Project Description: An understanding of the types and condition of natural resources in national parks improves the publics appreciation for these resources and how to enjoy and use these resources in a sustainable way. Many coastal parks include not only the terrestrial resources, but also coastal and marine resources for which there is currently a paucity of information. The goal of this project is to provide maps and associated species and habitat information for the submerged lands of two Region 1 coastal parks that will help elucidate rapidly developing challenges and impacts from climate change and other broad-scale resource challenges as well as in the benefits to be gained from these resources and how to use them responsibly. The coastal habitats of both Assateague National Seashore (ASIS) and Acadia National Park (ACAD) are high visibility NPS resources, which receive high visitor use and have engaged interest from many partners and stakeholders. Materials produced as part of this habitat mapping and species inventory study will improve the knowledge of the condition and health of these important public lands to increase public enjoyment and responsible use and indirectly promote scientifically sound management and spatial planning decisions within park boundaries.
The primary objectives of this proposed study are to develop maps of high energy benthic habitats using a consistent methodology for portions of NPS submerged lands at Assateague National Seashore and Acadia National Park and to provide new information regarding intertidal habitats at Acadia that can integrated with other research efforts to inform ongoing park management and stakeholder collaborative efforts. This study will add to studies already underway at three other parks. Specifically, this process will describe and delineate benthic habitats that are identified as statistically significant and ecologically relevant; the habitats will be classified according to CMECS. The study will also investigate spatial patterns in macrofaunal characteristics and examine these with respect to various abiotic factors (e.g. sediment type, geological setting, water depth), other biota (e.g., algae) and water chemistry where available. Findings will be compared to provide a broader understanding of NPS submerged lands in the northeast region and to contrast with low energy bayside CMECS mapping elsewhere. Furthermore, the results and biotope maps from this study will be discussed in an ecological context that highlights their importance and usefulness to NPS. Ensuring the applicability of the results and biotope maps for guiding management decisions is a priority of this study.
Lead Principal Investigator: Dr. John King, University of Rhode Island
Partner Institution: University of Rhode Island
Federal Agency: National Park Service
Federal Agency Technical Contact: Eva DiDonato
Project Type: Research
Project Discipline: Natural Resources
Project Sub-Discipline(s): Water (FW & Marine)
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2022
Initial Funding Amount: $109,999.00
Federal Grant Number: P20AC00748
Amendments
- Amendment Number: 03, Year: 2023, Amount: $-1,758.20
Location: Assateague National Seashore and Acadia National Park
Products Associated with this Project:
- No products found.