Fixed-station water-quality monitoring at Cape Lookout National Seashore: 2015–2016 data summary
Hynds M and Starkey EN. 2019. Fixed-station water-quality monitoring at Cape Lookout National Seashore: 2015–2016 data summary. Natural Resource Data Series. NPS/SECN/NRDS—2019/1216. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
n 2007, the National Park Service (NPS) Southeast Coast Network (SECN) Inventory and Monitoring Program began collecting water-quality data in the estuarine waters near Cape Lookout National Seashore (CALO). Two continuous-monitoring stations have been operational since 2008 at the Shackleford Banks Dock (CALO01) and in the Middle Marshes area (CALO02). These stations collect conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, temperature, turbidity, and water level data every 15 minutes. Water-quality technicians make additional water quality measurements, which include monthly measurements of water clarity conditions, nutrient concentrations, and chlorophyll a levels. Staff follow methods that were adapted from the water-quality monitoring program established by the National Estuarine Research Reserve Program (Wenner and Geist 2001). Data and results are compared to EPA criteria (EPA 2012) which rate conditions as good, fair, or poor. The Cape Lookout National Seashore fixed-station water-quality monitoring sites are part of the SECN estuarine water-quality monitoring program, which routinely collects data in the vicinity of seven coastal parks along the southeastern U.S. coast (DeVivo et al. 2008; Gregory et al. 2013). 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. Highlights from the 2015–2016 data record are summarized in this report.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Hynds, Mark; Starkey, Eric
- Date of Issue
- 2019-03
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- CALO , NRSS , SECN
- Keywords
- CALO; CAHA, Marine Water Quality Monitoring; coastal assessment; synoptic monitoring