Fixed-station water quality monitoring at Cape Hatteras National Seashore: 2011 data summary.
Wright W , Gregory MB, Rinehart A. 2012. Fixed-station water quality monitoring at Cape Hatteras National Seashore: 2011 data summary.. Natural Resource Data Series. NPS/SECN/NRDS—2012/387. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.36967/2190424
In 2005 the National Park Service (NPS) Southeast Coast Network (SECN) Inventory and Monitoring Program began collecting water-quality data in the estuarine waters near Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CAHA) as part the NPS Vital Signs monitoring program. The continuous-monitoring data station is located at a dock at the Ocracoke Village boat ramp. The Cape Hatteras National Seashore fixed-station water-quality monitoring site is part of the SECN estuarine water-quality monitoring program, which collects data in the vicinity of nine coastal parks located along the southeastern U.S. coast. Information collected by this monitoring program will be used to help managers make better-informed decisions by understanding trends and variability related to water-quality conditions in park waters. This report presents data collected from January through December, 2011. Monthly water-quality data collected at the Southeast Coastal Network site near Cape Hatteras National Seashore during 2011 reflect good to fair conditions throughout the year, with both water clarity and dissolved oxygen rating good throughout the year and total dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus consistently showing fair conditions. Chlorophyll a levels rated good during all months where data were available—except January were levels were only slightly elevated rating as fair. Mean monthly dissolved oxygen levels were good throughout the entire year, ranging from a high of 11.4 mg/L in January to a low of 6.2 mg/L in August. Occasional daily average dissolved oxygen levels below 5 mg/L were observed in June, July, and August. Mean monthly pH values ranged from 7.4 in September to a high of 8.4 in February with very little variability. Monthly mean turbidity values were highest during June and October (7.7 and 8.2 NTU, respectively). Turbidity values ranged from near 0 NTUs across all months to a maximum reading of 440.3 NTUs in May.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Wright, Wendy; Gregory, M.; Rinehart, Aaron
- Date of Issue
- 2012-10
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- DOI
- 10.36967/2190424
- Units
- CAHA , NRSS , SECN
- Keywords
- Cape Hatteras National Seashore, chlorophyll a, Depth, Dissolved Oxygen, Marine Water Quality Monitoring, pH, Salinity, Southeast Coast Network, specific conductance, Temperature, total dissolved nitrogen, total dissolved phosphorus, Turbidity, Water Quality
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Water | Water Quality | Water Chemistry
- License
- Public Domain