Federal Partner: National Park Service

Resource Based Geospatial and Enterprise GIS Support to the Northeast Region of the National Park Service

Project Description: The NPS seeks to support and use innovative and scientifically valid methods of resource analysis and effective means of communication regarding resource management decisions. This project aims to increase the University of Rhode Island’s Environmental Data Center’s (EDC) understanding of using web technology to provide staff in remote offices and/or in the field with ready access to GIS content and functionality, sustain the EDC’s technical currency, and support the underlying mission, to enable technical knowledge transfer, as geospatial technology and user needs evolve.

The primary objectives of this project include completing an initial operational web GIS implementation for one NER park unit, including core content, basic relevant functionality, training and support enabling park staff to: a. view, query and print maps and related information about key resources and other park features, as necessary; and b. coordinate with the NER GIS Program to support park-specific geospatial data management requirements.

Lead Principal Investigator: Dr. Yeqiao Wang, University of Rhode Island

Partner Institution: University of Rhode Island

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Dennis Skidds

Project Type: Research

Project Discipline: Natural Resources

Start Year: 2015

End Year: 2020

Initial Funding Amount: $188,397.00

Federal Grant Number: P15AC01423

Amendments

  • Amendment Number: 01, Year: 2016, Amount: $117,370.00
  • Amendment Number: 02, Year: 2017, Amount: $92,070.00
  • Amendment Number: 03, Year: 2018, Amount: $92,070.00
  • Amendment Number: 04, Year: 2019, Amount: $0.00

State(s): Rhode Island

Rhode Island Counties: Washington

Mapping Lichen Cover and Biomass in the Western Caribou Arctic Herd Home Range

Project Description: The Western Arctic Caribou Herd (WACH) population has declined precipitously over recent years. As lichens are the primary winter forage for caribou, habitat changes resulting in lower lichen abundance may play an important role. Across boreal and arctic zones, lichen cover is expected to decrease due to increased fire frequency and extent and shrub encroachment, which are both in part attributed to increasing average summer temperatures. Assessing the role of lichen abundance in caribou habitat selection is a critical first step towards understanding whether the WACH population decline is linked to forage reductions.

Quantifying lichen cover and biomass with sufficient precision to analyze caribou movements has often been limited by inadequate ground vegetation measurements to be able to model lichen cover using satellite imagery. With ARCN ground data, lichen cover can be mapped at sufficient precision across large enough spatial scales to try to connect caribou movement to lichen cover. In the past 15 years, vegetation monitoring in the Arctic Network (ARCN) of the National Park system has generated several large vegetation monitoring datasets. The PIs propose to utilize these data in conjunction with Landsat and high-resolution imagery to model and map lichen cover and biomass. These lichen maps would then be used to test the role of winter forage resources in habitat selection by caribou in the WACH.

Lead Principal Investigator: Dr. Peter Nelson, University of Maine

Partner Institution: University of Maine

Additional Partner Institution(s): Northwest Arctic Borough (NAB)

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Peter Neitlich

Project Type: Research

Project Discipline: Natural Resources

Project Sub-Discipline(s): Biological (Ecology, Fish, Wildlife, Vegetation, T&E)

Start Year: 2015

End Year: 2019

Initial Funding Amount: $31,119.16

Federal Grant Number: P15AC01022

Amendments

  • Amendment Number: 01, Year: 2017, Amount: $0.00
  • Amendment Number: 02, Year: 2018, Amount: $0.00

State(s): Alaska

Collaborative Planning and Implementation Support for Cape Cod National Seashore Science Priorities, 2015-2017

Project Description: This project will support collaborative implementation of several science priorities at Cape Cod National Seashore including creating an outer cape research bibliography, development and hosting of a science visioning workshop, and completing a tidal. dynamics study in several park marshes. These science priorities will support CACO natural resource and science programs in areas of management, education, outreach, and implementation of a model protocol.

Lead Principal Investigator: Mark Borrelli, Center for Coastal Studies

Co-Principal Investigator: Graham Giese,

Partner Institution: Center for Coastal Studies

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Sophia Fox

Project Type: Research

Project Discipline: Natural Resources

Project Sub-Discipline(s): Cultural and Historic

Start Year: 2015

End Year: 2020

Initial Funding Amount: $65,994.00

Federal Grant Number: P15AC01146

Amendments

  • Amendment Number: 01, Year: 2018, Amount: $0.00
  • Amendment Number: 02, Year: 2019, Amount: $0.00

Location: Cape Cod National Seashore

National Park or Protected Area: Cape Cod (NPS)

State(s): Massachusetts

Student Internship Program at Assateague Island National Seashore

Project Description: The purpose of this project is to establish a student internship program between the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Assateague Island National Seashore. Both graduate and undergraduate students will participate in research projects that are of relevance to the Seashore and will be under the guidance of a Seashore mentor and a UMES faculty mentor.

