Date of Award

Fall 8-10-2026

Document Type

Thesis: Open Access

Degree Name

MS Marine Science

Department

Environmental and Ocean Sciences

Committee Chair

Theresa Sinicrope Talley, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Drew Talley Ph.d.

Committee Member

Zhi-Yong Yin, Ph.d.

Committee Member

Kellie Uyeda, Ph.D.

Abstract

Coastal marshes are among California’s most productive ecosystems and the most impacted, having been extensively modified by dredging, filling, and urban development. This thesis investigates over a century of change for a marsh in Northern Mission Bay, San Diego, California using ecological and spatial analyses.

Chapter 1 provides an overview of the environmental history and current land use of the Northern Mission Bay marsh, tracing changes from pre-contact Indigenous stewardship through colonial and modern urban development. It also introduces a restoration plant palette derived from historical and contemporary species occurrences, ecological functions, and documented cultural uses. By integrating ethnobotanical knowledge with ecological criteria, this chapter establishes a framework for restoration that supports both ecosystem function and cultural relevance.

Chapter 2 presents the background, methods, and results of a long-term geospatial analysis of marsh landscape change (1857–2023). Using historical topographic maps, aerial imagery, and GIS-based digitization, this chapter quantifies changes in vegetated marsh extent, tidal creek networks, salt panne distribution, elevation zones, and marsh edge dynamics. Results show mid-20th century losses associated with dredging and urban development, followed by partial stabilization and increasing geomorphic complexity influenced by the 1996 Stribley Marsh restoration and increased drainage outputs.

Together, these chapters demonstrate how integrating historical context, plant-based restoration design, and long-term spatial analysis can guide adaptive and resilient marsh restoration. This study highlights the importance of combining studies on ecological processes with cultural knowledge to restore coastal wetlands that are both functionally sustainable and reflective of their environmental and human histories.

Download

Share

COinS