Portrait to come
Dr. Elena Rostova
Principal Investigator & Senior Hydrology Fellow
Freshwater Biogeochemistry
Coastal Wetlands & Blue Carbon
Quantifying vertical sediment accretion, tidal pulse mechanics, and long-term organic carbon sequestration in macro-tidal saltmarsh ecosystems.
- Theme
- Field Research
- Location
- Minas Basin Intertidal Reserve (45°19'N 64°22'W)
- Timeframe
- 2020 — 2025
- Status
- Seasonal Surface Elevation Table (SET) Monitoring
01
The question
Do extreme tidal amplitudes accelerate organic sediment preservation or stimulate anaerobic methane release across coastal saltmarsh edges?
Intertidal saltmarshes represent some of the planet’s most intensive carbon sinks per unit area. Our coastal research team evaluates how sediment deposition dynamics and halophytic root density interact under variable sea-level rise scenarios.
Using deep sediment coring combined with automated carbon dioxide and methane flux chambers, the team models carbon burial persistence versus atmospheric export across both pristine and restored tidal marshes.
02
The place
Minas Basin Intertidal Reserve (45°19'N 64°22'W)
The Minas Basin features the highest tidal range in the world (up to 16 meters), creating a dynamic testbed for studying high-energy sediment accretion and vegetative colonization along estuarine boundaries.
03
Methods
How the evidence was gathered, step by step.
- 01
Surface Elevation Table and Marker Horizon (SET-MH) tracking
- 02
Stable isotope (13C, 15N) biogeochemical mass spectrometry
- 03
Automated cavity ring-down gas flux chamber measurements
- 04
RTK-GPS geomorphic boundary and creek drainage mapping
05
Outcomes
The study confirmed annual vertical accretion rates of 4.8 mm/yr, keeping pace with local relative sea-level rise while locking down an estimated 210 g C/m²/yr in deep refractory root peats.
06
Publications and citations
Journal article2025
Thermal stratification and nutrient pulses during unseasonal snowmelt in subarctic river basins
Dr. Elena Rostova, Dr. Marcus Vance, Prof. T. K. Bergmann
Cite as
Rostova, E., Vance, M., & Bergmann, T. K. (2025). Thermal stratification and nutrient pulses during unseasonal snowmelt in subarctic river basins. Journal of Hydrological Ecology, 48(3), 182-199.
Report2024
Catchment sediment flux monitoring protocol: Field acoustic sensing and manual grab sample integration
CIREE Field Methods Working Group (Ed. Dr. Marcus Vance)
Cite as
Vance, M. et al. (2024). Catchment sediment flux monitoring protocol: Field acoustic sensing and manual grab sample integration. CIREE Technical Guidance Series, Monograph No. 14, 1-64.
07
Field media
Next chapter
Grasslands & Agro-Ecological Regimes