Life Sciences Commons^™

Seaweed Monitoring In The Great Bay Estuary, Nh: 2020 Annual Report, Andrew Payne, David M. Burdick, Gregg Moore, Natalie White, Christopher Peter, Arthur Mathieson

Jackson Estuarine Laboratory

As water temperatures rise due to global warming and nitrogen inputs change, it is important to understand how these changes are impacting vegetative communities that form the basic habitat structure in the Great Bay Estuary, NH. The abundance and taxa of intertidal seaweeds have been monitored at fixed locations throughout the Estuary since 2013. In 2020, percent cover and biomass were collected from five intertidal and four subtidal sampling locations. Data from 2013-2020 show appreciable amounts of nuisance seaweeds (primarily reds), including several introduced species. Cover of green seaweeds decreased significantly over time at the two intertidal sites (Depot Road …

Photographs Of Seaweeds In Intertidal Monitoring Plots, 2020, David M. Burdick, Gregg Moore

Jackson Estuarine Laboratory

Records of photographs of intertidal seaweed sampling plots for cover (50 by 50 cm) and biomass (25 by 25 cm) collected by Jackson Estuarine Laboratory research staff in 2020.

Subtidal Seaweed And Eelgrass Monitoring Photographs 2020, David M. Burdick, Gregg E. Moore

Jackson Estuarine Laboratory

Records of photographs of subtidal seaweed and eelgrass sampling plots for cover (50 by 50 cm) collected by Jackson Estuarine Laboratory research staff in 2020.

'How To' Guide For Synthesizing Nerrs Marsh Monitoring Data, David M. Burdick

Jackson Estuarine Laboratory

The purpose of this guide is to provide a user-friendly and informative guide on ‘How to’ synthesize salt marsh data from theNational Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRs). In this guide, we outline and detail the steps taken from requesting/cataloguing data to summarizing these data through visual and statistical analysis. These methods can be used at a single or multiple site(s) as well as over multiple years. Though this guide is specific to NERRs and focuses on plant community data, it may also be useful for other monitoring parameters and programs to guide protocol design and analyses. Here, we conduct a …

A Guide To Integrate Plant Cover Data From Two Different Methods, David M. Burdick, Chris R. Peter

Jackson Estuarine Laboratory

There is a lack of consensus on how to monitor (measure) plant cover in tidal marshes. Multiple methods exist to estimate plant cover, which can confound interpretation when making comparisons across methods. Here, we provide a novel and more accurate approach, building off of traditional data transformations designed to integrate the two most common methods: Point Intercept and Ocular Cover.

Macroalgal Monitoring In The Great Bay Estuary: 2018 Annual Report, David M. Burdick, Gregg E. Moore, Arthur C. Mathieson, Andrew Payne, Chris Peter

PREP Reports & Publications

Since 2013, the abundance and taxa of intertidal macroalgae have been assessed at fixed locations throughout the Great Bay Estuary in New Hampshire. Algal abundance may be influenced by environmental conditions such as nutrient levels, water temperature, light and invasive species. Therefore, abundance of different algal groups can provide insights into the overall health of the estuary and signal ecological change. In 2018, intertidal abundance data for percentage cover and biomass were collected, as planned, from five of the eight sites. For the first time, subtidal sampling arrays were also incorporated at all four sites in Great Bay proper to …

Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership 2018 Annual Report, Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership

PREP Reports & Publications

No abstract provided.

Wetlands Evaluation For Philbrick's Pond Marsh Drainage Evaluation North Hampton, Nh, David M. Burdick, Chris Peter, Gregg Moore

Natural Resources & the Environment

Philbrick’s Pond is a lagoon type estuary that formed landward of barrier beach spits in North Hampton, NH. Its inlet was stabilized and restricted by the road that is now Route 1A or Ocean Boulevard. Water flow from the Gulf of Maine passes through a culvert running under Route 1A and into a small waterway and is further restricted as it runs through a clay pipe under an old trolley berm. The lagoon is characterized as a 29 acre tidal marsh. The goal of the overall project is to evaluate the condition and hydrology of the two restrictions recognizing the …

Preparing For A Northwest Passage: A Workshop On The Role Of New England In Navigating The New Arctic, Katharine A. Duderstadt, Catherine M. Ashcraft, Jennifer F. Brewer, Elizabeth Burakowski, Jaed M. Coffin, Jack E. Dibb, Lawrence C. Hamilton, Nancy E. Kinner, Larry A. Mayer, Jennifer L. Miksis-Olds, Joseph Salisbury, Kerri D. Seger, Ruth K. Varner, Cameron P. Wake

