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SECN Highlights October 2024

Three people on a dock. One kneeling on the edge of the water, the other two holding a sonde and water sample bottle.
Elena Kelly (SIP intern), Fiona Southwell (TIMU Biotechnician), and Ryan Hutton (TIMU GIS intern) prepare to collect a water sample and measure water quality parameters off a dock at Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve.

NPS photo

Two people standing in the ocean up to their knees
Elena Kelly (SIP intern) collects a water sample and Fiona Southwell (TIMU Biotechnician) utilizes an EXO1 multiparameter sonde to record water quality parameters at Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve.

NPS photo

Ocean Acidification at TIMU and CUIS

SECN's Mallorie Davis and Elena Kelly Assist Park Staff with Monitoring Project

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have grown dramatically since the Industrial Age. Since the ocean absorbs roughly one-third of atmospheric CO2, oceanic CO2 levels have increased as well. Through a series of chemical reactions, seawater lowers in pH (i.e., becomes more acidic) and retains fewer carbonate ions. These conditions stress many aquatic organisms and impair the ability of organisms such as oysters, corals, and sea urchins to build and maintain their calcium carbonate body structures. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) conducts the Ocean Acidification Monitoring Program to track ocean acidification and its impacts on marine species and ecosystems. The National Park Service (NPS) collaborates with NOAA to conduct near-shore sampling that compliments NOAA’s off-shore sampling missions.

Recently, park staff at Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve (TIMU) and Cumberland Island National Seashore (CUIS), along with assistance from SECN Scientist in Parks intern Elena Kelly and Biological Technician Mallorie Davis, participated in ocean acidification monitoring efforts. The TIMU and SECN staff conducted their biannual collection of six water samples from estuarine locations across the preserve. The CUIS and SECN staff collected five samples from the island, including three samples off docks and two accessed from the beach. The monitoring team also recorded water quality parameters such as temperature and dissolved oxygen using a multiparameter sonde at the time of collection. Once the samples were collected, highly toxic mercury chloride (HgCl2) was added to the samples to halt any biological activity from altering the carbon distributions. Samples have been shipped to NOAA who will analyze “the big four” parameters–pH, partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2), total alkalinity (TA), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC)–from the near-shore samples and examine how they compare to nearby open-ocean conditions.

Ocean acidification already poses a significant threat to these delicate estuarine and marine ecosystems. As emissions and CO2 levels continue to climb, the problem of ocean acidification will only worsen. By participating in NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Monitoring Program, the NPS gains vital insight into the current state of its coastal parks. The NPS can use the data to track ocean acidification across time and even project future trends.

Man with hat on backward standing in trees
SECN Botanist Forbes Boyle has resumed his detail as SECN Program Manager.

NPS photo / SECN staff

Forbes Boyle Returns to Detail as SECN Program Manager

Network Botanist to Handle Operations Through November

Forbes Boyle (SECN Botanist) resumed his 120-day temporary promotion detail as Program Manager on September 8 continuing through the end of November. During the first “half” of his detail (February–March), Forbes kept the Southeast Coast I&M Network ship afloat while Brian Gregory (former SECN Program Manager) was in recovery-mode following surgery. Gregory started his new role as Regional I&M Program Manager for the Southeast Region in September. Forbes joined the NPS in the fall of 2018, after seven years of service as Botanist with the Southeast Region Inventory and Monitoring Branch of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In his current SECN role, Forbes oversees the “Terrestrial Vegetation Monitoring Protocol Implementation Plan” which he helped published in his first year with the network. Forbes holds a PhD and MS in Forest Resources from Clemson University, and a BS in Wildlife Biology from the University of Vermont. During his Post-Doctoral Appointment at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) from 2006–2011, Forbes served as the Project Manager for the multi-agency Carolina Vegetation Survey. Between now and the end of November, Forbes will provide support and leadership for FY24 Annual Reports closeout, development of FY25 Workplans, and organizing the Fall 2024 SECN Steering Committee Meeting.

