Southeast Coast Network News April 2017

Southeast Coast Network fluvial geomorphologist Jake McDonald takes a measurement at one of the stream sites in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.

NPS photo

Newsworthy Stuff

• In March, Mark Hynds joined the SECN as a full-time editor, through a contract with the University of Georgia’s River Basin Center. He previously worked as the editor of a weekly newspaper in northeast Georgia.
• Dela Yazdansepas was recently recognized and conferred membership in the Blue Key National Honor Society for excellence in scholarship, leadership and service. Dela is a graduate assistant in data management.
• Lisa Baron attended and presented at the Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve Science and History committee meeting.
• The staff at Cape Hatteras National Seashore was trained on shoreline monitoring methods.
• Preliminary maps with post-hurricane Matthew shoreline and spring 2017 shorelines were created and sent to resource managers.
• In March, Eric Starkey and Jake McDonald (SECN aquatic ecologist and fluvial geomorphologist) visited Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area to perform stream channel monitoring site reconnaissance. Geoscientists-in-the-Parks (GIP), who are seasonal interns, provided valuable field assistance. Over the course of four days, 33 stream sites in 13 park units were evaluated for inclusion in the wadeable stream channel monitoring effort. Stream segments were determined to be suitable for long-term monitoring if they could be safely accessed, were part of a single channel, wadeable stream, and were not greatly influenced by upstream impoundments. Monitoring of the 14 selected sites will begin June and will mark the first implementation of SECN stream channel monitoring at Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.

Field Work

Completed in March

• Spring shoreline monitoring at the following parks: Canaveral National Seashore, Fort Matanzas National Monument, Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve, Cumberland Island National Seashore, and Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
• Landbird and Anuran field work (ARD deployments) at Ocmulgee National Monument, Congaree National Park, Moores Creek National Battlefield, Canaveral National Seashore and Fort Frederica National Monument was completed.

Upcoming in April

• Pete will be visiting water-quality stations at Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Congaree National Park April 4–6, and Cumberland Island National Seashore (wells) April 10–12 .
• Lisa will conduct maintenance and salt marsh data collection at Fort Frederica National Monument April 17–25.
• Pete will be servicing water-quality stations at Fort Pulaski National Monument, Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve, Fort Matanzas National Monument, and Canaveral National Seashore April 17–25.
• Sarah is conducting vegetation monitoring at Canaveral National Seashore April 27–May 16.

This benchmark at Cumberland Island National Seashore was damaged by the storm. It was used previously as part of the QC check.

NPS photo / Lisa Cowart Baron

After Hurricane Matthew

Several Southeast Coast Network parks (Canaveral National Seashore, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Cape Lookout National Seashore, Cumberland Island National Seashore, Fort Matanzas National Monument, and Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve) recently requested additional shoreline surveys to be conducted post-Hurricane Matthew. This additional survey work was completed last November and will be compared to data collected just prior to the storm event as part of routine monitoring activities.
Inventory and monitoring data serve to document baseline natural resource conditions, and can be extremely useful to park managers interested in assessing the impacts of natural or human-caused disasters. Because documentation of I&M data is scientifically rigorous, repeating inventories or monitoring after an event can provide accurate and timely data on resource impacts.

American Beach near Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. The county decided to ‘clean’ the beach by removing the wrack deposited by the storm. Wrack is an important part of the coastal ecosystem providing food and habitat to beach-dwelling organisms.

NPS photo / Lisa Cowart Baron

Konrad Losch (CAHA GIS Specialist) walking the high-tide line. Lisa worked with and trained Konrad on the shoreline monitoring data collection methods for further application at CAHA.

NPS photo / Lisa Cowart Baron

Before and After Hurricane Matthew

Left image
Shoreline of Fort Matanzas National Monument taken in September 2016.
Credit: NPS photo / Lisa Cowart Baron

Right image
Shoreline of Fort Matanzas National Monument taken in November 2016 after Hurricane Matthew.
Credit: NPS photo / Lisa Cowart Baron

Shoreline surveys were conducted at several SECN parks after Hurricane Matthew to see what impacts were felt. One park was Fort Matanzas National Monument in Florida. 

For More Information

https://www.nps.gov/im/secn/index.htm