Earth Systems Research Center

Preparing for a Northwest Passage: A Workshop on the Role of New England in Navigating the New Arctic (March 25 - 27, 2018 -- The University of New Hampshire) paired two of NSF's 10 Big Ideas: Navigating the New Arctic and Growing Convergence Research at NSF. During this event, participants assessed economic, environmental, and social impacts of Arctic change on New England and established convergence research initiatives to prepare for, adapt to, and respond to these effects. Shipping routes through an ice-free Northwest Passage in combination with modifications to ocean circulation and regional climate patterns linked to Arctic ice melt …

Integrated Analysis Of The Value Of Wetland Services In Coastal Adaptation; Methodology And Case Study Of Hampton-Seabrook Estuary, New Hampshire, Paul Kirshen, Semra Aytur, David M. Burdick, Diane Foster, Tom Lippmann, Ellen Douglas, Sydney Nick, Chris Watson

Jackson Estuarine Laboratory

The present impacts from coastal storms and high tides grow significantly over time due to SLR even over the relatively short period to 2060. Hydrodynamic model simulations of storm surge with and without sea level rise scenarios show that although flooding and inundation increases with increasing subtidal forcing and higher sea level, dissipation of the tide and storm surge in the estuary channel somewhat limits the maximum inundation that might otherwise be expected in the back marsh areas. The estuary is dominated by high marsh, which lies high in the intertidal zone and by 2060 it will convert to mostly …

Review Of Seagrassnet Monitoring Photographs In Great Bay, New Hampshire, Usa 2007 - 2014, Frederick T. Short

PREP Reports & Publications

SeagrassNet is a global monitoring program begun in 2001 and designed to scientifically detect and document seagrass habitat change (Short et al. 2006a, 2014). Monitoring of eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) in the Great Bay Estuary using SeagrassNet was conducted in Portsmouth Harbor between 2001 and 2009 (Short et al 2006b, Rivers and Short 2007), and is ongoing in Great Bay itself, from 2007 (Short 2009) to the present. In this report, July quadrat photos taken along the three Great Bay SeagrassNet transects from 2007 – 2014 are presented and discussed. They provide useful documentation of field percent cover measurements of …

2016 Oyster Reef Restoration Project Funded By The Aquatic Resources Mitigation Program, Raymond E. Grizzle, Krystin M. Ward

PREP Reports & Publications

This report describes the results of the construction and initial monitoring phase of an oyster restoration project conducted in 2016 by the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC), funded by the New Hampshire Aquatic Resources Mitigation Program. The overall goal of the project was to construct 5 acres of new oyster reef habitat in an area adjacent to a live natural reef northwest of Nannie Island, in the Town of Newington, NH, off Woodman Point. The report is organized according to the four major tasks listed as deliverables in the subaward to UNH from TNC.

Seagrassnet Monitoring In Great Bay, New Hampshire, 2015, Frederick T. Short

PREP Reports & Publications

SeagrassNet is a global monitoring program begun in 2001 and designed to scientifically detect and document seagrass habitat change (Short et al. 2006a, 2014). Monitoring of eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) in the Great Bay Estuary using SeagrassNet was conducted in Portsmouth Harbor between 2001 and 2009 (Short et al. 2006b, Rivers and Short 2007), and in Great Bay starting in 2007 (Short 2009). Results from SeagrassNet 2015, supported by PREP and conducted in Great Bay, are described in this report.

Eelgrass Distribution In The Great Bay Estuary And Piscataqua River For 2016, Seth Barker

PREP Reports & Publications

Eelgrass distribution in Great Bay, Little Bay, and the Piscataqua River Estuary were mapped from aerial photography acquired on August 5, 2016. The total area of eelgrass beds with 10% or greater cover and a polygon area equal to or greater than 100 square meters was 683.42 hectares or 1688.71 acres. Eelgrass polygons were coded for Assessment Zone location and the results reported in Table 1.The largest concentration of eelgrass was found in Great Bay with lesser amounts in the vicinity of Portsmouth Harbor. The total area of eelgrass was nearly identical to that mapped in 2013 though there were …

Testing Of Great Bay Oysters For Two Protozoan Pathogens, Douglas E. Grout

PREP Reports & Publications

Two protozoan pathogens, Haplosporidium nelsoni (MSX) and Perkinsus marinus (Dermo) are known to be present in Great Bay oysters. With funds provided by the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP), the Marine Fisheries Division of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (NHFG) continues to assess the presence and intensity of both of these disease conditions in oysters from the major natural beds within the Great Bay estuarine system. Histological examinations of Great Bay oysters have also revealed other endoparasites

Monitoring Macroalgae In The Great Bay Estuary For 2015, David M. Burdick, Arthur C. Mathieson, Sydney Nick, Christopher R. Peter

