Research at BMMCA and the Bates College Coastal Center at Shortridge
In the last five years, student and faculty research at the Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area has focused on geological studies, emphasizing
salt marsh biogeochemical cycling, carbon sequestration and storage, and sediment transport. This work has produced 14 senior theses and several
publications by Bates College faculty and colleagues, including the recent publication of Coastal Blue Carbon: methods for assessing carbon
stocks and emissions in mangroves, tidal salt marshes and sea grass meadows (Conservation International, 2014), of which Geology Professor
Bev Johnson is a lead author. Other recent publications include research on the efficacy of ditch plug restoration in salt marshes (Vincent, et al
2013; Vincent et al. 2013).
The following Table lists senior theses, reports, and publications stemming from research at BMMCA and the Bates College Coastal Center at
Shortridge since 1977. Although the list is not exhaustive it reflects a 37 year commitment to on-going undergraduate and faculty research.
1977
Beach Vegetation and Oceanic Processes Study of Popham State Park, Reid State Park, and Small Point Beach
1978
Trudeau, Phillip,
Paul Godfrey,
Barry Timson
Bole, Ben
1979
Trudeau, Philip
Ecology of Barrier Beaches in South Central Maine (PhD thesis, UMA)
1980
Barrett, Paul '80
Porcupines and their Food Preferences
1980
Blue Heron Salt-Marsh and Freshwater Wetlands Comparison
1980
Canfield, Timothy
'82 & Walters,
Linda '83
Covill, David '80
1980
Lemont, Ruth '82
Major Elements of an Extensive Beach System and Some Observations of Seawall Beach
1980
Reproductive Resource Allocation and Seed Germination in Cornus Canadensis
1980
Newell, Elizabeth
Ann '80
Skinner, Tracey '82
1980
Williams, Mary '83
Bayberry, The
1980
Nelson, Bruce, and
Fink, Kenneth
Vickery, Barbara
'83
Geological and Botanical Features of the Sand Beach Systems in Maine
1981
Preliminary Report on Morse Mountain
Bedrock Geology of the Small Point Area
Pitch Pines of Seawall Beach
Working List of the Vascular Plant Species of the BMMCA
1982
Gerster, Carol '82
Beach Study on the Morse River Tidal Flat, Seawall Beach
1982
Sparrell, Laurie '82
Surficial Geology and Morphology of the Morse Mountain Area
1982
Moring, John
Species Richness and Diversity of Intertidal Fishes of Great Wass, Damariscove, and Morse Mountain
1983
Hanson, Ross '83
Hydrodynamics and Tidal Deltas of Morse River Inlet
1983
Muskat, Roger '84
Transient Bird Survey of Morse Mountain May 2 - June 2, 1983
1983
Sloan, John '84
Examination of Protein polymorphism at the LDH-B locus in Fundulus heteroclitus
1983
Life History and Population Biology of Cypripedium acaule L.
1983
Vickery, Barbara
'83
Vickery, Barbara
'83
Maloney,Jean
1984
Lovett, Heidi '84
Ecology of Fucus distichus ssp. edentatus
1986
Comparison of Growth and Competitive Ability between the Two Seed Types of Xanthium Strumarium
1984
Simmonds,
Margaret '86
Simmons, Laura '84
1985
Barton, Denise '86
Beachcomber's Guide to MM
1985
Lombard,
C.S.(Craig) '83
Kinsman, Sharon
(Fac.) & Brad
Lattes '87
Thomas, Robert
(Fac.)
Thomas, Robert
(Fac.)
Ciaglo,James '89
Saltmarsh and the Causeway
Drottar, Lisa Rose
'89
Morris, Deborah
'90
Dormancy Requirement of Four Temperate Dune Species, Cakile edentula, Salsola kali,Myrica pensylvania,Pastinaca
sativa
Effects of Aggregation, Habitat, and Neighborhood on Salsola Kali
1983
1987
1987
1987
1988
1988
1988
Lichens of the BMMCA
Creation of a Cartographic Data Base for the Morse Mountain Coastal Research Area
Seasonal and Tidal Changes of the Sprague River Tidal Inlet
Demography and Reproduction of Myrica pensylvanica
Lichens of Southern Maine, list from Sept. 1987 Andrews Foray
Bryophytes Checklist from Sept. 1987 Andrews Foray
Patterns of individual Size in Cakile edentula
1988
Mulder, Christa '88
Seed Weight and Tolerance of Burial in Oenothera parviflora L., an Herbaceous Dune Species
1988
Night Walk
1989
Abelard, Catherine
'90
Ciaglo,James '89
1989
McBride, Susan '90
Stratigraphic Sequences and Evidences of Post-Glacial Sea Level Rise, Sprague River Marsh
1989
Curi, Anne
Developing a Land-Use History, Parts 1 and 2
1991
Jones, Gwyneth '92
Introduction to the Cultural History, Geology, and Ecology of the BMMCA
1992
Tooker. John '92
Burr Size Variations in Populations of Xanthium Strumarium
1992
Weaver, Megan '92
Does Plant Size Affect Burr Size in Xanthium Strumarium?
