Sediment porewater salinity and moisture at runnel restoration sites in SE Massachusetts from 2020 - 2022.

Natural disturbances, sea level rise, and historic human impacts to salt marshes have increased impounded water on marsh surfaces, resulting in vegetation loss and the associated loss of important ecosystem services. Runnels are a climate adaptation technique designed to restore salt marsh habitat by reestablishing a tidal connection between impounded water and a nearby drainage feature. Porewater salinity and moisture content are two sediment characteristics that could potentially be altered by panne formation and runneling, which could impact rates of carbon decomposition. We installed runnels in two marshes in SE Massachusetts in 2020, and monitored salinity and moisture content changes for two years (2021-2022).