Headshot of woman wearing glasses with mountains in the background
New SECN Wildlife Intern, Myra Kincaid.

Photo submitted

Myra Joins the SECN as Wildlife Intern

Working toward MS in Forestry and Natural Resources at UGA

Myra Kincaid is a new Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit CESU intern joining Wildlife Biologist Michael Parrish in the Landbird and Vocal Anuran Community Monitoring Program. She will assist Michael with field work, classifying landbird calls from recordings, and data entry. She is affiliated with the University of Georgia where she is pursuing a Master of Science in Forestry and Natural Resources. Myra has worked as a field technician for both the New York Breeding Bird Atlas III and the North Carolina Breeding Bird Atlas. She completed a Bachelor's of Biology at the University of North Georgia, where she conducted a point-count project to map the bird population on campus. Myra grew up in North Georgia and is a long-time outdoor enthusiast whose interests include hiking, backpacking, foraging, canoeing and birding. In 2019 she completed a four and a half month thru-hike of the 2.650-mile Pacific Crest Trail. In 2021, she completed a 16-year section hike of the 2,200 mile Appalachian Trail. She is excited to join the Southeast Coastal network and facilitate the monitoring of birds and frogs in the parks. Welcome aboard Myra!

SECN Data Management Hopping in September!

Data packages for Vegetation, Water Quality and Vocal Anurans Published

Man in waders and a cowboy hat staniding in two different streams with mountains in the background.
Physical Scientist and Wadeable Stream Protocol Lead Stephen Cooper attended a week-long training in Ennis, Montana for stream restoration. Part of the week included surveying two tributaries of the Madison River. Left, Stephen stands ready to survey at Odell Creek. Right, Stephen amid pebble count data collection on Odell Creek.

Photos submitted

Meet Me in Montana

Stephen Studies Stream Restoration with Acclaimed Hydrologist Dave Rosgen

Physical Scientist and protocol lead for SECN’s Wadeable Stream Habitat Monitoring program Stephen Cooper attended a week-long stream restoration course in Ennis, Montana last month. The training was presented by Wildland Hydrology, a consulting firm started by Dave Rosgen (Professional Hydrologist [P.H.], Ph.D.). Rosgen received his training under the renowned fluvial geomorphologist Dr. Luna Leopold, son of the renowned naturalist Aldo Leopold. Rosgen has more than 50 years of experience in surveying stream conditions in various landscape types in Europe, North and South America, and even New Zealand. He is the creator of the Rosgen Stream Classification System (Rosgen 1994) and the “Natural Channel Design” method of stream restoration. Called “River Morphology & Applications," this was the Level II of IV courses offered. Stephen completed Level I “Applied Fluvial Geomorphology” back in 2022.

Man in beard holding a certificate standing next to man in cowboy hat

He is the embodiment of the old-school field scientist. Give him a measuring tape, stadia rod, ruler, and rite-in-the-rain notepad and he’ll get every bit of data he needs...He’s surveyed more streams over his 50-plus years then most of us have thought about. And at age 82, he’s still learning, investigating, and introducing new concepts. I’ve been unbelievably lucky to have been able to learn from his experience."

—SECN Physical Scientist Stephen Cooper after training with Professional Hydrologist Dave Rosgen.

Image credit: Photo submitted

The class conducted surveys on two streams, Bear and Odell creeks. They are tributaries to the Madison River which flows from near Yellowstone National Park into the Missouri River. Stephen described them as, "beautiful, cold-water, cobble-bottomed trout streams as Ennis is a big fishing town and the Madison River is considered one of the world’s best trout rivers for fly fishing." Topics covered included mapping fluvial landscapes and valley types, field methods to properly measure morphological variables and develop dimensionless ratios for assessment and design, and stream succession and the central tendency of rivers.

