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Written on: December 1st, 2018 in Wetland Animals
By William Koth, DNREC’s Delaware State Parks Bryozoans may be one of our most overlooked and underappreciated animals. Known as “Moss Animals,” bryozoans are small, simple animals rarely growing more than 1/25th of an inch in length. However, most bryozoans form colonies that can vary greatly in number, form, and size. Bryozoan Biology Each individual […]
Written on: November 27th, 2018 in Wetland Restoration
By Michael Bott, DNREC’s Watershed Assessment and Management Section Have you ever wondered why there is so much submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), also called seagrass, in the tidal waters of Virginia and Maryland but not in Delaware? This is a question many researchers and regulators in the state have been trying to solve and this year […]
Written on: September 12th, 2018 in Wetland Assessments
Alex Thomas, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program When I got the call telling me that I had been offered the position of Wetland Field Technician for DNREC I was ecstatic. I would be working outside all summer, assisting on legitimate research projects and working with something I absolutely love. What I didn’t know at […]
Written on: September 12th, 2018 in Education and Outreach
By Erin Dorest, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program Wetland plants live a tough life. They are often under water for significant periods of time, meaning that they are frequently deprived of oxygen. Wetland plants also need to remain stable in the soil if they deal with fast moving water that ebbs and flows. Those […]
Written on: September 11th, 2018 in Wetland Animals
By Kurt Cheng, The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary Upon hearing the term “freshwater mussel”, what do you think of? Is it that tasty seafood restaurant that serves them in white wine or steamed with garlic and parsley? If so, you’re probably not alone. But what if I told you we don’t eat freshwater mussels? […]
Written on: May 18th, 2018 in Wetland Assessments
By Tom McKenna, University of Delaware Delaware Geological Survey Working in tidal wetlands, we all know to watch the tide both for safety, sampling, and science reasons. But what do we really know about how tidal wetlands are inundated? The dynamics of the ebbing and flooding tide in deep (> 1 meter) tidal channels is […]
Written on: March 7th, 2018 in Wetland Assessments
By Erin Dorest, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program As you might imagine, sea level rise can increase water levels and cause more flooding. As that happens, salt water starts to move further inland. It may start to creep into freshwater areas through a process called saltwater intrusion. Higher waters can endanger coastal communities, while […]
Written on: March 7th, 2018 in Wetland Assessments
By Kenny Smith, DNREC, Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program Wetlands provide many vital benefits to the State of Delaware, like habitat for all kinds of plants and animals, improved water quality, and erosion control. Another benefit that wetlands provide is flood control. Wetlands have the ability to collect and store storm waters and lessen flooding […]
Written on: September 19th, 2017 in Wetland Animals
By Brittany Haywood, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program Did you know that Delaware has multiple species of crayfish? While crayfish may look like small lobsters, they are actually distant cousins. The most differentiating feature is that lobsters live in saltwater, and crayfish, crawfish, crawdads, or whatever you would like to call them, live in […]
Written on: September 19th, 2017 in Wetland Assessments
By Kari St.Laurent, DNREC’s Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve Wetlands are more than just a beautiful photo opportunity. If you are a reader of this blog, you are probably aware that tidal wetlands can protect shorelines from storm surge, reduce nutrients, and provide habitat for critters like shellfish, crabs, and fish. These benefits are collectively […]