Hobcaw Barony and the USC Baruch Marine Field Laboratory James L. Pinckney Marine Science Program and Department of Biological Sciences School of the Earth, Ocean, and Environment University of South Carolina Columbia, SC tailing red drum on flooded salt marsh
Georgetown Hobcaw Barony USC Kimbel Center, HBDC USC Baruch Marine Field Lab North Inlet Estuary Winyah Bay Estuary
The Belle W. Baruch Foundation Owns and manages Hobcaw Barony Operates the Discovery Center with USC University of South Carolina Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences Operates the Baruch Marine Field Laboratory, Kimbel Conference Center, and North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Clemson University Belle W. Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science Operates a research laboratory and conducts coastal wetland and forestry research and education
Hobcaw Barony 16,000 acres or 25 sq. miles Forest, barrier island, salt marsh, old ricefields National Historic Register Protected, isolated, and relatively undisturbed Dedicated for research, education, conservation
Hobcaw Barony Former rice plantations purchased by Bernard Baruch in the early 1900s Used at first as a winter retreat for his family, later as a sportmen s lodge for his guests Became daughter Belle s property to enjoy, then to forever protect
Baruch Marine Field Laboratory The Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences School of Earth, Ocean, and Environment College of Arts and Sciences University of South Carolina
Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences University of South Carolina Research on the biology, chemistry, physical dynamics, ecology of estuaries geology, and Training of tomorrow s marine scientists, educators, and decision makers Informing the public about the coast and ways to protect and improve systems and resources
USC s Baruch Marine Field Laboratory
Currently at the BMFL: 75 research and environmental education projects involving >120 faculty, grad students, and staff from 30 institutions and agencies 4800 person-days of use of the BMFL Baruch Scholarships and Visiting Scientist Awards 26 college field trips from USC and 11 other institutions Summer Courses
Maymester Courses Marine Science 460
North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Education: K-12 field trips, teacher training, family events Professional training: workshops for decision-makers Stewardship: conservation programs, citizen science Environmental monitoring and research, CDMO
BMFL North Inlet Estuary - Ocean dominated, high salinity - >90% of its watershed is natural forest - Outstanding water and habitat quality - Likely the most intensively studied and best understood estuary of its kind Winyah Bay Estuary - Freshwater inflow from 5 rivers - 3 rd largest estuary of east coast
Understanding the structure and function of estuaries Watersheds Salt Marshes - Waterways Coastal Ocean Geology, Hydrology, Chemistry, and Biology
Some Research Themes: Salt marsh grass (Spartina) and algae: growth and production, microbial processes, and nutrient chemistry Tides, waves, storms: sediment erosion/deposition, mud flat dynamics, tidal creek evolution
Water Chemistry and Microbiology: Nutrients, bacteria, suspended sediments, phytoplankton, zooplankton
Ecology and Biology: Oyster reefs, intertidal creeks, marsh pools, and flats Use of these habitats by fishes, shrimps, crabs, and birds
Imaging Instrument Array: multi-spectral camera, thermal camera, spectrophotometer Helikite (tethered helium kite-balloon) to fly those instruments terrestrial laser scanner multi-beam sonar
Environmental Monitoring in North Inlet Estuary: Long-term measurements since ~1980 More than 100 variables including: atmospheric conditions water quality and chemistry plant and algae productivity animal populations and communities
Water Quality and Atmospheric Monitoring 24-7-365: temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, ph, turbidity, depth, rainfall, sunlight, barometric pressure, wind salinity ppt 36 33 30 27 Rain 8/24-8/27 2.0 depth m 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0 DO mg/l 6 4 2 0 7.6 ph 7.2 6.8 turbidity NTU temperature o C 40 20 0 33 30 27 24 Wed 21 Thu 22 Fri 23 Sat 24 Sun 25 Mon 26 Tue 27 August 2002
Salinity in North Inlet Estuary, SC Seasonal means, Biweekly BB: Spring 1979 Winter 2016 * El Nino brings more rain and river runoff = lower salinity 35 30 25 * * * * * * * * * * * * 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
Impact of Historic October 2015 Flood on Salinity in North Inlet, SC 1. typical high salinity until October 2, then crashed to river-like levels 2. highly variable and low through winter, flood impact sustained by El Nino effect 3. salinity returning to typical high levels in May 35 1. 2. 3. 30 25 20 15 10 5 Sept. Nov. Jan. Mar. May
Water Temperature, North Inlet Estuary, SC Seasonal Residuals Spring 1979 Winter 2016 10 year Moving Average 4 3 2 1 0-1 -2-3 -4 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
Zooplankton in North Inlet estuary, SC Long-term decreases since 1981 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Larval anchovies since 1981
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 101 103 105 107 109 111 113 115 117 119 Small Mesozooplankton (153 µm) North Inlet, SC Quarterly dates from 1981-2013 (w/o 2011) total organisms (no./m 3 ), mean densities (in white) Long-term trend; linear regression (in red) r 2 = 0.05 p= 0.01 70000 60000 50000 40000 30000 20000 10000 0 1981 1985 1991 1995 2001 2005 2011 2013
Comparison of juvenile fish catches (all species) in an otter trawl, Town Creek, North Inlet Estuary Periods separated by 30 + years: 1981-84 versus 2012-2015 Catch-per-unit-effort +/- SE 1000 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 1981-1984 (n = 94) 2012-2015 (n = 78)
Sea level data from NOAA tide gauge Charleston, SC Highly correlated with NOAA tide gauge North Inlet, SC Rise = about 4 inches in the past 35 years (since 1980)
Salt marsh grass lives in a fairly narrow range between the low and high tide levels To keep from being drowned, tidal marshes have to accumulate enough sediment to keep up with sea level rise Recent measurements indicate that is not happening along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts Systems like North Inlet are expected to become mostly open-water lagoons in the next 50 years
Impacts of climate change on animals and intertidal habitat?
Impacts on commercial and recreational fisheries?
In addition to changing climate, our activities are imposing stresses on coastal ecosystems
Striving to discover and provide the scientific information necessary to establish a healthy balance
Education is the Key K-12 teachers citizens and organizations consultants government and other coastal decision makers
Courtesy of Dr. Erik Smith
Oyster Landing, North Inlet Estuary, South Carolina