"My biggest takeaway from the course is that in any given fluvial setting or landscape, there is a natural progression in a stream’s form," said Stephen. "Stream restoration efforts should only ever serve to speed up that natural progression. It’s imperative to determine the natural tendency of the river and always work WITH the river to achieve biological and geomorphic function and stability, not AGAINST the river. We can’t force a restoration design that doesn’t agree with the stream’s natural tendencies." He added that they learned how to determine those natural tendencies, and it’s a lot of work but it’s crucial to have this information. Stephen was also appreciative of the opportunity to learn under Rosgen.

"He is the embodiment of the old-school field scientist," Stephen said. "Give him a measuring tape, stadia rod, ruler, and rite-in-the-rain notepad and he’ll get every bit of data he needs. His attention to detail is extreme and he is very picky about collecting data the right way and not introducing bias. He’s surveyed more streams over his 50-plus years then most of us have thought about. And at age 82, he’s still learning, investigating, and introducing new concepts. I’ve been unbelievably lucky to have been able to learn from his experience."
Five people in hard hats and fire gear standing in front of a house wrapped in silver foil.
Wrapping historic Wilson Cabin in fire-resistant fabric at the Lava Fire in Idaho. Katie Dagastino, the SECN Hydrologic Technician, is second from the left.

NPS photo

On the Fire Line

Katie Dagastino served as a REAF on the Lava Fire in Idaho

"The relentless roar of flames, the suffocating smoke, and the unrelenting heat."

Hydrologic Technician Katie Dagastino, who recently completed a 14-day REAF (resource advisor, fireline) assignment on the Lava Fire near the Boise National Forest in Idaho, said those are the daily realities faced by firefighters on the front lines.

"From early morning briefings to late nights sleeping in camp, fire crews navigated a landscape transformed by the fire," said Katie, who served as a liaison between the home unit and the incident management team. "My role was to protect sensitive ecosystems and minimize the fire's impact on local communities."

Two people in fire gear standing in front of a white pine.
The team assesses how to protect whitebark pine at the Lava Fire in Idaho.

NPS photo

Numerous resources were at risk. She described how homes were meticulously cleared of vegetation and defended with water lines, which was among the most pressing of concerns.

"However, preserving ancient whitebark pine trees, estimated to be 1,500-2,000 years old, was equally critical," she added. "These trees, some of which were resistant to blister rust, a disease threatening the species, were carefully limbed and protected with handlines. Historic cabins wrapped in fire-resistant fabric also required vigilant attention." As a REAF, she was tasked with personally assessing these resources.

"I walked the handlines and dozer lines, precisely mapped the area, and flagged hazardous areas and snags of concern before sending in crews to repair them," she said. "I also measured the hose-lay, accounted for pumps sometimes threatened by fire activity, and mitigated stream degradation caused by suppression activities."

Katie said the assignment thrust her into a completely new environment, demanding fast paced adaptation and familiarity. But beyond the physical challenges, the most impactful part of the experience was the human connection.

"Ashley, a wilderness ranger from Minnesota, quickly acclimated me to my division and shared countless stories of fighting fires in Oregon on a hand crew," said Katie. "I met Pickle, a dozer operator with decades of firefighting experience, who shared stories of major fires across the nation. His presence on the fire for over a month was a testament to his dedication. And there was Tate, a talented excavator operator, who managed to see his family he had been away from for most of the fire season, by meeting up with them in a nearby town for occasional dinners. Finally, there was Anna, who works in fire when she is not guiding people down the Pigeon River. She spent hours feeding downed trees into her chipper with her team in terrible weather conditions."

According to a September 29 report from the U.S Forest Service's Fire Incident website, InciWeb the Incident Information System (wildfire.gov), the nearly 98,000-acre Lava Fire was 72% contained. Despite the immense challenges, Katie said the assignment was incredibly rewarding.

"Being surrounded by individuals from across the country, united by a common objective, was an empowering experience. I can't wait to go out again to serve our public lands."
Billowing smoke covers the blue sky over several builings
Smoke plume from Lava and Boulder fires merging.

NPS photo

screenshot of IRMA home page

Recent Publications

The Southeast Coast Network recently published the following reports:

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Last updated: August 19, 2025