Southeast Coast Network News December 2022

FY23 Workplan Approved

The Southeast Coast Network's FY2023 Workplan was approved by the SECN Board of Directors at the annual Steering Committee meeting in November. Thanks to everyone who was able to virtually attend and provide feedback on our program. Copies of the approved workplan were sent to the SECN Steering Committee representatives and meeting attendees, and Park Superintendents. Let us know if you have any questions.

SECN Physical Science Technician Abby Gonzalez, above, and SECN Coastal Ecologist Ches Vervaeke completed salt marsh elevation table readings at several coastal parks in November.

NPS photo / SECN staff

FY2022 Field Work Update

The FY2022 fieldwork season has ended for the Southeast Coast Network. Data collected for each SECN monitoring program are being processed with reports and data packages currently being prepared. Field preparations for FY2023 are underway.

Coastal Wetlands

Six new Surface Elevation Table (SET) sites were installed at Cape Lookout National Seashore and Cape Hatteras National Seashore in October and twice yearly readings are scheduled and will continue to be read along with the existing SETs at these parks. A revised monitoring protocol is currently being reviewed and is near approval with publication expected later this year.

Shorelines

Fall shoreline surveys were conducted at Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Cape Lookout National Seashore in October with assistance from local park staff. Fall and post-storm (Hurricanes Ian and Nicole) surveys at Canaveral National Seashore,Fort Matanzas National Monument, Fort Pulaski National Monument and Fort Frederica National Monument and completed in November. Data collected during spring surveys at Canaveral National Seashore, Cumberland Island National Seashore, Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, Fort Matanzas National Monument, Cape Lookout National Seashore and Cape Hatteras National Seashore have been processed with reports coming out in the near future. Shoreline survey data are made available to parks in a user-friendly dashboard recently created by SECN staff.

Vegetation Communities

Data collected in FY2022 at Horseshoe Bend National Military Park, Cape Lookout National Seashore, Moores Creek National Battlefield and Canaveral National Seashore is being processed along with data collected during last summer's field work at Congaree National Park, Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area and Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.

Wadeable Streams

Processing continues for data collected from wadeable stream monitoring surveys conducted in May at Congaree National Park. A summary report from last year's data collection at Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area will be published later this fiscal year.

Water Quality

Data collected during this summer's park-wide water-quality assessments at Cumberland Island National Seashore and Fort Matanzas National Monument is being processed. Data is entered, but still waiting on nutrient results from the lab. A water-quality data collection trip was completed in October for Congaree National Park, Fort Pulaski National Monument, Cumberland Island National Seashore, Canaveral National Seashore, Fort Matanzas National Monument, and Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. Monthly visits will continue in 2023. Fixed-station time-series data collection continues with assistance from park staff and partners at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and Cape Lookout National Seashore.

Landbird and Anuran Communities

Automated recording device (ARD) deployments for the FY2023 field season begin in December at Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Other parks where ARDs will be deployed in 2023 include Fort Matanzas National Monument and Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve in January and ,Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area and Fort Pulaski National Monument in February. Recordings will begin in March. Analysis of 2021 landbird and vocal anuran monitoring data at Cape Lookout National Seashore, Cumberland Island National Seashore, Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park, Horseshoe Bend National Military Park, and Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is nearing completion with all reports expected to be completed near the end of this calendar year. In addition to completing the scheduled monitoring for FY 2022, recordings collected in FY 2015, 2016 and 2017 (anurans) are being processed and data sets from these monitoring events will be published in the near future.

Recent Publications

The Southeast Coast Network recently published the following reports:

• Terrestrial Vegetation Monitoring at Fort Frederica National Monument: 2020 Data Summary. Available at: DataStore - Published Report - (Code: 2294844) (nps.gov)
• Resource Brief for Terrestrial Vegetation Monitoring at Fort Frederica National Monument: 2020 Data Summary. Available at: DataStore - Resource Brief - (Code: 2287439) (nps.gov)
• Assessment of Estuarine Water and Sediment Quality at Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Cape Lookout National Seashore 2021 Data Summary. Available at: DataStore - Published Report - (Code: 2294854) (nps.gov)