The salt marshes that are vitally important in protecting shorelines from erosion are increasingly threatened with death by drowning, scientists say.
Sea level rise and human activities such as dredging mean that “ponds” or standing pools of water that submerge and kill salt marsh plants and grass are becoming more common, says Jennifer Bowen, a Northeastern University professor of marine and environmental sciences.
Bowen says that’s bad news for coastal environments that depend on salt marshes to slow erosion, act as buffers against storm surges, remove carbon from the atmosphere and take up nitrogen before it can pollute waterways.
Enter the runnel.
Shallow, man-made channels that tend to run no deeper than 12 inches, runnels snake away from the standing pools or ponds of water and connect to natural channels or deep ditches dug decades ago for mosquito control.
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Illustration by Renee Zhang