The NPS-UMES student internship program will encompass two projects that will provide support to the mission of the NPS at Assateague Island National Seashore, and valuable research experiences for those students involved. Each project will differ in scope. One project will entail a detailed analysis of nutrient flux in the Maryland Coastal Bays, and how this relates to other environmental factors such as land usage and the influence of water flow and wind forces. As this project will necessitate the need for some expertise in mathematical modeling, we will utilize a UMES PI (Dr. Meng Xia) and graduate student who have the necessary background. The student will participate in data collection during the monthly water quality monitoring survey that the NPS has been conducting at the Seashore for ~20 years. The NPS mentor for this work will be the Seashore Aquatic Ecologist.

The second project is intended as more traditional undergraduate student field study experiences and introduction to management and stewardship of natural resources. Interns will assist NPS staff with a wide range of field resource monitoring programs including invasive plant management, water quality monitoring, vegetation studies, threatened and endangered species monitoring and mapping, wildlife surveys and various other natural resource management field projects. Each student will be housed on-site at Assateague Island National Seashore, along with other student interns.

Lead Principal Investigator: Dr. Joseph Pitula, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore

Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. Meng Xia,

Partner Institution: University of Maryland, Eastern Shore

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Bill Hulslander

Project Type: Research

Project Discipline: Natural Resources

Start Year: 2014

End Year: 2019

Initial Funding Amount: $37,014.00

Federal Grant Number: P14AC01117

Amendments

  • Amendment Number: 01, Year: 2018, Amount: $0.00

National Park or Protected Area: Assateague Island (NPS)

State(s): Maryland

Expand Internship Program and Research-based Education and Teacher Professional Development Program

Project Description: The purposes of this project are to cooperatively expand and provide teacher professional development and educational programs with CUNY – a partner institution in the North Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit – addressing environmental issues that are affecting Jamaica Bay and its surrounding area; and to advance the internship program in which CUNY faculty advisors work with NPS staff to engage undergraduate, and graduate students from CUNY in all core curriculum disciplines. Subject matter faculty experts in areas of environmental monitoring, geoscience and phenology will participate with NPS staff to lead interns applying educational pedagogy and practices focused on current research projects in areas such as environmental monitoring, geoscience and phenology to accomplish the mutual goals of each organization. Interns’ recruitment will be done collaboratively between CUNY -BC faculty and NPS education staff, using the BC Magner Center recruitment office as well as professors’ identification of their most suitably credentialed graduate and undergraduate students relative to the research study.

Lead Principal Investigator: Dr. Deborah Shanley, City University of New York

Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. Jennifer Adams, City University of New York

Partner Institution: City University of New York

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Jeanette Parker

Project Type: Education

Start Year: 2014

End Year: 2018

Initial Funding Amount: $20,000.00

Federal Grant Number: P14AC00960

Amendments

  • Amendment Number: 0001, Year: 2015, Amount: $28.00
  • Amendment Number: 0002, Year: 2018, Amount: $0.00

State(s): New York

Quantifying shark behavior and habitat along Cape Cod National Seashore to develop safety recommendations and outreach materials

Project Description: This project will develop a site-specific, adaptive probability index for white shark (WS) within Cape Cod National Seashore (CCNS). This study will further the understanding of white shark behavior to easily communicate information to improve visitor experience and safety, enhance lifeguard effectiveness, and improve park staff’s knowledge.

This study will directly measure: 1) WS residency, site fidelity and habitat use along individual beaches 2) The presence and behavior of seals 3) Oceanographic and atmospheric conditions 4) Bathymetric and habitat maps via acoustic surveys 5) Provide an index and guidelines for daily conditions and probability of WS presence.

Lead Principal Investigator: Mr. Bryan Legare, Center for Coastal Studies

Partner Institution: Center for Coastal Studies

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Geoffrey Sanders

Project Type: Research

Project Discipline: Natural Resources

Project Sub-Discipline(s): Biological (Ecology, Fish, Wildlife, Vegetation, T&E)

Start Year: 2021

End Year: 2025

Initial Funding Amount: $189,538.00

Federal Grant Number: P21AC10859

Amendments

  • Amendment Number: 01, Year: 2022, Amount: $114,813.00
  • Amendment Number: 02, Year: 2023, Amount: $85,305.00
  • Amendment Number: , Year: , Amount: $

Location: Cape Cod National Seashore

National Park or Protected Area: Cape Cod (NPS)

