Chris Lynum is a PhD student at Northeastern University’s Marine Science Centerwho studies Salt Marshes and their ability to transform nitrogen in the water into inert nitrogen gas (quite a superpower!). Chris is a Wisconsin native who’s studies and fascinations have brought him to Beantown. Many of New England’s salt marshes have been wiped out or damaged over the last centuries (consider how much of Boston used to be water and you’ll start to see why). In some cases, humans have restored – or attempted to restore – salt marshes to something close to their original state.
There are two kinds of Salt Marsh restoration:
Chris studies how different approaches to Salt Marsh restoration impact the local microbe community’s ability to convert excess nitrates into inert nitrogen gas. The big question: How do these approaches impact a marsh’s ability to convert nitrogen? Chris is trying to find that out and has several Salt Marshes in the Boston and Cape Cod area that he visits regularly for testing. Why is this nitrogen processing so essential, you ask? Here’s the story-cycle:
Basically, Chris is doing this work so that you can have Lobster Rolls. Salt Marshes also act as a buffer between land and ocean. When the sea level rises or a storm surges towards the coast, salt marshes have to potential absorb some of this additional water in a way that protects residential areas, but also maintains a flourishing biosphere that contributes to an area’s ecology. Marshes also act as key Carbon Sinks – they gulp up CO2 in the air that otherwise would contribute to continued global warming patterns. In addition to the above, Salt Marshes are just beautiful. They are filled with gorgeous plant life, birds and butterflies. They are perfect for restorative or meditative strolls. Chris‘ Instagram is largely a record of the stunning life he finds on his visits. JJK’s fun fact from this conversation: Chris’ favorite plant is glasswort, a fascinatingand beautiful plant that thrives in Salt Marshes. It is edible – you can pick it and bite, no prep needed – has a crisp and salty taste. Be warned: it acts as a laxative.
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Two themes have arisen in all my conversations with City Planners and scientists when talking about climate change:
The map shows how utterly different the city will be. But also demonstrates how humans adapt: hills familiar to SF natives are now islands; favorite neighborhoods now covered by water provide the names of bays and capes. (A fan favorite of the map is Steam Anchorage, located where the current Steam Anchor brewery lives).
In addition to the map, he provides a fictional news report from the day. Life has gone on, as it always does. Taco trucks have become Taco Boats and still provide yummy snacks to urban workers; the city government has ceded prime land to an important local business. In this fictional 2072, life has continued. The water kept rising but so did the people. One of my goals with Martha’s (b)Rainstorm is to do the same: to show people a view of Boston in the future where life goes on in ways that are both different and the same; both awful to consider in terms of what we’ve lost, and beautiful to imagine in terms of what we might gain. (Check out the Times‘ article on this map and more!) To see Boston with only 6′ of sea level rise, turn to page 2020. To see Boston with 200′ sea level rise, turn to the next page. I always considered myself fairly “green.” Growing up we always recycled; I ran Boston’s first green friendly theatre company. As I have researched this project, it has struck home how little I know.
Check out the NYTimes Quiz How Much Do You Know About Solving Global Warming? It’s fun and hugely informative. The list is inspired by Drawdown, a new book ranking the options for cutting down greenhouse gases. I plan to check that out soon, and so should you! Looking for more eco-cation? Check out the Tip of the Iceberg page for more reading. Now you know, and as GI Joe taught us, Knowing is Half the Battle. To increase your EcoIQ Powers, turn to page 31. To stay Eco-ILLogical, turn to page 49. |