Article

Southeast Coast Network Highlights October 2025

Collage of fieldwork photos behind Southeast Coast Inventory and Monitoring Network

Streaming at Congaree National Park

SECN Conducted Wadeable Stream Habitat Surveys at Two Sites on Cedar Creek

Physical Scientist Stephen Cooper, Aquatic Ecologist Eric Starkey, and Hydrologic Technician Katie Dagastino conducted wadeable stream habitat surveys at two of the three sites on Cedar Creek in Congaree National Park last month. Assisted by park interns, Nathan Pierce and Tripp Sponseller, data collected included bank heights, stream depths and widths, and streambed characteristics. Detailed transects were surveyed using a total station. This was the third round of surveys at Congaree National Park.
Man kneels over to look a soil standing in a stream. Woman with waders sits in the stream writing on a clipboard and another man holds a tape
SECN Physical Scientist Stephen Cooper checks dominant sediment type as Hydrologic Technician Katie Dagastino records the data. Park intern Tripp Sponseller holds the measuring tape.

NPS / Eric Starkey

More Scenes from Wadeable Stream Habitat Surveys at Congaree National Park

Collage of photos including snakes curled up on a bank, a wide stream, a man holding a tripod in tall grass, a man holding a measuing rod while another man takes a measurement, people in a stream and man holding a mussel
Clockwise from top left, three cottonmouths on the bank of McKenzie Creek; a section of Cedar Creek; Eric Starkey collects points on one of the detailed transects using a total station; Stephen Cooper gets a bank measurement with Nathan Pierce; Nathan places a flag on the bank marking a transect and Tripp Sponseller holds the measuring tape for the distance from previous transect while Eric observes; Stephens shows a freshwater mussel he found in the stream.

NPS / Katie Dagastino and Eric Starkey

SECN Supports Parks Beyond Monitoring

Pine tree hit by lightning
Lightning struck this pine tree.

NPS / SECN

Fire Impact Survey at Cumberland Island National Seashore

In August, Botanist Forbes Boyle and Biological Technician Mallorie Davis, along with Cumberland Island National Seashore Resource Management staff, surveyed impacts to the area burned during the Ashley Fire on Cumberland Island. The fire started in late July and burned over 12 acres of maritime forest on the eastern edge of the Table Point peninsula. According to vegetation type polygons developed during the previous vegetation mapping project on the park, the fire appeared to occur within a seepage swamp forest type. These wetland forests are rare across Cumberland Island. SECN staff ground-truthed the vegetation type post-burn to determine if the fire actually did burn within this forest type and assess any tree or ground cover impacts. Although Forbes and Mallorie did find a narrow forested wetland on the southern edge of the burned area, the majority of the fire footprint occurred within typical hardwood- and pine-dominated maritime upland forest. The reconnaissance team also discovered the probable ignition source during their survey.

People walking across a stone bridge next to pond
The team, including Carol Fields and Chelesi White, CARL staff, and Stephen and Eric, cross a stone bridge.

NPS / SECN

Surveying Stream Issues at Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site

The SECN Physical Scientist Stephen Cooper and Aquatic Ecologist Eric Starkey provided technical assistance to Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site by assessing stream channels and areas affected by Hurricane Helene. They delivered feedback and management recommendations directly to park staff and regional recovery team.

Forest with saw palmettos and tall moss covered trees
SECN vegetation data collected from nearby monitoring plots were used to assess the unique vegetation located in this new park property.

NPS / SECN

Scouting Inventory Opportunities at Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve

In September, Botanist Forbes Boyle and Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve Chief of Science and Resource Management Steve Kidd scouted newly acquired park property to identify unique areas for targeted plant inventories. They were joined by University of North Florida Biology Professor Scott Jones, whose 2025 Field Botany students are doing plant inventories throughout northeastern Florida this fall as part of their course requirements. Park property on Black Hammock Island in Duval County Florida was determined to be high-priority for park resource management, as this site contains high-quality freshwater wetlands and a large extent maritime hardwood hammock forest both with the potential to uncover new species not found elsewhere across the park. SECN vegetation data collected from nearby monitoring plots were used to assess the unique vegetation located in this new park property and aid in its selection as a focal area for this biotic inventory project.

