshire Coast. Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Natural Resources.

Brent Zaprowski. 1998. (Advisor: Ward), The Geological and Climatic History of a Salt Marsh along the Squamscott River, Southeastern New Hampshire. M.S. Thesis, Department of Earth Sciences.

Kevin Trainer. 1997. (Advisor: Ward), Stratigraphy and Evolution of the Tidal Marshes on the Great Bay and Squamscott River, New Hampshire. M.S. Thesis, Department of Earth Sciences.

Morgan Hardwick-Witman. 1984. (Advisor: Mathieson), Ice-Rafting in a Northern New England Salt Marsh Community. M.S. Thesis, Department of Plant Biology.

Michael Josselyn. 1978. (Advisor: Mathieson), The Contribution of Marine Macrophytes to the Detrital Pool of the Great Bay Estuary System. Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Plant Biology.

Jan Chock. 1975. (Advisor: Mathieson), Ecological Study of the Salt Marsh ecad scorpioides (Hornemann) Hauck of Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) Je Jolis. Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Plant Biology.

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Public Education

JEL faculty members develop and participate in many public education and service activities

• Interact with UNH Marine Docents on a regular basis so they can keep up with new research on Tidal Marshes
• Consult with the Gulf of Maine Council for the Marine Environment to:
       Create information for the public on Tidal Marsh habitats
       Translate science and management needs for regional monitoring
       Communicate the values of salt marshes and benefits from restoration
• Partner with the NH Coastal Program to support a volunteer monitoring program
• Help the Seacoast Science Center in Rye, NH to develop a salt marsh curriculum and field program
• Involve students of all ages (elementary to high school) in projects to restore marshes and investigate restoration science
• Help with rapid assessment studies of introduced (invasive) seaweeds
      Communicate the ecological and economic values of benthic marine algae (seaweed) communities
      Communicate the value(s) of biodiversity and long-term floristic studies of seaweeds