Project Description: Now and into the future parks need to use sound scientific data to identify best management practices of their resources to adapt to changes in the environment and human visitation. This is especially so in an era where a variety of threats and stressors affect park coastal habitats and associated resources that can result in increased operational costs for parks to ensure visitor safety and preserve park infrastructure and resource condition.
The rocky intertidal habitats of Acadia National Park (ACAD) are dominated by sessile invertebrates and algae, the community structure of which is determined by the interaction of numerous environmental factors. These species provide habitat and food for motile invertebrates, which are an important food source for other wildlife, like seabirds and fish. Environmental and anthropogenic pressures—such as trampling, harvesting, climate change, and invasive species—can have profound effects on intertidal communities. The broad goal of this project is to evaluate the condition of intertidal communities, identify important stressors to this resource, and to inform management decisions.
The resulting analyses and products from this project will increase the public and scientific community’s knowledge of how a variety of local and regional stressors affects the condition of rocky intertidal resources. This information is critical for evaluating current and future threats to natural and cultural resources so that strategies are developed to mitigate their impacts in the future. For example, scientific data is needed to understand whether and how visitation is affecting intertidal communities. This project will also provide needed information to support decision-making and planning within a multi-partner, regional working group evaluating intertidal health.
Lead Principal Investigator: Dr. Amanda Klemmer, University of Maine
Partner Institution: University of Maine
Federal Agency: National Park Service
Federal Agency Technical Contact: Jim Comiskey
Project Type: Research
Project Discipline: Natural Resources
Project Sub-Discipline(s): Biological (Ecology, Fish, Wildlife, Vegetation, T&E), Water (FW & Marine)
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2023
Initial Funding Amount: $59,076.00
Federal Grant Number: P20AC00349
Amendments
- Amendment Number: 01, Year: 2021, Amount: $61,272.00
National Park or Protected Area: Acadia National Park
State(s): Maine
Products Associated with this Project:
- No products found.