The research program at the Great Bay Reserve contributes to the goal of protecting healthy ecosystems and thriving human communities within the Great Bay Estuary and its watershed. Data and information gathered through Reserve’s research and monitoring programs guide stewardship and management activities within and beyond the Reserve and address information needs faced by decision-makers in local communities. Many research endeavors are pursued in collaboration and partnership with local universities and agencies, and we welcome inquiries from scientists interested in conducting research that is aligned with Reserve’s priorities.
The GBNERR’s research and monitoring efforts focus on four themes: (1) water quality, (2) land use change, (3) biological communities, and (4) climate change.
Water Quality
Great Bay Reserve’s water quality monitoring program was initiated in 1995 as part of the System-Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP). The first monitoring station was established in the middle of Great Bay, and subsequent stations have been added in the Squamscott, Lamprey, and Oyster rivers. At each station, a multi-parameter datasonde records temperature, depth, salinity, turbidity, pH, and dissolved oxygen every 15 minutes. In addition, nutrient concentrations, suspended solids, and chlorophyll-a are measured monthly. Further, a weather station provides contextual information to aid the interpretation of the water quality data. Water quality and weather data are telemetered in near-real time so that users of the data can track changes in the environmental conditions in Great Bay. The water quality monitoring program provides important information for local applications and also enables comparisons of changes in Great Bay to those observed in other estuaries.
Land Use Change
The Reserve is currently classifying and mapping habitats within the Reserve to document their prevalence and distribution. This work is guided by the Reserve System's classification scheme. Completion of the current mapping effort will establish a baseline against which future land use changes and associated habitat impacts can be quantified.
Biological Communities
Great Bay Reserve monitors species populations, invasive species, and habitat conditions within the Reserve. Some programs track the extent and density of seagrass beds, Phragmites invasion of salt marshes, and waterfowl wintering on Great Bay. Recent research projects have focused on understanding changes in anadromous fish populations. In 2007, the Reserve began collaborating with fishery management agencies in Maine and Massachusetts to identify and evaluate factors that affect rainbow smelt spawning in coastal rivers, and this research will form the basis for a conservation plan to protect this species of concern.
Climate Change
The Reserve recognizes the ecological and social challenges associated with climate change. Its research and monitoring programs will provide decision-relevant information to local communities and management agencies as they begin adaptation planning. Current efforts are focused primarily on two projects:
(1) With support from CICEET and collaborators at UNH and Antioch New England, the Reserve is initiating a project to assess the risk of 100-year floods in the Lamprey River watershed based on future climate change and land use scenarios. This project will provide local communities with maps of flood risk zones associated with different scenarios.
(2) Efforts are underway to establish vertical benchmarks in various low-elevation habitat types within the Reserve. Regular surveying of these benchmarks, coupled with enhanced data from tide gauges, will enable the Reserve to accurately track local sea level rise and anticipate its effects on habitats within the Great Bay ecosystem.
