Implementing long-term monitoring of salt marsh communities within the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network of the National Park Service. Year 3: Monitoring at Assateague Island National Seashore and George Washington Birthplace National Monument
James-Pirri MJ and Roman CT. 2006. Implementing long-term monitoring of salt marsh communities within the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network of the National Park Service. Year 3: Monitoring at Assateague Island National Seashore and George Washington Birthplace National Monument. University of Rhode Island. Narragansett, RI
Report on Year 3 of a three year study that will implement the salt marsh and nekton monitoring protocols at National Park Service units within the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network as well as additional coastal Parks. The National Park Service has recently implemented a program to develop monitoring protocols in an effort to collect long-term data on natural and cultural resources. Cape Cod National Seashore (Massachusetts) was designated as the prototype park for the Atlantic and Gulf Coast biogeographic region where protocols were designed and tested. Two of these protocols, Monitoring Nekton in Shallow Estuarine Habitats (James-Pirri et al. In Review-b; Raposa & Roman 2001a) and Monitoring Salt Marsh Vegetation (James-Pirri et al. In Review-a; Roman et al. 2001) have been completed and are currently implemented on several US Fish and Wildlife Refuges along the Atlantic Coast (James-Pirri et al. 2005) (Figure 1-1). This is a 3 year study that will implement the salt marsh and nekton monitoring protocols at National Park Service units within the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network as well as additional coastal Parks (Figure 1-1). This progress report summarizes the field sampling for year 3 conducted in 2005 at Assateague Island National Seashore (ASIS) and George Washington Birthplace National Monument (GEWA).