Assateague Island National Seashore Natural Resource Condition Assessment

Assateague Island National Seashore Natural Resource Condition Assessment

The National Park Service is carrying out assessments of the natural resource condition (NRCA) for nearly 300 of the National Parks throughout the country deemed to have significant natural resources. This project, to assess condition of Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland and Virginia, is a synthesis project aimed at collating and synthesizing all available data to assess current status and trend for each metric, combining these into an overall framework. The focus of this study has been to develop a habitat based framework to assess natural resource condition.

 

Key Personnel

Tim Carruthers
Director of Coastal Ecology
Tracey Saxby
Project Manager

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2012

Improving management of a Mid-Atlantic coastal barrier island through assessment of habitat condition (OCTOBER)

Restoration of overwash processes creates piping plover habitat on a barrier island paper (SEPTEMBER)

2011

UMCES researchers attend biennial Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Conference (DECEMBER)

Assateague Island National Seashore Natural Resource Condition Assessment (JULY)

2009

Assessment of Natural Resource Condition, Assateague Island National Seashore (JANUARY)

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2012

Hiker: overnight (SYMBOL)

2011

Ardea Herodias (Great Blue Heron) (SYMBOL)

Fish school-2 (SYMBOL)

Fish school-3 (SYMBOL)

Ammophila breviligulata (American Beachgrass) (SYMBOL)

Hudsonia tomentosa (Beach Heath) (SYMBOL)

Toxicants: low (SYMBOL)

Cicindela dorsalis media (Eastern Beach Tiger Beetle) (SYMBOL)

Concentration: high sulfate (SYMBOL)

Concentration: intermittent sulfate (SYMBOL)

Concentration: low sulfate (SYMBOL)

Agrostis spp. (Tickle Grass) (SYMBOL)

Polychaete with white bristles (SYMBOL)

2010

Conceptual diagram showing condition of Atlantic subtidal habitats of Assateague Island (GRAPHIC)

Conceptual diagram showing condition of bay subtidal and mudflat habitats of Assateague Island (GRAPHIC)

Conceptual diagram showing condition of beach and intertidal habitats of Assateague Island (GRAPHIC)

Conceptual diagram showing condition of dune and grassland habitats of Assateague Island (GRAPHIC)

Conceptual diagram showing condition of forest and shrubland habitats of Assateague Island (GRAPHIC)

Conceptual diagram showing condition of inland wetland habitats of Assateague Island (GRAPHIC)

Conceptual diagram showing condition of salt marsh habitats of Assateague Island (GRAPHIC)

Diagram illustrating desired and degraded condition of Atlantic subtidal habitats of Assateague Island (GRAPHIC)

Diagram illustrating desired and degraded condition of bay subtidal and mudflat habitats of Assateague Island (GRAPHIC)

Diagram illustrating desired and degraded condition of beach and intertidal habitats of Assateague Island (GRAPHIC)

Diagram illustrating desired and degraded condition of dune and grassland habitats of Assateague Island (GRAPHIC)

Diagram illustrating desired and degraded condition of forest and shrubland habitats of Assateague Island (GRAPHIC)

Diagram illustrating desired and degraded condition of inland wetland habitats of Assateague Island (GRAPHIC)

Diagram illustrating desired and degraded condition of salt marsh habitats of Assateague Island (GRAPHIC)

Diagram illustrating features of Assateague Island (GRAPHIC)

Diagram illustrating threats to Assateague Island (GRAPHIC)

Diagram showing condition of habitats on Assateague Island (GRAPHIC)

Diagram showing the habitats of Assateague Island in cross-section (GRAPHIC)

Kayaking: recreational (SYMBOL)

Concrete bollard (SYMBOL)

Vehicle: SUV (SYMBOL)

Sunbathing (SYMBOL)

Surf Fishing (SYMBOL)

Amaranthus pumilus (Seabeach Amaranth) (SYMBOL)

Civil Engineering: mosquito ditches (SYMBOL)

Maize/corn crop (SYMBOL)

Maize/corn stalk (SYMBOL)

Climate change: above average temperatures (SYMBOL)

2009

Larus spp. (Seagull) (SYMBOL)

Cervus nippon (Sika Deer) : buck (SYMBOL)

Cervus nippon (Sika Deer) : doe (SYMBOL)

2008

Callinectes sapidus (Blue Crab) : eggs (SYMBOL)

Fish school-1 (SYMBOL)

Waterman (SYMBOL)

