Project Description: Coastal environments include several habitats of concern for resource managers in coastal parks. Estuaries, beaches and nearshore areas are nursery grounds for many species of recreational and commercial importance, and they contribute significantly to visitor experience (e.g., boating, fishing, wildlife viewing) at coastal parks. Compromised water quality in coastal environments often results from regional population growth and local development. Water quality monitoring data collected by National Park Service (NPS) Inventory & Monitoring network programs and coastal parks allow the NPS to evaluate conditions and track trends within park boundaries. However, effective management of both estuarine and marine resources requires understanding water quality issues beyond park boundaries since most water quality problems originate there. Understanding this larger picture is a critical step in the successful management of coastal waters.
The objectives of this project are to implement the estuarine water quality and seagrass monitoring protocols at alternating parks per year. Measurements of water column condition indicators will occur at Gateway National Recreation Area (GATE) and Fire Island National Seashore (FIIS) in alternate years; and measurements of seagrass indicators at FIIS July-August of
all years as identified in the project scope of work. Monitoring will follow the standard methods described in the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network (NCBN) Vital Signs protocols for monitoring estuarine nutrient enrichment. Seagrass condition indicators will be measured and the sampling approach is consistent with the global seagrass monitoring protocol described at
http://www.SeagrassNet.org.
This project is part of the NPS long-term Vital Signs Monitoring Program and the protocol being used was developed specifically for the coastal parks by United States Geological Survey (USGS) scientists (Kopp and Neckles 2009) to be implemented by the NPS. Both USGS and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) depend on NPS to collect water quality data in the park units. At this time there are no other government or state agencies collecting similar water quality data at this high a resolution that covers all park estuarine waters within park boundaries for Fire Island NS or Gateway NRA. The water quality data is made broadly available to partners and state agencies, filling a vital need for water quality data of estuarine waters along the east coast.
Lead Principal Investigator: Bradley Peterson, SUNY, Stony Brook University
Partner Institution: SUNY, Stony Brook University
Federal Agency: National Park Service
Federal Agency Technical Contact: Dr. Jim Comiskey
Project Type: Research
Project Discipline: Natural Resources
Project Sub-Discipline(s): Water (FW & Marine)
Start Year: 2022
End Year: 2024
Initial Funding Amount: $53,776.00
Federal Grant Number: P22AC00601
Amendments
- Amendment Number: 1, Year: 2023, Amount: $58,551.00
Location: Gateway NRA and Fire Island NS
National Parks or Protected Areas:
- Gateway (NPS)
- Fire Island (NPS)
State(s): New York
Student and Other Involvement:
- Doctoral Students: 1
- Undergraduate Students: 1
- Interns: 1
Summary of Student Involvement: The graduate student calibrates all of the field equipment prior to deployment. They also participate in all water quality and seagrass monitoring. The undergraduate assists in both the field and lab sample collection and processing.
Summary of Other Involvement: Field help
Products Associated with this Project:
- No products found.