SECN Highlights April 2023

Surface Elevation Table monitoring on a marsh at Fort Frederica National Monument in 2022.

NPS photo / SECN staff

SET Data Available on IRMA

The inaugural data package for surface elevation table (SET) wetland monitoring is now publicly available on the National Park Service DataStore. The data package is the result of a multi-region, multi-network collaboration between the Northeast Temperate Network (NETN; NER), Northeast Coastal Barrier Network (NCBN; NER), National Capital Region Network (NCRN; NCR), Southeast Coast Network (SECN; SER), and South Florida / Caribbean Network (SFCN; SER). This package includes data spanning twenty national park units along the eastern seaboard, from Acadia National Park to the Virgin Islands. The period of record is October 14, 1998 to October 21, 2022. Overall, the data package includes 4,571 individual monitoring events during which 164,925 pin readings and 27,216 marker horizon measurements were collected.The cumulative data package will be updated annually on February 1 and periodically as needed.For more information on the National I&M SET Database or data publication, contact Adam Kozlowski (NETN Data Manager, e-mail us) or Wendy Wright (SECN Data Manager, e-mail us), Dennis Skidds (NCBN Data Manager, e-mail us) or David Jones (NCRN Data Manager, e-mail us).The data package with complete metadata is available in the Data Store at DataStore - Surface Elevation Table (SET) Data Package (nps.gov).

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Aquatics Team attends Low-Gradient Stream Symposium at Congaree National Park

In late February Aquatic Ecologist Eric Starkey, Physical Scientist Stephen Cooper, and Hydrologic Technician Katie Dagastino attended the Congaree National Park’s Low-Gradient Stream Symposium. This was the first event of its kind and was an opportunity to bring together practitioners from multiple agencies to discuss ongoing research and monitoring in low gradient/blackwater streams. The Southeast Coast Network presented results from wadeable stream habitat and water-quality monitoring at sites along Cedar and McKenzie Creeks. Showcasing SECN monitoring at this meeting fostered important conversations with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) about the need for additional biomonitoring information on these unique stream types and future collaboration on benthic macroinvertebrate sampling in the park. In addition, SECN staff learned more about the dynamic nature of the Congaree River floodplain and the river’s impact on park resources.

Back (L-R): Sierra Hylton (SCDHEC, Adopt-a-Stream), Eric Starkey (NPS, SECN), Stephen Cooper (NPS, SECN), Jeff Riley (USGS), Marcin Slowik (Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland), Devendra Amatya (USFS), Dave Chesnut (SCDHEC), Shailesh van der Steeg (U. of South Carolina) Middle: Katie Dagastino (NPS, SECN), Alexandra (Lexi) Thomason (SCDHEC, Adopt-a-Stream), Janet Cakir (NPS, IR2), Joe Flotemersch (EPA), Justin Lewandowski (SCDHEC), Claudia Santiago (NPS, CONG)
Front: David Shelley (NPS, CONG).

NPS photo / CONG staff

SECN's William "Ches" Vervaeke hands a fish from off a hook to one of the junior anglers at the Blue Star Families Clinic at Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve.

NPS photo / TIMU Facebook

Teaching Children to Fish

SECN Coastal Ecologist William "Ches" Vervaeke recently particpated in the Junior Ranger Angler Fishing Clinic for Blue Star Families of Jacksonville. Along side park rangers from Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve and Timucuan Parks Foundation volunteers, Ches taught the Blue Star youth from age 3-16 how to properly use fishing poles, hooks, lures and nets. Blue Star Families is a national nonprofit that supports military families through community connection.

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Recent Publications

The Southeast Coast Network recently published the following reports:

• Post Tropical Storm Ian and Hurricane Nicole Storm Report 2022. Available at: DataStore - Shoreline change at Canaveral National Seashore: Post Tropical Storm Ian and Hurricane Nicole Storm Report 2022 (nps.gov)