People sitting around with clipboards and two people looking at specimens in trays
Above left, Mallorie, Jordan, and Isabella work on data reports. Above right, Patrick and Jordan look for specimens. 

NPS

Dragonfly Mercury Project at Cumberland Island National Seashore

The Dragonfly Mercury Project (DMP) is a NPS/USGS managed, nationwide study that is primarily conducted by community scientists and volunteers throughout the national parks and other properties. Dragonfly larvae were collected from three different sites at Cumberland Island National Seashore on September 8 and September 11 by Patrick Helm (Wild Pig Biotech at Cumberland Island National Seashore), Jordan Williams (SIP intern, Wilderness Assistant), Michael Seibert (Chief of Resources), and Mallorie Davis (SECN Vegetation Biotech); Isabella Pellegrino (Sea Turtle Technician) joined for the last site of sampling as well. The sampling sites included Whitney Lake, Sweetwater Lake at Duck House Trail, and Retta Lake. These samples are packaged and will be sent to the lab for analysis of mercury content. Data can be found on the Dashboard: The Dragonfly Mercury Project Data Dashboard by searching Cumberland Island National Seashore (or any location of interest).

two women smiling with mountain view in background and a man and woman talking in a sea of flowers
Top, Megan with SECN Biological Technician Mallorie Davis, at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. Bottom, Megan talks with SECN Botanist Forbes Boyle at Moores Creek National Battlefield.

NPS photos / Mallorie Davis

Goodbye Megan

Former SIP Intern Assisted the SECN Veg Team

Megan Herrmann recently completed her internship with the Southeast Coast Network, assisting with vegetation surveys at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park and Moore’s Creek National Battlefield. Megan also created tree maps in ArcGIS Pro to support upcoming monitoring. At Congaree National Park, she helped develop vegetation monitoring protocols, mapped data for Macbridea caroliniana, and contributed to fuels and habitat management projects.

Megan said her favorite part was “traveling to a variety of parks across the Southeast, which gave me the opportunity to study the region’s unique and diverse flora working directly in the field.” Megan said she will carry forward stronger technical skills in vegetation monitoring and data management, “as well as a deeper understanding of how long-term ecological data contributes to informed conservation planning and decision-making.”

She recently joined the Plant Ecology Lab at the Jones Center at Ichauway as a Research Technician II. Current projects include a long-term ecological monitoring project examining the effects of fire exclusion and reintroduction to longleaf pine savannah ecosystems, seed collections for Seeds of Success and the Florida Natural Areas programs, and studies of seed dispersal.

Best wishes for the future Megan!

Person in uniform talking to a group of people
Park vounteer Denise Hagan led a mangrove titled, “Mangroves in Motion: Ripple Effects and Underwater Secrets,” at Fort Matanzas National Monument recently. SECN Coastal Ecologist William Ches Vervaeke provided facts and information for three species of mangroves in the park.

NPS / FOMA

More Monitoring Updates:

Water Quality

Fixed-station data was collected the last week of September at Fort Pulaski National Monument, Cumberland Island National Seashore, Canaveral National Seashore, Fort Matanzas National Monument, Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. Park staff are assisting with Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores.

Landbirds and Anurans

Automated recording devices were retrieved from Fort Frederica National Monument. Congaree National Park ARDs were picked up in November. The ARDs at Moores Creek National Battlefield, Canaveral National Seashore, Fort Frederica National Monument and Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park have been collected.

Terrestrial Vegetation

Monitoring for 2025 was completed in August with the remaining plots surveyed at Moores Creek National Battlefield. Other parks included Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park and Congaree National Park.

For more information, check out SECN

Tags

Last updated: November 21, 2025