Amanda DeVico

Envl 3241

Nacote Creek

Part 1

The Jacques Cousteau National Reserve is one of the 29 areas that are being protected for

long term research, water- quality monitoring, education and coastal stewardship through the

National Estuarine Research Reserve System. This reserve is one of the least disturbed estuaries

on the east coast, with only one percent developed. It is unique in the fact that it encompasses

very different unique ecosystems, the Pine Barrens, mash lands and freshwater wetlands.

Through a management plan, the reserve is able to address goals, priorities and implementation

strategies. The key management issues addressed are nutrient inputs into coastal waters, human

alteration of habitat and water quality, and effects of climate change on coastal and estuarine

systems.

Through advanced coastal and estuarine research, effects on ecosystems from storms, climate

change, invasive species, and development are addressed. Research is conducted through

partnerships with the reserves competitive funding program or Science Collaborative, which is

administered by NOAA and the University of Michigan. The System Wide Monitoring Program

provides concerte, scientific data on water quality, weather, biological communities, land use,

and land cover characteristics. Near real time data from each reserve site is available because of

the specific standardized instruments and data collection protocol (NOAA 2018).

Jacques Cousteau collects data from multiple stations within the watershed that change from

salt to freshwater. When conducting research in the lower bank, effects from upwelling and
storm events on the estuary were observed. The site can be characterized by fast tidal currents,

deep water, and fine mixed organic mud and sandy sediment. YSI datasondes are programmed

to record temperature, specific conductance, salinity, DO, depth, pH, and turbidity every 15

minutes. The site is developed on the northern bank with houses and has a steep bank. The south

end has an extensive marsh and freshwater wetland. These parameters measured by the YSI are

especially important to monitor as development continues over the years on the north bank. A lot

of different impacts from development can affect the water quality such as fertilizers from the

lawns, increasing pH values of the water in the lower bank. Therefore water quality parameters

have had to change over the years, increasing the number of things tested for and the frequency

they are tested for (NERRS 2018).

Part 2

The site that showed the greatest impairment was the lower bank site, where there was fresh

and saltwater along with houses and lawns. This could be due to multiple things such as the

rivers from the Pine Barrens being stained brown due to the humic acids released from decaying

vegetation and high iron content. It could also be due to runoff from the lawns on the north

shore, carrying sediment and other materials. The sites with the least impairment were swan

point and mid bay, each being close to the ocean. Being in proximity to the ocean would cause

impairment to decrease due to the in flow of water from the Atlantic. Not only will the flow of

water that has been filtered through natural oceanic processes decrease impairment but it will

increase the dissolved oxygen, allowing more life to survive there. Swan point did have a few

houses nearby but it was closest to the ocean. The mid bay point did not have any houses nearby,
was past the parkway but it did have vegetation present, which aids in filtering water. Our data

taken throughout the four hour period we were out on the water does not compare to the probe

that measures data continuously. Measuring data one day and making a conclusion on the water

quality is impossible. In order to get accurate readings, measurements must be taken often then

averaged. Conditions change from day to day like weather and even hour to hour such as

sunlight strength. To really study water quality and make assumptions, continuous data must be

looked at because conditions are always changing.

 References

National Estuarine Research Reserve System. 2018. Retrieved from

http://cdmo.baruch.sc.edu/

NOAA Office for Coastal Management. 2018. Research Overview. Retrieved from

https://coast.noaa.gov/nerrs/reserves/jacques-cousteau.html