Ruppia megacarpa 1 (SYMBOL)

Ruppia megacarpa 2 (SYMBOL)

Paralichthys dentatus (Summer Flounder) : juvenile (SYMBOL)

Paralichthys dentatus (Summer Flounder) : larva (SYMBOL)

Hunter (SYMBOL)

Callinectes sapidus (Blue Crab) : female ventral view (SYMBOL)

Callinectes sapidus (Blue Crab) : male ventral view (SYMBOL)

Callinectes sapidus (Blue Crab) : ventral view adolescent female (SYMBOL)

2007

Quercus montana (Chestnut Oak) with roots (SYMBOL)

Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer) : buck (SYMBOL)

Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer) : doe (SYMBOL)

Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer) : fawn (SYMBOL)

Charadrius melodus (Piping Plover) 1 (SYMBOL)

2006

Equus ferus caballus (Horse) : feces (SYMBOL)

2005

Equus ferus caballus (Horse) 1 (SYMBOL)

Pinus virginiana (Virginia Pine) (SYMBOL)

Clam (SYMBOL)

Equus ferus caballus (Horse) 2 (SYMBOL)

Blue crab management (SYMBOL)

Callinectes sapidus (Blue Crab) : first crab (SYMBOL)

Callinectes sapidus (Blue Crab) : male dorsal view (SYMBOL)

2004

Cynoscion regalis (Weakfish) (SYMBOL)

Charadrius melodus (Piping Plover) 2 (SYMBOL)

Crab boat (SYMBOL)

Limulus polyphemus (Horseshoe Crab) (SYMBOL)

Pinus taeda (Loblolly Pine) (SYMBOL)

Tent (SYMBOL)

Paralichthys dentatus (Summer Flounder) (SYMBOL)

Quercus alba (White Oak) (SYMBOL)

Quercus alba (White Oak) leaves (SYMBOL)

Quercus montana (Chestnut Oak) (SYMBOL)

Quercus montana (Chestnut Oak) leaves (SYMBOL)

Callinectes sapidus (Blue Crab) : adult 1 (SYMBOL)

Callinectes sapidus (Blue Crab) : coupling (SYMBOL)

Callinectes sapidus (Blue Crab) : egg-bearing female (SYMBOL)

Callinectes sapidus (Blue Crab) : juvenile (SYMBOL)

Callinectes sapidus (Blue Crab) : megalopa 1 (SYMBOL)

Callinectes sapidus (Blue Crab) : megalopa 2 (SYMBOL)

Callinectes sapidus (Blue Crab) : zoea 1 (SYMBOL)

Callinectes sapidus (Blue Crab) : zoea 2 (SYMBOL)

Equus ferus caballus (Pony) 1 (SYMBOL)

Equus ferus caballus (Pony) 2 (SYMBOL)

Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Bald Eagle) (SYMBOL)

Morone americana (White Perch) (SYMBOL)

Spartina spp. (Salt Marsh Grass) (SYMBOL)

2003

Rynchops niger (Black Skimmer) (SYMBOL)

Callinectes sapidus (Blue Crab) : adult 2 (SYMBOL)

Brevoortia tyrannus (Atlantic Menhaden) (SYMBOL)

Brevoortia tyrannus (Atlantic Menhaden) : juvenile (SYMBOL)

Anchoa mitchilli (Bay Anchovy) (SYMBOL)

Anchoa mitchilli (Bay Anchovy) : juvenile (SYMBOL)

Phragmites australis (Common Reed) (SYMBOL)

Phragmites australis (Common Reed) singular (SYMBOL)

Polychaete 1 (SYMBOL)

Polychaete 2 (SYMBOL)

Atmospheric nitrogen (SYMBOL)

Bank erosion (SYMBOL)

Concentration: high nitrogen and phosphorus (SYMBOL)

Inputs: nutrients 1 (SYMBOL)

Ruppia megacarpa with flowers (SYMBOL)

2002

Chicken house (SYMBOL)

1999

Ruppia megacarpa flower (SYMBOL)

Ruppia seed bank (SYMBOL)

Tractor 3 (SYMBOL)

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2011

Assateague Island National Seashore Natural Resource Condition Assessment (REPORT)

Assateague Island National Seashore Natural Resource Condition Assessment - Executive Summary (REPORT)

Timeframe

  • Start: 2008-12-17
  • Finish: 2011-02-28
  • Duration: 2 years, 2 months

Partners

National Park Service
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

Funding Agencies

National Park Service

Locations

Assateague Island