Federal Partner: National Park Service

Assess Spread of Beech Leaf Disease and Subsequent Changes in Forest Composition at MORR

Project Description: This project involved monitoring the beech forests at Morristown National Historical Park to assess the progression of beech leaf disease, canopy loss, and changes in forest composition, including the impact of invasive plants and the regeneration of native species. Additionally, management recommendations will be developed to mitigate the adverse affects of declining beech forests. The initiative also aims to provide Rutgers students with hands-on experience in scientific data collection and analysis.

Lead Principal Investigator: Jean Epiphan, Rutgers University

Partner Institution: Rutgers University

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Bob Mason

Start Year: 2024

End Year: 2027

Initial Funding Amount: $24,000.00

Federal Grant Number: P24AC01829

Amendments

  • Amendment Number: 01, Year: 2025, Amount: $2,400.00

Assess Amphibian Road Mortality and Develop Management Response in Acadia National Park

Project Description: The goal of this project is to understand amphibian road crossing and morality in Acadia National Park.This project will inform scientists, the public, and park managers about risks to amphibians and potential measures to reduce mortality of amphibians where they currently cross roads.

This project will coordinate a citizen-science volunteer initiative to conduct nighttime road surveys for amphibian activity, with surveys occurring from early spring until late fall of two consecutive years. Combining the survey data with GIS layers, weather data, and traffic data, the project will create a park-wide map of vulnerability and identify opportunities to reduce amphibian morality.

Roadway morality poses a substantial threat to the survival of amphibian populations, particularly in rural landscapes bisected by roadways such as in Acadia National Park. Acadia hosts at least 12 species of salamanders and frogs, which are a critical part of the local ecosystem and part values, and several of these species have faced local declines in recent decades. This project will generate a set of resources which can be used to reduce morality of amphibians on roadways within Acadia.

Lead Principal Investigator: Dr. Noah Charney, University of Maine

Partner Institution: University of Maine

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Abe Miller-Rushing

Start Year: 2024

End Year: 2027

Initial Funding Amount: $24,793.00

Federal Grant Number: P24AC01109

Amendments

  • Amendment Number: 01, Year: 2025, Amount: $24,910.00

Identifying factors preventing recovery of eelgrass from large declines in Cape Cod Bay of Cape Cod National Seashore to inform management actions

Project Description: This project will involve close collaboration among CCS researchers and NPS scientists and managers at Cape Cod National Seashore (CACO) and the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network (NCBN). The collaborative scientific analysis will enhance our understanding of seagrass resources throughout Cape Cod National Seashore and provide up-to-date scientific insights to inform coastal resource management decisions across the region.

The Recipient will collect and analyze new and existing data in
support of assessing seagrass resources in and around Cape Cod National Seashore. The results will be provided by Recipient to NPS. Through scientific collaboration among various project partners, including the Recipient and NPS, the seagrass and ancillary data will be integrated to assess the condition and integrity of Cape Cod National Seashore seagrass resources, and to understand and evaluate opportunities for seagrass restoration.

Lead Principal Investigator: Cathrine Macort, Center for Coastal Studies

Partner Institution: Center for Coastal Studies

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Sophia Fox

Start Year: 2024

End Year: 2027

Initial Funding Amount: $192,617.00

Federal Grant Number: P24AC00906

Amendments

  • Amendment Number: 01, Year: 2025, Amount: $54,771.00

Monitoring Estuarine Condition at Assateague Island National Seashore, Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network (2024 – 2027)

Project Description: This project is part of the NPS long-term monitoring program, and the protocol being used was developed specifically for the coastal parks by U.S. Geological Survey scientists (Kopp and Neckles 2009) to be implemented by the NPS. The data are made broadly available to partners and state agencies, filling a vital need for water quality information for estuarine waters along the east coast. These data are necessary to local,state, and national resource managers taking needed actions to manage, protect, and
restore estuaries. National parks are valuable and important public resources for not only recreation and education, but the preservation of endangered landscapes, natural communities, and species, important for not only public enjoyment, but economic stability in coastal communities.

The objectives of this project are to implement estuarine water
quality monitoring and monitor water clarity indicators at seagrass monitoring sites at Assateague Island National Seashore (ASIS). Measurements of water column condition indicators will occur at ASIS in alternate years starting in the summer of 2024; and measurements of water clarity at seagrass sites for four weeks in July-August will occur for all years as identified in the attached scope of work. Monitoring will follow the standard methods described in the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network (NCBN) long-
term monitoring protocols for estuarine nutrient enrichment.

