![]() NPS / Katy Perrault and Caitlin Sughrue As part of the National Park Service's effort to, "improve park management through greater reliance on scientific knowledge," the Cape Cod Ecosystem Monitoring (CCEM) program was established to develop and implement a long-term monitoring program that will serve to aid park managers in making sound stewardship decisions. The CCEM program utilizes a long-term approach to data collection and analysis to deepen the understanding of the ecosystems within the park. Towards this end, the CCEM program has adopted an ecosystem-based, issue-oriented approach for monitoring ecosystem integrity, and worked in close partnership with USGS-Biological Resources Division to develop a scientifically sound monitoring program. It is also one of the goals of the program to design and implement resource-specific monitoring protocols not only for Cape Cod National Seashore (CACO) but for other National Park Service lands sharing similar resources and ecological communities. Protocols are designed to be park-specific but adaptable to other parks along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. You can learn more about this unique relationship by visiting the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network website. ![]() NPS / Katy Perrault The Cape Cod Ecosystem Monitoring (CCEM) program maintains a variety of responsibilities including:
In addition to monitoring, research - done by park scientists as well as partners and collaborators - plays an important role in understanding and managing the natural resources of Cape Cod National Seashore. If you're interested in collaborating with the Seashore to conduct research, check out our Research Permits page. A lot of science happens behind the scenes in National Parks like ours and in the Inventory and Monitoring Networks they are a part of to protect America's resources, which we couldn't do without our dedicated park scientists, collaborators, partners, volunteers, interns, and staff. Check out the pages linked below to learn more! Ecosystems We Monitor
Publications, Data, and Permits
Written by Science Communication Scientist-in-Parks Katy Perrault
|
Last updated: May 2, 2025