NPS photo / SECN staff
NPS photo / SECN staff
Overview
Cape Hatteras National Seashore is in the northern portion of the Outer Banks, a chain of barrier islands separating the Atlantic Ocean from mainland North Carolina. Pamlico Sound, located north and west of the Outer Banks, lies between the islands and the mainland. The 9,903-hectare (24,470 acres) park extends approximately 125 kilometers (78 miles), including substantial areas on Bodie Island, Hatteras Island, and Ocracoke Island. The northern end of Bodie Island contains Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, which is within the administrative boundaries of Cape Hatteras National Seashore but is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. As a consequence of the exposed geographical location of the islands, Cape Hatteras National Seashore is subject to intense effects from tides, storms, wind, and waves. Coastal erosion, accretion, and sea overwash is an ongoing concern in the dynamic barrier island environment and dune construction has been undertaken to combat losses to the sea. The need to balance pressure from public recreational use (and associated intensive development adjacent to NPS lands) with wildlife conservation needs also represent a notable management challenge.
The Southeast Coast Network conducts the following monitoring at Cape Hatteras National Seashore:
- Water-quality monitoring is conducted in the estuarine waters near Cape Hatteras National Seashore. To effectively monitor a diverse and dynamic set of estuarine water resources, the network implements a two-pronged monitoring approach consisting of a fixed-monitoring station and parkwide assessments. This gives a more complete picture of physical processes, diurnal and seasonal variations, and spatial patterns during critical portions of the year. The fixed-station monitoring site is located on the northwest side of the city of Ocracoke, N.C. This area experiences very high visitation in the summer and heavy boat traffic much of the year. A continuous data sonde measures depth, dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, turbidity, and water temperature every 30 minutes. In addition, monthly samples are collected to evaluate nutrient levels and water clarity. These data help determine if there are excess nutrients in the estuary that are harmful to fish, oysters, and other animals. Water-quality data from the sonde are available on the Aquarius web portal and nutrient data are available from the Water Quality Portal. Parkwide water quality assessments are conducted every five years at 30 randomly selected estuarine sites and evaluate the same parameters monitored at fixed-stations. In addition, sediment samples are collected every ten years and analyzed for metals and organic contaminates. Water-quality monitoring at Cape Hatteras National Seashore has been ongoing since 2006.
- Coastal shoreline change monitoring is conducted on an annual basis and frequently after major storm events. Cape Hatteras National Seashore is comprised of habitats such as mud and salt flats, salt marsh, back dune, and ocean shoreline, which support a variety of wildlife. Change in shoreline position drives the alteration and replacement of established natural habitats, and shoreline retreat may destroy cultural resources, facilities, and other infrastructure. Shoreline monitoring has been ongoing at Cape Hatteras National Seashore since 2017 and an open-data geo package containing all shoreline data collected by the Southeast Coast Network from 2017–2023 has been recently published.
- Salt marsh elevation monitoring sites are surveyed twice annually during spring and fall. Salt marshes and coastal wetlands habitats host a wide diversity of wildlife and are important to many aquatic species but are threatened by sea-level rise. The marshes must grow at a rate equal to or greater than the rate of sea level rise, or they will eventually disappear. The network measures salt marsh elevation and investigates the rate of accretion or subsidence (growth or reduction) in these areas. Salt marsh elevation monitoring at Cape Hatteras National Seashore has been ongoing since 2014 and a cumulative data package was recently updated and published. This data package includes data from 1998 through 2024 and includes data for five I&M networks.
- Landbird community monitoring and Vocal anuran community monitoring is conducted on a rotating schedule every three years. These wildlife communities play critical roles in park ecosystems and interact with several trophic levels of food webs. The network uses automated recording devices (ARDs) to collect vocalization data during mornings and evenings in the spring, which are analyzed by bioacoustics specialists. Data collected from these vital sign monitoring efforts help assess the ecological integrity and diversity of park areas and how communities and park conditions may change over time. The landbird and vocal anuran monitoring efforts in network parks began in 2012.
- Vegetation community monitoring is conducted on a rotating schedule every four years. Monitoring vegetation is important because it’s key indicator of overall ecosystem health. Changes in a park’s vegetation reflect the effects of stressors like extreme weather, disease, invasive species, fire, and land use change. Plant communities also provide structured habitat and food resources for other species. Vegetation monitoring data provides managers with information about the degree of change in their park’s natural communities. Vegetation plots have been established across the following habitats: Maritime Open Upland Grasslands, Maritime Upland Forests and Shrublands, Maritime Tidal Wetlands and Maritime Nontidal Wetlands. Data reports include information about new occurrences and rare plants, species richness and abundance, tree health and regeneration, disturbance observations, soil nutrients, landform/geomorphology, and downed woody debris. Vegetation monitoring in Cape Hatteras National Seashore has been ongoing since 2019.
|
Vital Sign |
Examples of Measurements |
|---|---|
|
Estuarine Water Quality |
pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity |
|
Terrestrial Vegetation Communities |
Plant community diversity, relative species/guild abundance, structure/age class, incidence of disease |
|
Landbird and Vocal Anuran Communities |
Species occurrence, distribution |
|
Salt Marsh Elevation |
Magnitude, rate and within-site variability of surface elevation, sediment accretion or erosion, different drivers |
|
Shoreline Change |
Net shoreline movement and end-point rate |
Source: Data Store Collection 3935 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.
Source: Data Store Collection 3931 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.
Source: Data Store Collection 9572. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.
Source: Data Store Collection 9576. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.
Source: Data Store Collection 3932 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.
Source: Data Store Collection 3936 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.
Source: Data Store Collection 3934 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.
Last updated: November 11, 2024