This fall, Salem Sound Coastwatch was pleased to work with Endicott College intern, Katy Serth. A senior environmental science student, Katy was involved in a wide variety of our field studies, scientific research, and outreach events.
Katy assisted with several of our eelgrass projects, including the WHOI Sea Grant study, which is investigating the use of eelgrass seeds to restore local meadows. Katy was involved in all aspects of the project, from separating eelgrass seeds using a homemade flume, to testing the viability of individual seeds from locations across Massachusetts. A highlight for Katy was her contributions to our eelgrass restoration project for the Restore America’s Estuaries grant, a study in collaboration with MassBays National Estuary Partnership and its other regions. Katy assisted in selecting restoration sites, worked with volunteers to assemble planting bags, and snorkeled out to the plots to plant eelgrass seeds.
Katy also played a key role in monitoring the health of the Good Harbor marsh in Gloucester, assessing the abundance of plant species, measuring salinity, and tracking changes due to climate change. Katy then utilized her skills to analyze these data and communicate our findings in a newsletter “spotlight” article. Katy took a particular interest in tracking the newly introduced manila clam, a non-native bivalve from Japan. She spent hours scanning local beaches at various times of the year to record the extent of this new clam species in our waters. Her tedious searches contributed valuable data to a group of researchers investigating how this clam found its way to our shores.
In addition to supporting marine habitat research, Katy was also a key member of our outreach events, leading invasive plant removal and cleanups for volunteer groups. Additionally, she updated two SSCW StoryMaps, one on eelgrass and another on the Collins Cove living shoreline, with recent data to ensure our publications are up to date.
Thank you for spending your fall semester with us, Katy!
