Date of Award

Summer 6-17-2025

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Environmental Sciences

First Advisor

Robert F. Chen

Second Advisor

Brooks T. Moyers

Third Advisor

Helen C. Poynton

Abstract

Coastal wetlands within the Boston Harbor watershed provide numerous ecosystem services and community benefits but are challenged by anthropogenic influence including a legacy of pollution and increasing mean sea level. In this thesis, I will consider the historic and present sources of contamination in Boston Harbor, the role an individual salt marsh species (Salicornia depressa) plays in the movement of heavy metals, and how projected sea level rise and urbanization may affect future marsh viability. These complex issues are explored through a case study of Pattens Cove, a 9.6-acre parcel of state-managed land in Dorchester, MA home to a small, fringing salt marsh with metal concentrations exceeding levels of concern. Although our decomposition study found lower than expected metal accumulation in plant tissue, total masses of select metals remained stable despite overall litter mass loss. This suggested stabilization of heavy metals in marsh plants is one of many ecosystem services offered that may be compromised due to sea level rise. As an urban green space embedded into the fabric of the Savin Hill neighborhood, Pattens Cove has an uncertain fate due to rising tides which we explore through aerial imagery and tidal data. Addressing this uncertainty with informed management and planning is essential to safeguard the longevity of this vital urban resource.

Comments

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