PORT SUSAN BAY PRESERVE — Framed by tall grasses and patches of cattails, John Rybczyk and Katrina Poppe pulled a white tube from the ground Monday and pushed a nearly-black cylinder of mud and roots from its bottom.

The two Western Washington University researchers, who specialize in studying estuaries, were showing how they gathered salt marsh sediment from throughout The Nature Conservancy’s Port Susan Bay Preserve in 2016.


Port Susan Bay

Western Washington University researchers John Rybczyk, left, and Katrina Poppe pull a core sample from a PVC pipe on Monday, Aug. 26, at the Port Susan Bay Preserve near Stanwood.

Port Susan Bay

Molly Bogeberg, a marine projects manager for The Nature Conservancy, discusses the salt marsh ecosystem Monday, Aug. 26, at the Port Susan Bay Preserve near Stanwood.

— Reporter Kimberly Cauvel: 360-416-2199, kcauvel@skagitpublishing.com, Twitter: @Kimberly_SVH, Facebook.com/bykimberlycauvel

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