1993
Charry, Barbara
Human Activity and its Impact on Selected Natural Resources of Seawall Beach and MM
1993
Snyder, Noah '93
Effects of the October 30 1991 Storm on the Dune Area of Seawall Beach
1994
Erelli, Mark '96
Amphibians in the BMMCA: Biodiversity and Utilization of 5 Woodland Pools
1994
Jones, Erika '96
and Killoran,
Patrick and
Rajagopalan, Shilpa
'96
Guardenier, Hope
'94
Erelli, Mark '96
Hydrogeologic Study of Sprague River Salt Marsh
Coequyt, Anne
Marie
Theodore, Theresa
and Roths, Justine
Watterson, Andrew
'00
Breen, Brandon '03
Late-Holocene Marine Transgression and Sea Level Change at Meetinghouse Pond
Devine, Amanda
'03
Jones, Megan '00
Pilot Study in Relationships Between Hydrological, Biotic, & Abiotic Characteristics of Salt Marsh Pannes, Sprague
River Marsh
Mechanisms of change for a Coastal Maine Barrier Beach Profile
1994
1996
1997
1998
1998
2000
2000
2000
Size hierarchy Development in Experimental Populations of Sand Dune Annuals Atriplex Patula and Salsola Kali
Role of Plant-Sediment Interaction in Barrier Beach Maintenance Mechanisms at Seawall Beach
Survey of Permanent & Ephemeral Woodland Ponds 6/13-7/31, 1996
Variation in Nutrient Availability and Plant Species Diversity Across Forb and Graminoid Zones of a Northern New
England High Salt Marsh (Little River)
Morse Mountain and a Conservation Ethic
Distribution of Invertebrates and Fish in Sprague River Marsh
2000
Terwilliger, Sarah
'00
Peterson, Kaia '01
& Claypool,
Rebecca '01
Kreischer, Ellie '03
Impact of Tidal Restriction on the Sulfur Dynamics of a Maine Salt Marsh: Sprague River Marsh
Self-Guiding Nature Trail at BMMCA
2002
McDonald, Leah
'02
Bohlen, Curtis
2002
Bohlen, Curtis
Landscape Structure in a Disturbed and Undisturbed Salt Marsh in Northern New England
2002
Dupee. Matt '02 &
Johnston, David
'02
Cohen, Elizabeth
'03
Devine, Amanda
'03
Markus, Elisabeth
'03
Moore, Karen '04
Sulfur Cycling Dynamics in a Model Wetland Ecosystem & Related Bacterial Growth
Klausmeyer, Peter
'04
Burton, Mark, &
Alison Flint, Ben
Martens, Jennifer
Sepunara, Han Xu
Stowe, Andrew '06
Fall and Winter Erosion and Accretion at Seawall Beach
Diet and Movement of the Mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus, using gut contents and stable isotope analyses
2005
McMahon, Kelton
'05 and Johnson,
Beverly and
Ambrose, William
Vincent, Robert
2005
Cary, Christopher
2001
2002
2002
2003
2003
2003
2004
2004
2004
2004
2005
Invasive Plant Inventory of BMMCA
Zonation patterns in Salt Marshes (paper and oil paintings)
Sixty Years of Change in a Maine Salt Marsh Landscape: Implications for Restoration
Weather-induced Erosion and Accretion at Seawall Beach
Effects of Inorganic Nitrogen Addition and Elevation Change on Species Evenness and Productivity of Saltmarsh
Forb Pannes
Vegetation Patterns Along Ditched and Natural Channels on Two Maine Salt Marshes
Investigation of Organic Carbon Cycling in Sprague Marsh
Environmental History of the Sprague Salt Marsh
Trends in the Abundance & Distribution of Bird Species of BMMCA
Ecological responses to Local Effects of Ditching and Ditch-plugging in New England Salt Marshes (in progress;
UNH)
Modeling of Sedimentation Trends on Seawall Beach
'05
2005
Temporal and Spatial Distribution of Three Species of Amphipods (Crustacea) on 2 exposed sand beaches in ME
2005
Northrup, Joseph
'05
Stowe, Andrew '06
2006
Beirne, Erin '06
Geochemical Investigation of Organic Matter Composition, Deposition, & Preservation at Sprague Marsh
2009
Emily Chandler '09
2009
Dana Oster '09
Seasonal Processes Affecting the Seawall Barrier Beach System and the Evolution of the Southwestern Barrier Spit,
Phippsburg, ME
Mapping Short Term Barrier Beach Processes at Seawall Beach, Phippsburg, Maine to Model Transgressive Shorelines
in 2100 from Sea Level Rise
2010
Kurt Schuler '10
Monitoring Sediment Transport and Inlet Migration at the Seawall Beach Complex, Phippsburg, Maine
2010
Elyse Judice '10
Staple Isotope Analysis of Fundulus heteroclitus and the effectiveness of Ditch Plug restoration at the Sprague River
Salt marsh, Phippsburg, Maine
2011
Ingrid Knowles '11
A Biogeochemical Study of Ditch Plug and Natural Pools in the Sprague River Marsh, Phippsburg, ME
2012
Colin Barry '12
A Study of the Impact of Ditch-plug Alteration on the Hydrogeology of the Sprague River Marsh, Phippsburg, Maine
2012
Peter Goodwin '12
Kinematic Sheer Zones on Hermit Island, Phippsburg, Maine
2012
Haley Sive '12
Stratigraphy and Structure at Small Point, Maine; Two D3 Inverted Map-scale Folds
2012
Heather Dolittle '12 Determining P-T paths and Relative Timing of Metamorphism Based on Mineral Textures and Pseudosection
Analyses in Small Point, Maine
Jen Lindelof '12
Bedrock and Groundwater Interaction: tracing the Potential for Cation Contaminants in Groundwater, Small Point,
Maine
Sara El Assaad '13
Monitoring Sedimentation Patterns and Inlet Migration at Popham, Seawall and Small Point Beaches, Phippsburg,
Maine
Amanda Wescott
Tracking seasonal and storm-induced recession of the Popham-Seawall barrier beach complex, Phippsburg, Maine
‘13
A. Douglas '14
Measuring the impacts of a hard stabilization rock wall at Popham Beach, Phippsburg, Maine
2012
2013
2013
2014
Sharp-tailed Sparrow Display and Vocalization