Historic Data Sets

Marine Algae and Coastal Vegetation

Rand and Redfield (1894) listed 125 species of marine algae from Mount Desert Island and adjacent waters. Denise van Hemert (1966) listed the distribution of 79 species of marine algae, including species lists for several locations on Mount Desert Island, Schoodic Peninsula, and islands in Frenchman Bay. Johnson and Skutch (1928) studied subtidal and intertidal vegetation at Otter Cliffs in the 1920s.

• Rand EL and Redfield JH. 1894. Flora of Mount Desert Island, Maine: A preliminary catalogue of the plants growing on Mount Desert and the adjacent islands. Cambridge University Press, John Wilson and Son. Cambridge, Massachusetts. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2178902

• Van Hemert, D. 1966. A distribution study of the marine algae of Acadia National Park. Unpublished report. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2180149

• Johnson, D.S., and A.F. Skutch. 1928. Littoral vegetation on a headland of Mt. Desert Island, Maine. I. submersible or strictly littoral vegetation. Ecology 9(2):188-215. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2177935

• Johnson, D.S., and A.F. Skutch. 1928. Littoral vegetation on a headland of Mt. Desert Island, Maine. II. tide-pools and the environment and classification of submersible plant communities. Ecology 9(3):307-40. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2177933

• Johnson, D.S., and A.F. Skutch. 1928. Littoral vegetation on a headland of Mt. Desert Island, Maine. III. adlittoral or non-submersible region. Ecology 9(4):429-51. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2177937

Climate and air quality:

Weather data have been collected daily on or near Mount Desert Island by the National Weather Service since 1893.Measurements include temperature (maximum, minimum, and current), precipitation (duration and amounts), snowfall, snowpack conditions, and notes on state of the weather (cloud, rain, fog, etc.). Wind direction and speed are included for some years. The weather station was first located on downtown Bar Harbor and operated there until roughly 1968, then it moved to the Acadia National Park Visitor Center in Hulls Cove from 1968 to 1981. In 1982 it was moved to and remains at McFarland Hill near Park Headquarters.

• NOAA. Weather observations from the Bar Harbor station 1893-present. https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cdo-web/datasets/GSOM/locations/ZIP:04609/detail
• NPS. Gaseous pollutant and meteorological data from the McFarland Hill Atmospheric Research Station near Acadia National Park Headquarters 1981-present. https://ard-request.air-resource.com/
• National Atmospheric Deposition Program. Atmospheric deposition (mercury and acid) data 1996-present. http://nadp.slh.wisc.edu/
• IMPROVE. Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (visibility data) 1988-present. http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/
• Fire Management Program - Weather Observations. 1926-1980. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2172020
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 1975. Climate of Bar Harbor, Maine. Climatography of the United States 1951-1973. Number 20. National Climate Center. Asheville, NC https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2178856

Lakes, streams, and hydrology:

Fuller and Cooper (1946) provided early information on hydrology. Greene et al (1992) include waterbody-specific details on lake and stream chemistry pre-1990s in Appendix 7-1. Lake specific data can be found at Lakes of Maine, which includes links to data collected by Maine DEP and the Lake Stewards of Maine. The National Water Quality Monitoring Council has an online search tool allowing access to data from USGS, EPA, NPS, and other agencies, including those from many lakes and streams in Acadia National Park.

• Fuller, J.L., and G.P. Cooper. 1946. A biological survey of the lakes and ponds of Mount Desert Island, and the Union and lower Penobscot River drainage systems. Fish Survey Report Number 7. Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Game, Augusta, Maine. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2178746
• Greene, C.W., G.H. Mittelhauser, J. Jacobs, and L.L. Gregory. 1992. Historical resource inventory for Acadia National Park: Volumes 1 & 2. United States. National Park Service, North Atlantic Region, Boston, Massachusetts. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2178764
• Lake Stewards of Maine. Lakes of Maine (lake-specific information and links monitoring data). http://lakesofmaine.org/
• National Water Quality Monitoring Council. Water quality data (from multiple sources and time periods). https://www.waterqualitydata.us/portal/

Freshwater protists:

W. Byers Unger (1941) reported on his detailed work on protozoans in Hamilton Pond. B. W. McCashland (1956) noted 122 species of freshwater protozoans in three phyla present in 25 lakes on Mount Desert Island.

