Locations: Sweeney (SW), West (WE), Clubhead (CL), and Nelson (NE)

 

Sediments: Pool top 2cm from 5, 60 ml syringe cores, put in 4 oz Qorpack jar and dry @ 50o C

Nereis: Using shovels, dig up 15-20, 2-5 cm lengths, place in jar with ambient water to purge guts for 24 hr, dry @ 50o C

Mummichog: Using seine, collect 15-20, 35-50 mm lengths, fillet and save flesh tissue (tail end), dry @ 50o C

Ribbed mussel: Pool 15-20, below S. alt. on main stem, abductor muscle, dry @ 50o C

Silverside: Seine, pool 15-20, flesh tissue (tail end) like mummichogs, dry @ 50o C

Marsh plants (species will vary in estuary): Aboveground biomass, green tissue, cut into 5” pieces, soak in bucket of tap water 5 minutes, rinse with DI H2O, dry @ 50o C

Mummichogs: From seine, flesh tissue, rinse in DI H2O, dry @ 50o C

 

Stable Isotope Food Web Monitoring Sample Collection and Processing

Sediments: Collect 5 surface (2cm) cores using 60 ml syringe, place cores in a labeled (date, station, sample type) 4 oz Qorpack jar and in a cooler for transport back to the lab. Freeze if the sample cannot be dried soon.

Dry sediments @ 50o C. After the sample is dried, use a dissecting microscope and check sediment for carbonates using a few drops of 10% HCl on a small subsample, if bubbling occurs then a larger subsample should be acidified and redried for isotope analysis.  If carbonates exist it is necessary to remove them, as they will interfere with the 13C analysis. Grind a subsample of the sediments (Wig-L-Bug) for stable isotope analysis and place in a clean scint vial.

Nereis: Collect Nereis worms by digging with a shovel in the tidal flat sediments; often the peat chunks have more worms. Collect 15 to 20 worms of 2-5 cm lengths and place in a jar with ambient water. Place the jar in a cooler for transport back to the lab. At the lab transfer the worms to another jar and put clean ambient water in the jar, let the worms sit overnight to purge their guts, then count and record the lengths of worms, towel blot and place worms in a labeled (date, station, sample type) glass scint vial and freeze.  Dry the worms @ 50o C and then grind the worms (Wig-L-Bug) for stable isotope analysis and place back in the labeled (date, station, sample type) scint vial.

Mummichog: Using a seine collect 15 to 20 mummichogs, 35-50 mm lengths and place in a labeled (date, station, sample type) ziplock bag and place in cooler for transport back to the lab. At the lab, count and record the lengths of the mummichogs, fillet and save tissue in a labeled (date, station, sample type) glass scint vial and freeze.  Dry the mummichogs @ 50o C and then grind the mummichogs (Wig-L-Bug) for stable isotope analysis and place back in the labeled (date, station, sample type) scint vial.

Ribbed mussel: Collect 15 to 20 ribbed mussels from below the Spartina alterniflora channel bank edge and place in a labeled (date, station, sample type) ziplock bag and place in cooler for transport back to the lab.

At the lab, count and record the lengths of the mussels, cut out the abductor muscle and rinse/dip in DI water.  Save muscle tissue in a labeled (date, station, sample type) glass scint vial and freeze.  Be careful not to get shell fragments mixed in with the abductor muscle.  Dry the tissue @ 50o C and then grind the tissue (Wig-L-Bug) for stable isotope analysis and place back in the labeled (date, station, sample type) scint vial.

Silversides: Using a seine collect 45 to 60 silversides, 30 – 70 mm lengths and place in a labeled (date, station, sample type) ziplock bag and place in cooler for transport back to the lab.  At the lab separate the silversides into 3 subsamples, then count and record the lengths of the silversides for each subsample, then fillet and save the tissue in three separately labeled (date, station, sample type) glass scint vials and freeze.  Dry the silversides @ 50o C and then grind them (Wig-L-Bug) for stable isotope analysis and place back in the labeled (date, station, sample type) scint vial.

Marsh plants: Above ground biomass, want fresh green leaves. Use anvil clippers to clip stalks/stems, place biomass in plastic bag. Sort plants, separating out green leaves and different species that may be mixed in (S. patens vs Distichlis). Rinse/soak leaves in bucket of tap water to remove sea salt SO4, then rinse with DI H2O. Air dry leaves on bench then place into labeled paper bag with Date, Station, Species and analyses needed. Place paper bag in large drying oven @ 50o C for a few days. Grind plant tissue for stable isotope analysis (Wiley Mill or Wig-L bug check with Marshall Otter for particle size).

 Other Organisms: Collect other organisms/species as deemed necessary and follow the above methodology/logic of saving meat/tissue without shell and rinsing adequately with DI H2O to remove seawater sulfate. Care should also be taken to NOT include guts with the tissue samples.

 

Field Gear and Field lab supplies

Jon boat, 25 HP Honda

150 u plankton net with cod end

Cooler with ice

Dry cooler

Field notebook

Pencils

Sharpies (fine and large)

Label tape

3 buckets

thermometer

Box of 1 gallon ziplock bags

Box of 4 oz Qorpack jars, minimum of 6 jars

2, 60 ml syringe cores

500 ml squirt bottle with fine nozzle

shovel

small seine

4, one liter bottles for POM

box of ashed 25 mm GFF filters

filter forceps

small petri dishes for 25 mm filters

hand vacuum pump/flask and Gelman tower set up for 25 mm filters

dissecting kit with scalpels and tweezers

flat of glass scint vials with caps

tin foil

2, 250 ml glass graduated cylinders

2, dissecting scope lights or flash lights (with batteries)