Yael Weiss is investigating the relationship between the type of cord grass (short or tall Spartina, which have different rood densities) that is abundant in different parts of the marsh at the Marine Nature Study Area in Oceanside, NY, and fiddler crab abundance. Fiddler crabs are an important component of marsh ecosystems because their burrowing behavior facilitates the establishment of Spartina populations, which, in turn, are essential in maintaining the integrity of marshlands, which are essential to the health of coastal ecosystems and marine organisms.