PREP Reports & Publications

In 2015, five of the eight locations with fixed intertidal transects were sampled as part of the long-term effort to monitor macroalgae in the Great Bay Estuary. With the completion of the third year of the project, all eight locations have been sampled at least once, two years of data have been collected for four locations, and three years of data have been collected for one location, Monitoring results from 2015 show high levels of cover of nuisance green or red algae (Ulva and Gracilaria, respectively) at all sites sampled. Nuisance algae is characterized as fast-growing; it can interfere with …

Eelgrass/Macroalgae Discussion Primer For Tac Activities 2016-2017, Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership

PREP Reports & Publications

See also: "Eelgrass Distribution and Biomass in the Great Bay Estuary for 2015" http://scholars.unh.edu/prep/354

"Eelgrass Distribution in the Great Bay Estuary for 2014" http://scholars.unh.edu/prep/352/

The issue of eelgrass and macroalgae in the Great Bay Estuary (GBE) is extremely important and complex. The purpose of this document is to clarify issues and questions to make for a more productive and informed discussion.

Eelgrass Distribution And Biomass In The Great Bay Estuary For 2015, Frederick T. Short

PREP Reports & Publications

See also: "Eelgrass/Macroalgae Discussion Primer for TAC Activities 2016-2017" http://scholars.unh.edu/prep/355

Eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) is an essential habitat for the Great Bay Estuary (GBE) because it is the basis of an estuarine food web that supports many of the recreationally, commercially and ecologically important species in the estuary and beyond. Eelgrass provides food for ducks, geese and swans, as well as food, nursery habitat, and shelter for juvenile fish and shellfish. Eelgrass filters estuarine waters and improves water clarity, removing both nutrients and suspended sediments from the water column; its roots and rhizomes bind and hold sediments in place, thereby …

Eelgrass Distribution In The Great Bay Estuary For 2014, Frederick T. Short

PREP Reports & Publications

See also: "Eelgrass/Macroalgae Discussion Primer for TAC Activities 2016-2017" http://scholars.unh.edu/prep/355

Eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) is an essential habitat for the Great Bay Estuary (GBE) because it is the basis of an estuarine food web that supports many of the recreationally, commercially and ecologically important species in the estuary and beyond. Eelgrass provides food for ducks, geese and swans, as well as food, nursery habitat, and shelter for juvenile fish and shellfish. Eelgrass filters estuarine waters and improves water clarity, removing both nutrients and suspended sediments from the water column; its roots and rhizomes bind and hold sediments in place, thereby …

Nitrogen, Phosphorus, And Suspended Solids Concentrations In Tributaries To The Great Bay Estuary Watershed In 2015, Matthew A. Wood

PREP Reports & Publications

Nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment loads to the Great Bay Estuary are a constant concern. The Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) calculates the nitrogen load from tributaries to the Great Bay Estuary for its State of Our Estuaries reports. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to collect representative data on nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended sediment concentrations in tributaries to the Great Bay Estuary in 2015. The study design followed the tributary sampling design which was implemented by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services between 2001 and 2007 and sustained by the University of New Hampshire from 2008 to the …

Assessment Of Recent Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) Reef Restoration Projects In The Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire: Planning For The Future, Raymond E. Grizzle, Krystin M. Ward

PREP Reports & Publications

Current oyster populations in New Hampshire total less than 10% of what they were in the 1980s, and the causal factors for the declines include disease, sedimentation, and human harvest. The two major results from a population ecology perspective have been dramatic losses of oyster shell (the major substrate on which oyster larvae typically settle) as well as juvenile annual recruitment to the remaining reefs. Experimental scale oyster restoration projects addressing these two limitations (substrate and natural recruitment) were initiated in the state in the early 2000s by scientists at the University of New Hampshire (UNH). Since the mid-2000s, the …

Shellfish Tissue Monitoring In Piscataqua Region Estuaries 2014, Matthew A. Wood

PREP Reports & Publications

Originally conducted by the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment from 1993 to 2011, the Gulfwatch Program examined trends in the water quality of the Gulf of Maine by monitoring toxic contaminant concentrations in the tissues of shellfish. Starting in 2012 the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) continued this program in the Piscataqua Region. Each year, PREP collects blue mussels at three sites: Dover Point, NH (NHDP), Clark Cove on Seavey Island, ME (MECC), and Hampton-Seabrook Harbor (NHHS). The mussel tissue is analyzed to determine the concentrations of toxic contaminantss including heavy metals, chlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), …

Memorandum: Quality Assurance Of 2013 Great Bay Estuary Eelgrass Mapping Conducted By Fred Short, Matthew A. Wood

Quality Assurance Project Plans

The purpose of this memorandum is to document the results of quality assurance checks on the 2013 Great Bay Estuary Eelgrass Mapping conducted by Fred Short.

