Université du Québec à Rimouski
M.Sc. candidate
Supervisor: Christian Nozais
Luc Sirois, UQAR et Gwenaëlle Chaillou, UQAR-ISMER
Start: 2021-09-01
End: 2023-09-01

Project

Limitation to Spartina alterniflora (Sporobulus alterniflorus) implantation in a disturbed salt marsh in the Saint Lawrence estuary
The Quebec Transports ministry (MTQ) constructed in 2009 a breakwaters to protect the 20 highway and ecosystem services related to the adjacent salt marsh. The project had a vegetal restauration aspect to it with planting Spartina alterniflora (Sporobulus alterniflorus). This restauration failed with most of the plants not surviving a year after their plantation. My master's project looks into the constraints of this colonisation by the spartina. I will look into the biochemical properties of the sediments between colonised and uncolonised regions to better understand the impacts of a breakwaters on sediment substrat and the interactions between the vegetal species sharing the ecosystem.

Keywords

salt marsh, sporobulus alterniflorus, coastal ecology, breakwaters