State(s): Massachusetts

Monitoring Estuarine Condition at Fire Island National Seashore and Gateway National Recreation Area (FY 2022-2024)

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

Water quality analysis of Cape Cod National Seashore’s estuarine and freshwaters

Project Description: The work described herein will be conducted through close collaboration among the Center for Coastal Studies investigators and National Park Service scientists and managers at Cape Cod National Seashore. This collaborative scientific analysis will lead to a better understanding of water quality throughout Cape Cod National Seashore and provide up to date science to inform water resource management decisions across the landscape. The Recipient will analyze water samples collected by Cape Cod National Seashore natural resource management staff for nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus) and elemental constituents and anions. The results will be provided by the Recipient to the National Park Service. Through scientific collaboration, the water quality analysis will be performed to assess the condition and integrity of Cape Cod National Seashore water resources.

Lead Principal Investigator: Cathrine Macort, Center for Coastal Studies

Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. Amy Costa, Center for Coastal Studies

Partner Institution: Center for Coastal Studies

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Sophia Fox

Project Type: Research

Project Discipline: Natural Resources

Project Sub-Discipline(s): Water (FW & Marine)

Start Year: 2022

End Year: 2023

Initial Funding Amount: $40,040.00

Federal Grant Number: P22AC01798

Amendments

  • Amendment Number: 1, Year: 2023, Amount: $30,000.00

Location: Cape Cod National Seashore

National Park or Protected Area: Cape Cod (NPS)

State(s): Massachusetts

Massachusetts Counties: Barnstable

Complete Cultural Landscape Treatment and Maintenance Plan for Flight 93 National Memorial Landscape

Project Description: The project will provide recommendations for the treatment of the Flight 93 National Memorial landscape. This project will provide Flight 93 National Memorial with a treatment plan to guide short and long-term management of the landscape, based on the objectives of preserving the landscape characteristics and features that convey its historical significance. In addition, the project will provide preservation maintenance guidelines to ensure that the memorial design, and in particular its vegetation, is sustained. Both components will build on the first phase of this preservation planning project funded under a separate task agreement (P19AC01006).

Lead Principal Investigator: John Auwaerter, SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Partner Institution: SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Robert Page

Project Type: Research

Project Discipline: Cultural Resources

Project Sub-Discipline(s): Cultural and Historic

Start Year: 2020

End Year: 2024

Initial Funding Amount: $80,000.00

Federal Grant Number: P20AC00929

Location: Flight 93 National Memorial

National Park or Protected Area: Flight 93 (NPS)

State(s): Pennsylvania

Student and Other Involvement:

  • Masters Students: 1
  • Undergraduate Students: 1

Apply Remote Sensing Methods to Map Tree Species and Tree Health for Species of Management Concern in Acadia National Park and Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument

Project Description: The goals of this project are to map the locations tree species and the condition of tree health in Acadia National Park (ACAD) and Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument (KAWW) so that the parks can understand the threat of invasive insect pests, like Emerald Ash Borer and Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, and protect threatened tree species traditionally used by the Wabanaki tribes, such as ash. This project will map select species of trees and tree health for all forested lands in ACAD and KAWW using existing ground, airborne, and satellite imagery because the parks currently lack maps accurately representing tree species occurrence and tree health at fine spatial resolution. These maps will provide a valuable resource for a number of management and resource applications including: 1) management of invasive insect pests and diseases, such as Emerald Ash Borer, Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, and red pine scale, and 2) anticipating and managing changes in forest species or mass mortality events that may occur with climate change and drought, and possibly in combination with insect pests.

The outcomes of this project are a peer-reviewed report and a map of tree species composition and tree health in ACAD and KAWW that describes the condition of a range of forest types across both parks. In addition, two in-person workshops, one each in ACAD and KAWW, will be held to communicate findings to park staff and other stakeholders (e.g., researchers, friends’ groups, land trusts, municipalities) and to get input to improve and revise the maps. A communication product (e.g., resource brief, web article, or story map) will also be completed to share the findings more widely.

Lead Principal Investigator: Nick Fisichelli, Schoodic Institute

Partner Institution: Schoodic Institute

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Dr. Jim Comiskey

Project Type: Research

Project Discipline: Natural Resources

Project Sub-Discipline(s): Biological (Ecology, Fish, Wildlife, Vegetation, T&E)

Start Year: 2022

End Year: 2024

Initial Funding Amount: $29,786.00

Federal Grant Number: P22AC00405

Amendments

  • Amendment Number: 1, Year: 2023, Amount: $32,144.00

Location: Acadia and Katahdin Woods and Waters

National Parks or Protected Areas:

  • Acadia (NPS)
  • Katahdin Woods and Waters (NPS)

State(s): Maine