Recent research has focused on seed propagation methods for the salt marsh plant Spartina alterniflora to support marsh restoration initiatives. This study examined the role of salt marsh microbes and chemical compounds on seed development and germination through two experiments. The first investigated the role of microbes and chemical compounds in estuarine water on embryo development through the assessment of seed viability after winter storage in three treatments: deionized (DI) water (control), autoclaved estuarine water (compounds), or filtered estuarine water (microbes + compounds). Afterwards seed viability was assessed using the tetrazolium chloride test. Results showed significantly greater viability in the DI treatment, indicating no influence from estuarine water. The second still ongoing experiment examines how microbes and chemical compounds affect the germination rates of seeds inoculated with marsh soil filtrate. Three treatments include: DI (control), DI base plus filtered soil inoculant (microbes + compounds), and DI plus autoclaved soil inoculant (compounds).
