Salt Ponds Project

The purpose of this project is to monitor the recovery process of salt ponds in San Diego Bay following restoration of tidal flushing. Specifically, we are aiming to understand if these habitats can again provide healthy foraging habitat for fish and birds. Using traditional invertebrate counts combined with stable isotope analysis, the project will provide a pre- and post-restoration of characterization of available food sources (invertebrates) and trophic structure. The results of this project can help develop a cost-effective metric of trophic support for long-term monitoring of many regional wetland restoration projects.

saltponds-before.JPG Salt Ponds Pre-restoration

saltponds-after.JPG Salt Ponds under construction to allow tidal water flow

For more information on the Salt Pond Project contact Dr. Christine Whitcraft, Assistant Professor of Biology, CSU Long Beach
http://www.csulb.edu/~cwhitcra/index.html