ISIS

Conventional Replanting Plugs

75% fewer plugs:

Each isolated volume is equivalent of 5+ gallons, with contiguous root contact below.  Estimated density of less than 480 units per acre – spaced 10’ on center

1 gallon each spaced 5’ on center

2,000 plugs per acre

Installed while marsh is healthy:

Allows use of volunteers and un-certified staff

Installed in a fouled marsh, requiring use of certified staff

Lower impact:

Personnel can carry up to ¼ acre of supplies on each trip into marsh.  Thus an estimated 4-6 trips per acre.

Assuming personnel can carry 20 plugs per trip, requires 100 trips per acre

Lower carbon footprint:

Requires ~1 MM square inches of barrier film per acre.  Material is recyclable.

One truckload can deliver over 400 acres worth of isolation units

Requires ~2,000 one gallon plastic pots per acre.  Material is recyclable

One truckload can deliver roughly one acre of plugs.

Lower chemical footprint:

Possibility of very limited leaching of chemicals out of plastic while in-situ, materials will be food packaging grade

Can require pest control, fertilizer and growth chemicals while farmed

No invasive species impact:

Protecting indigenous marsh doesn’t introduce invasives

Potential for transport of invasives into the marsh

Litter potential:

Properly installed systems have shown significant tenacity to resist pull-out, but there is a potential for lost systems

Careless installers may leave one-gallon pots behind, with no ability to track on an individual basis

Impact on wildlife:

Unknown impact to avian, aquatic and land life if detached from install point.  Similar risk as food package litter.  Installed systems may frighten avian life, which may have negative consequences if it impacts nesting and positive consequences if it deters clean birds from landing in an oil spill.

Unknown