Hollings intern at South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (Charleston, Oregon)
An environmental science major at Roger Williams University, Sadia Crosby worked on seagrass monitoring at South Slough NERR in Charleston, Oregon, this summer. Sadia used quadrats and transects, as well as the point/intercept method for measuring percent cover and density of eelgrass. She conducted a population analysis and used ArcGIS to map the eelgrass beds.
Overall, she found the native eelgrass population declining, while the non-native eelgrass population is increasing. This has management implications, as the native eelgrass provides a better habitat for fish and shellfish due to its longer blades and more diffuse root system. Sadia presented her project at a bio-breakfast at the NERR. She had a discussion with the native tribes in the area about the possibility of working with the NERR to monitor eelgrass beds on their land.
Sadia was also able to help out with many other projects going on at the NERR, including fisheries and water quality research. She spent the bulk of her summer doing field work, and has come away with a greater appreciation for research. She plans to present a poster on her project at the upcoming annual NERRS conference. After finishing her bachelor’s degree, Sadia is interested in doing fisheries research with NOAA in Alaska. In the long term, Sadia would like to work in environmental science, travel and play rugby.''