Spatial and Temporal Trends of Fishes and Aquatic Invertebrates in a Restored Salt Marsh, San Francisco Estuary, CA

The loss of salt marsh has caused the decline of many aquatic organisms which depend on marshes to provide critical ecosystem functions such as spawning habitat, nursery habitat, and food resources. There are currently many restoration efforts in coastal salt marshes taking place worldwide to redress the loss of this habitat. In San Francisco Estuary, one of the largest salt marsh restoration projects is the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Program, which aims to return up to 61 km2 of salt production ponds to tidal habitat. We examined patterns in the distribution of fishes and invertebrates to determine how they responded to restoration actions. The results show a rapid positive response; within the first several years the restored tidal habitats were used by 40 species of fish and many species of invertebrates. The restored areas supported most members of the local fish and invertebrate community. We found no discernable differences in the physicochemical habitat between pre-existing slough habitat and newly breeched restoration sites. Most variability in community structure was attributed to seasonal changes and not to spatial patterns of landscape attributes. This study supports the assertion that salt marsh restoration can have rapid benefits to estuarine-dependent biota, including imperiled species.