Projects
NCNERR Habitat Classification
The Reserve components represent diverse coastal ecosystems along more than 300 miles of North Carolina shoreline and across the Virginian and Carolinian biogeographic regions. For example, Currituck Banks is near the Virginia-North Carolina border, and has stands of maritime forest, with brackish marsh influenced by wind-driven tides of the Currituck Sound. Zeke’s Island is bounded by waters of the Cape Fear River and Atlantic Ocean, has lunar tides and extensive intertidal salt marsh and creeks.
In support of a national NERR initiative and to standardize representation of these diverse conditions, non-aquatic habitats were classified for the four NCNERR components using the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Classification Scheme and established protocols. The methods were designed to be repeatable for future habitat classification and analysis of change over time. Resultant maps and area statistics help with assessing differences between NCNERR components and other Reserves within the NERRS. Evaluation of the protected conditions within the NCNERR and comparison to other impacted areas yield insight into the effectiveness of coastal management techniques. Please see the NCNERR Site Profile for further discussion of methods and results for each component.
Land Cover and Change for the Watersheds of the N.C. Coastal Reserve
Land Cover conditions are being examined for the five watersheds that encompass the four NCNERR components. The watersheds were defined as US Geologic Survey 8-digit Hydrologic Cataloguing Units. The most current Land Cover data sets from NOAA's Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) were obtained for coastal North Carolina for 1991, 1997, and the changes between the two years. These data sets were clipped into the geographic extent of each watershed boundary.
To portray 1991-1997 changes in a meaningful way, the data were combined into three categories: 1) increased vegetative cover; 2) decreased vegetative cover; and 3) different unvegetated class. Examples of change classes included in the three categories include succession of grassland to scrub-shrub, conversion of evergreen forest to grassland, and conversion of bare land to low intensity developed. Further discussion of methods and results for each watershed are presented in the NCNERR Site Profile.
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Mapping
Seagrasses are submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) rooted in soft substrates in shallow water. They provide important habitat and are an indicator of water quality. The Reserve components are permanently protected estuarine areas ideally suited for long-term monitoring of SAV. Due to unique biogeography, the Rachel Carson component is one of the few places in North Carolina where three species of SAV co-exist: eelgrass (Zostera marina), shoalgrass (Halodule wrightii), and Widgeon grass (Ruppia maritime).
A field survey was conducted during the summer of 2006 to locate existing SAV beds within the Rachel Carson component. Shallow water areas were canvassed via small boat, kayak, and on foot. Species present, geographic coordinates, water depth, and patch size were documented for each bed. Two large beds and 39 small patches (< 50 square meters in area) were identified. Shoalgrass was present in all but three beds, which contained only eelgrass. All three species were found in the two large beds that had a combined area of 152,000 square meters.
Detailed field data are being collected during the summer of 2007 to describe the biological and physical characteristics of each SAV bed. These methods are being used to locate and describe SAV at the Masonboro Island component during 2007, and will be repeated for other Reserve components to monitor SAV abundance and change over time.