• Unger, W.B. 1941. A preliminary survey of the protozoa of Beaver Lake near Salsbury Cove, Maine. Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory Bulletin June 15th to September 15th:17-18. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2178245
• McCashland, B.W. 1956. A preliminary study of the freshwater protozoan fauna of Mount Desert Island. Bulletin of the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory 4(2):36-38. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2178035

Vascular plants:

Rand and Redfield (1894) conducted a complete floristic inventory on Mount Desert Island, a culmination of 15 seasons of field work involving many botanists. Davis (1961) studied the spruce-fir forests of the coast of Maine from 1958-1960, including 6 stands in Acadia National Park. He included a description, synthesis of data collected, and qualitative observations for each stand as well as quantitative tree data. Wise (1970) conducted a 2-year (1968-1969) field inventory of Isle au Haut’s flora and notes 724 plant species on the island.

• Rand, E.L., and J.H. Redfield. 1894. Flora of Mount Desert Island, Maine : a preliminary catalogue of the plants growing on Mount Desert and the adjacent islands. Cambridge University Press, John Wilson and Son, Cambridge, Massachusetts. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2178902
• Wise, D.A. 1970. The flora of Isle au Haut, Maine. Rhodora 72(792):505-32. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2178285
• Davis, R.B. 1961. The spruce-fir forests of the coast of Maine. Dissertation., Cornell University. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2179790
• Wise, D.A. 1970. The vascular flora of Isle au Haut, Knox County, Maine. Dissertation., University of New Hampshire. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2179861

Marine invertebrates:

The Champlain Society surveyed marine invertebrates of Somes Sound in 1880. William Procter conducted a complete and detailed survey of marine invertebrates in marine waters adjacent to Mount Desert Island in the 1926-1932. He noted over 500 species in 13 phyla. The collections from his survey are stored in Acadia National Park’s collections. The specimen nomenclature was updated by Mittelhauser and Kelly (2007).

• Mittelhauser, G., and D. Kelly. 2007. Inventory of marine fauna in Frenchman Bay and Blue Hill Bay, Maine 1926-1932: catalog of William Procter's marine collections. Maine Natural History Observatory, Gouldsboro, ME. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2179564

Birds:

Tyson and Bond (1941) summarized bird sightings on Mount Desert Island from 1916-1941. Bond (1958, 1971, 1975) annotated a list of breeding birds on Mount Desert Island. Drury (1973, 1974) summarized historical records of New England breeding seabirds.

• Tyson, C.S., and J. Bond. 1941. Birds of Mt. Desert Island, Acadia National Park, Maine. 82 pages. Baltimore, Maryland: Waverly Press. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2179713
• Bond, J. 1958. Birds of Mount Desert Island and where to find them. Bar Harbor Times, Bar Harbor, Maine. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2178654
• Bond, J. 1971. Native birds of Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park. The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Livingston Publishing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2178655
• Bond, J. 1975. A revised list of breeding birds of Mount Desert Island (1935-1975). Unpublished report. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2178683
• Many other Bond documents on IRMA Data Store
• Drury, W.H. 1973. Population changes in New England seabirds. Bird-banding 44(4):267-313. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2177838
• Drury, W.H. 1974. Population changes in New England seabirds. Bird-banding 45(1):1-92. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2177841
  

Mammals:

Richardson (1971, 1972, 1973, 1977) conducted aerial inventories of harbor and gray seals in the Acadia National Park region of the coast.

• Richardson, D.T. 1971. Semi-annual progress report: Distribution and abundance of harbor and gray seals: Acadia National Park area. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2180111
• Richardson, D.T. 1972. Semiannual progress report: Distribution and abundance of harbor and gray seals: Acadia National Park area: Period covered January 1 to June 30, 1972. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2180226
• Richardson, D.T. 1972. Semiannual progress report: Distribution and abundance of harbor and gray seals: Acadia National Park area: Period covered July 1 to December 31, 1971. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2180237
• Richardson, D.T. 1973. Semiannual progress report: Distribution and abundance of harbor and gray seals: Acadia National Park area: Period covered July 1 to December 30, 1972. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2180112
• Richardson, D.T. 1973. Final report: Distribution and abundance of harbor and gray seals: Acadia National Park: Period covered - July 1, 1971 to July 1, 1973. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2180110
• Richardson, D.T. 1977. Six year assessment of abundance and distribution of harbor seals and gray seals in the Acadia National Park area: Period covered: June, 1971 - July, 1977. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2180113