Teri O’Meara’s recently published paper showed that the microbially-mediated process of denitrification was elevated in marsh sediments relative to sediments without marsh plants.  This was true with and without shoreline stabilization structures landward of the areas sampled. No matter the width of the marsh, rates of denitrification were similar. Her study informs our efforts to manage coastal areas that are often nutrient enriched. From Teri’s work we learned that maintaining any marsh seaward of shoreline stabilization structures is beneficial and that restoring saltmarshes in front of bulkheads, where feasible, could enhance ecosystem function. Teri’s paper can be found here.