Abby Pearson

Abby’s graduate research focused on assessing ecosystem functionality in a restoring salt marsh using arthropod food webs. This involved describing arthropod distribution in an affected salt marsh in relation to associated common salt marsh plants. Arthropods were collected, identified, and processed using stable isotope analysis of 13C and 15N. These data were used to describe food web structure (i.e. what arthropods are found where) and function (i.e. how carbon passed through the food web).

Education

• M.S., Biology. University of Southern Maine 2014
• B.S., Environmental Science and Policy. University of Southern Maine 2007

Areas of Expertise

• Salt marsh ecology
• Natural history
• Macroinvertebrate taxonomy
• Land use history

Current Research

Land use history of Colby College Assessing salt marsh restoration using terrestrial arthropod food webs.

Publications

2015 Pearson, A.O. Salt marsh restoration: How to define success? In D. Fitzgerald, T. Oppersdorff and K. Schabert, Best seashore nature sites: Midcoast Maine. Waterline Books, Jefferson, USA. 2014 Pearson, A.O. Approaches to restoration: Assessing the roles of structure and functionality in saltmarsh restoration in light of climate change. Masters Thesis. University of Southern Maine. 2011 Pearson, A.O. Rebirth of a salt marsh. In T. Oppersdorff and K. Schabert, Best nature sites: Midcoast Maine. Waterline Books, Jefferson, USA. 2003 Finamore, A.O. Becoming a Part of an Education. In Slant: Writings from the University of New Hampshire Composition Program, Vol. 1. Ed. Anne Bramblett.