Lead Principal Investigator: Stephen Tomasetti, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore

Partner Institution: University of Maryland, Eastern Shore

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Holly Plaisted

Start Year: 2024

End Year: 2027

Initial Funding Amount: $45,409.00

Federal Grant Number: P24AC00612

Amendments

  • Amendment Number: 01, Year: 2025, Amount: $9,361.00

Geophysical Data Processing, Development and Cultural Resources Support

Project Description: A priority of the National Park Service (NPS), both Park Units & Regional Resource Divisions, and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) is to identify, document, and preserve cultural and natural resources. Many of these resources are archaeological sites, historic properties, and associated natural features that lack information about buried attributes and depositional context. Geophysical surveys incorporate technology, such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), twin-coil electromagnetic induction (EM), and magnetic survey, that allows detection of buried features and cultural material that would previously have required more destructive research to identify. Because of the effectiveness of the technology and methodology for identifying buried deposits and features, many parks and associated parties are looking to employ this technology and methodology in their research to build a greater understanding of where resources are that we want to avoid and also in some cases to study. Because of the increase in demand of geophysical surveys from the NPS parks and programs, a need has arisen to streamline the data processing and reporting from these surveys. To maximize the cost-effectiveness of the fieldwork, the goal of this project is to develop software to allow for process different geophysical platforms data into datasets that can be imported into rendering software for interpretation and reporting. This project will involve the development of the software, field work to collect data, post-processing, report generation, and training.

Cornell University (Cornell) and the NPS will collaborate to accomplish the following objectives:
a. Use multiple geophysical techniques to locate and identify buried features for the understanding, interpretation, and preservation of resources in collaboration with the National Park Service;
b. Develop software for processing data from multiple platforms and generating data in a usable form for interpretation and reporting;
c. Produce detailed reports including maps, images, interpretation of results, figures, and other results that can be used by park or program management and associated parties.

Lead Principal Investigator: Kade Keranen, Cornell University

Partner Institution: Cornell University

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Justin Junge

Project Type: Research

Project Discipline: Natural Resources

Project Sub-Discipline(s): Physical and Earth Sciences

Start Year: 2023

End Year: 2027

Initial Funding Amount: $59,985.00

Federal Grant Number: P23AC01681

Amendments

  • Amendment Number: 01, Year: 2024, Amount: $49,426.38
  • Amendment Number: 02, Year: 2025, Amount: $85,649.98

Quantifying patterns of change and erosion/accretion linkages of erosional hotspots onshore and offshore in the Cape Cod National Seashore

Project Description: Cape Cod National Seashore (CACO) is among the most visited parks in the nation. The park manages over 44 miles of coastline which include some of the most pristine and undisturbed beaches in the northeast. and water resources are integral to the park’s visitor experience, providing a wide range of recreation opportunities.

Erosional hotspots are stretches of shoreline where anomalously high rates of erosion exceed well-studied historical rates. Hotspots are ubiquitous, yet ephemeral; their short life cycles (years) can dramatically impact natural resources and visitor access. New survey methods (nearshore seafloor mapping and remote sensing options, (near-range lidar, wave cameras, aerial imagery) allow a comprehensive picture of the linked terrestrial-submerged coastal systems. The Seashore’s 25-km ocean coast erodes episodically, resulting in a trend of cumulative habitat loss (coastal ponds, upland grasslands, shorebird nesting sites) and lost infrastructure (12 beach stairway replacements in a decade). Habitat changes include saltwater inundation of coastal ponds and bogs with effects on wetland plants, amphibian breeding, water quality and aquifer changes, shorebird nesting habitat loss as high tides eliminate supra-tidal buffer zones at the toe of glacial bluffs. Steadily retreating upland bluff margins host declining heathland/grassland habitats critical to remnant avian communities – including game birds such as quail, important to phase out stocked exotic game.

Lead Principal Investigator: Mark Borrelli, 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): Physical and Earth Sciences

Start Year: 2023

End Year: 2027

Initial Funding Amount: $101,225.00

Federal Grant Number: P23AC00525

Amendments

  • Amendment Number: 01, Year: 2024, Amount: $100,251.00
  • Amendment Number: 02, Year: 2025, Amount: $113,100.00

Location: Cape Cod National Seashore

National Park or Protected Area: Cape Cod (NPS)

State(s): Massachusetts

Coastal Ecosystem Evolution along Cape Cod National Seashore at Duck Harbor and the Herring River: Multi-tiered, science-based management of natural resources and infrastructure

Project Description: A transdisciplinary study at Duck Harbor, a subbasin of the Herring River floodplain in Wellfleet and Truro, Massachusetts is proposed that will help managers better understand the short, medium, and long term impacts of recurring beach overwash events and reintroduction of tidal flow into a tidally-restricted former estuary. This study will initiate management actions to facilitate the recovery of native salt marsh habitats and integrate coastal oceanographic measurements with ecological habitat data that will provide the foundation for detailed analysis with regards to possible future conditions within both Duck Harbor (120 acres) and the broader Herring River project area (770 acres).

Data to be collected would include a systematic series of sediment cores, as well as aerial, surface, and non-invasive stratigraphic surveying (e.g., Ground Penetrating Radar), used to develop a robust sequence of stratigraphic maps to 1) determine historic (and prehistoric) ecosystem evolution throughout the Duck Harbor area; 2) understand vegetation composition throughout that evolution, particularly how it relates to belowground biomass; and 3) determine likely future ecosystem evolution based on projected natural inundation scenarios. This study is particularly timely as clearing of salt-killed vegetation at Duck Harbor is slated to begin in early 2023. Clearing of salt-killed vegetation will also take place in the adjacent Herring River Restoration Project. As such, the results of this study will directly inform management actions related to the Herring River Restoration Project.