Testing Of Great Bay Oysters For Two Protozoan Pathogens, Douglas E. Grout, Bruce W. Smith

PREP Reports & Publications

Two protozoan pathogens, Haplosporidium nelsoni (MSX) and Perkinsus marinus (Dermo) are known to be present in Great Bay oysters. With funds provided by the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP), the Marine Fisheries Division of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (NHF&G) continues to assess the presence and intensity of both of these disease conditions in oysters from the major natural beds within the Great Bay estuarine system and at selected aquaculture sites. Histological examinations of Great Bay oysters have also revealed other endoparasites.

Nitrogen, Phosphorus, And Suspended Solids Concentrations In Tributaries To The Great Bay Estuary Watershed In 2014, Matthew A. Wood

PREP Reports & Publications

Nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment loads to the Great Bay Estuary are a constant concern. The Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) calculates the nitrogen load from tributaries to the Great Bay Estuary for its State of Our Estuaries reports. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to collect representative data on nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended sediment concentrations in tributaries to the Great Bay Estuary in 2014. The study design followed the tributary sampling design which was implemented by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services between 2001 and 2007 and sustained by the University of New Hampshire from 2008 to the …

Eelgrass Distribution In The Great Bay Estuary For 2013, Frederick T. Short

PREP Reports & Publications

Executive Summary Headlines:

o Great Bay lost 21% of its eelgrass from 2012 to 2013.

o As of 2013, the Great Bay Estuary has lost 50% of its eelgrass since 1996.

Once again, eelgrass in the Great Bay Estuary declined in both distribution and biomass between 2012 and 2013, continuing the long-term trend of eelgrass loss. In 2013, Great Bay itself lost over 20% of its eelgrass (333 acres) and biomass decreased, amounting to about 400 tons, down from 1600 tons in 1996. These eelgrass losses are alarming and not sustainable. In Great Bay, eelgrass distribution has declined 49% since …

Report On The 2013 Rapid Assessment Survey Of Marine Species At New England Bays And Harbors, Christopher D. Wells, Adrienne L. Pappal, Yuangyu Cao, James T. Carlton, Zara Currimjee, Jennifer A. Dijkstra, Sara K. Edquist, Arriaan Gittenberger, Seth Goodnight, Sara P. Grady, Larry G. Harris, Leslie H. Harris, Lindsay A. Green, Niels-Viggo Hobbs, Gretchen Lambert, Judith Pederson, Macarena Ros, Jan P. Smith, Lauren Stefaniak, Alexandra Stevens

PREP Reports & Publications

Introduced species (i.e., non-native species that have become established in a new location) have increasingly been recognized as a concern as they have become more prevalent in marine and terrestrial environments (Mooney and Cleland 2001; Simberloff et al. 2005). The ability of introduced species to alter population, community, and ecosystem structure and function, as well as cause significant economic damage is well documented (Carlton 1989, 1996b, 2000; Cohen and Carlton 1995; Cohen et al. 1995; Elton 1958; Meinesz et al. 1993; Occhipinti-Ambrogi and Sheppard 2007; Pimentel et al. 2005; Thresher 2000). The annual economic costs incurred from managing the approximately …

Memorandum: Quality Assurance Of 2013 Great Bay Estuary Eelgrass Monitoring Program Conducted By Kappa Mapping, Inc., Matthew A. Wood

Quality Assurance Project Plans

The purpose of this memorandum is to document the results of quality assurance checks on the 2013 Great Bay Estuary Eelgrass Monitoring Program.

Eelgrass Distribution In The Great Bay Estuary And Piscataqua River For 2013, Seth Barker

PREP Reports & Publications

Eelgrass distribution and cover in Great Bay, Little Bay, and the Piscataqua River Estuary were mapped from aerial photography acquired on August 24, 2013. The total area of eelgrass beds with 10% or greater cover was 1683.4 acres. The largest concentration of eelgrass was found in Great Bay with lesser amounts in the vicinity of Portsmouth Harbor. Comparisons to previous years are not made here.

Results Of 2013 Macroalgal Monitoring And Recommendations For Future Monitoring In Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire, Elisabeth Cianciola, David M. Burdick

PREP Reports & Publications

The recently designated nitrogen impairment and reports of elevated macroalgal growth in Great Bay Estuary indicate ecological imbalance. However, reversing the Estuary’s ecological decline will require commitment of considerable resources and is complicated by the variety of sources that deliver nitrogen to the Estuary and the intermittent nature of historic macroalgal monitoring. To advance our understanding of the macroalgal and nitrogen dynamics of the Estuary, data were collected via three approaches: 1) assessing plant cover and biomass along transects; 2) assessing plant cover at randomly selected points; and 3) comparing the nitrogen isotope ratios of macroalgae collected from different habitats. …