Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network Vital Signs Monitoring Plan

Stevens, Sara; Milstead, Bryan; Albert, Marc; Entsminger, Gary

Introduction and Background The Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network (NCBN) is one of 32 networks created by the National Park Service to implement ecological monitoring activities under the NPS Vital Signs monitoring program. The NCBN consists of eight parks linked by geography and shared natural resource characteristics. These parks extend along the Northeastern Atlantic Coast and include Assateague Island National Seashore (ASIS) in Maryland and Virginia, Thomas Stone National Historic Site (THST) in Maryland, Cape Cod National Seashore (CACO) in Massachusetts, Gateway National Recreation Area (GATE) in New York and New Jersey, Fire Island National Seashore (FIIS) and Sagamore Hill National Historic Site (SAHI) in New York, and Colonial National Historical Park (COLO) and George Washington Birthplace National Monument (GEWA) in Virginia. These eight parks together contain approximately 59,220 hectares (146,300 acres) of park lands, representing some of the most ecologically similar collections of lands within the National Park Service. They consist of critical coastal habitat for many rare and endangered species, as well as migratory corridors for birds, sea turtles, and marine mammals. These parks protect vital coastal wetlands that are essential to water quality, fisheries, and the biological diversity of coastal, near shore, and terrestrial environments. The NCBN monitoring program will enable us to better understand the condition of park ecosystems while providing reference points for comparisons with other altered environments. This report describes in detail how the Network selected what to monitor, how those things will be monitored, in what parks and when. Following is a brief summary of each monitoring chapter within the plan. Vital Signs The intent of the National Park Service Vital Signs Monitoring Program is to track a subset of physical, chemical, and biological elements and processes of park ecosystems called “vital signs”. The elements and processes that will be monitored as part of the NCBN Vital Signs Program, are only a subset of the total suite that could be monitored to provide NCBN park managers with better data and information to make scientifically based management decisions.The Network has prioritized 18 vital signs placed in the following five categories: estuarine eutrophication; salt marsh change; geomorphologic change; visitor use and impacts; and landscape change. Protocols are being developed to monitor these vital signs over the long-term in network parks. Monitoring Protocols Ten monitoring protocols are scheduled to be developed through the NCBN Vital Signs Program (Chapter 5). Each protocol includes a detailed narrative that contains a summary of its history–from protocol design through development, including policies or decisions that are relevant to the protocol. This will allow the protocol to develop more efficiently and ensure that it will not be a repetition of previous trials or comparisons (Oakley et al. 2003). The narrative will include a list and brief summary of all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), which are developed in detail as independent sections in each protocol. Monitoring protocols consist of: 1. justification for vital sign selection 2. monitoring goal, questions and objectives 3. sampling design (including spatial and temporal sample design) 4. field methods 5. data management 6. data analysis and reporting 7. staffing requirements 8. training procedures operational requirements.

Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network Vital Signs Monitoring Plan

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