This study has been designed as a two-year project, however, if funding for additional years were to become available, data collection (pre- and post-event elevation transects, surface and subbottom surveying, and selected additional coring) would continue and analysis would include robust multi-year trends, imperative to understanding how the Herring River continues to evolve as the restoration begins. Given the potential for a well-documented, quantitative analysis of a natural restoration of tidal flow this project provides a unique opportunity to forward the science of understanding the conversion of freshwater ecosystems to salt water due to increased storminess, sea-level rise, and other natural or anthropogenic drivers.

Lead Principal Investigator: Katie Castagno, 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): Physical and Earth Sciences

Start Year: 2023

End Year: 2028

Initial Funding Amount: $230,002.00

Federal Grant Number: P23AC00266

Amendments

  • Amendment Number: 01, Year: 2024, Amount: $250,000.00
  • Amendment Number: 02, Year: 2025, Amount: $150,000.00

Location: Duck Harbor and Herring River within Cape Cod National Seashore

National Park or Protected Area: Cape Cod (NPS)

State(s): Massachusetts

CACO estuarine and freshwater water quality analysis

Project Description: In association with research and monitoring efforts of aquatic ecosystems at Cape Cod National Seashore (CACO), CACO and the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) will collaborate on water quality monitoring and assessment, including evaluation of water quality for the Herring River tidal restoration project, East Harbor restoration project, and kettle pond monitoring. Under the joint study plan described below, water samples will be collected in the field from estuarine and freshwater sites and delivered to the CCS lab for analysis. Samples will be analyzed for nutrients (e.g. Nitrogen, Phosphorus) and elemental constituents and anions (e.g. Iron, Chloride, Sulfate).

Lead 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

Start Year: 2022

End Year: 2025

Initial Funding Amount: $45,000.00

Federal Grant Number: P22AC01798-00

Amendments

  • Amendment Number: 01, Year: 2023, Amount: $30,000.00
  • Amendment Number: 02, Year: 2024, Amount: $45,000.00
  • Amendment Number: 03, Year: 2026, Amount: $50,000.00

Leadership, Coordination, and Administrative Oversight for the North Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit

Project Description: As the host university of the North Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (NAC CESU), the Recipient will support collaborative research, technical assistance, and educational activities that advance interdisciplinary problem-solving, knowledge development, and effective stewardship of natural and cultural public trust resources. In partnership with NPS staff, investigators from the Recipient will fulfill key CESU host university responsibilities identified by the CESU Council, including facilitating communication among existing and potential partners, coordinating the application process for new partners, organizing strategic and annual planning efforts, and maintaining the host-university–sponsored CESU website. These efforts uphold the public purpose of the NAC CESU by strengthening the administrative and coordination functions that enable the broader CESU Network to thrive nationwide. Through this work, the project will help foster meaningful engagement among federal agencies and nonfederal partners in collaborative science, education, and stewardship, leading to scientifically credible information, deeper understanding of resource management challenges, and the development of practical, usable knowledge. It will also enhance professional capacity building and expand educational opportunities for partners, students, and public-sector professionals, ultimately supporting informed decision-making for the conservation of natural and cultural heritage on public and private lands and waters. Additionally, CESU-supported projects provide hands-on, real-world experience for hundreds of students each year as they work alongside federal scientists, technical staff, and resource managers on pressing environmental and cultural resource issues.

Lead Principal Investigator: Elin Torell, University of Rhode Island

Partner Institution: University of Rhode Island

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Dr. Brian Mitchell

Project Type: Research

Start Year: 2025

End Year: 2027

Initial Funding Amount: $25,000.00

Federal Grant Number: P25AC00389

Amendments

  • Amendment Number: 01, Year: 2025, Amount: $22,500.00

Location: University of Rhode Island

State(s): Rhode Island

Rhode Island Counties: Washington

Innovation and modernization of data systems in the National Park Service

Project Description: This project aims to create tools that improve the accessibility, interoperability, and usability of natural resource data—including inventory, monitoring, air quality, and weather datasets. By making these datasets easier for researchers, educators, and decision-makers to analyze and apply, the project supports federal priorities to expand data accessibility, strengthen understanding of natural resources, promote evidence-based decision-making, and advance conservation and land-management efforts.

To achieve these goals, the project will produce data analysis and visualization tools, along with user training guides and related materials. Project steps include conducting a discovery and needs assessment, designing a data workflow, developing analytical tools, and implementing and maintaining the system. The project will culminate in a final report and a scientific publication detailing the development process and the resulting analytical and visualization tools, enabling replication and adaptation for other natural resource data repositories.

Lead Principal Investigator: Nick Fisichelli, Schoodic Institute

Partner Institution: Schoodic Institute

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Mr. Abe Miller-Rushing

Project Type: Research

Project Discipline: Natural Resources

Start Year: 2025

End Year: 2027

Initial Funding Amount: $348,755.00

Federal Grant Number: P25AC02112-00