Priority Topics

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
The Reserve is actively engaged in the collection and distribution of information for a Geographic Information System (GIS). This priority will serve many interested parties. The existing GIS laboratory on Sapelo Island has been expanded to accommodate equipment for Global Positioning Systems (GPS) devices and a database with digital historical and recently created research-based maps. The GIS database will visually display archival geographical records for Sapelo Island. Through the Reserve System's Stewardship Program, the Reserve’s GIS laboratory houses these resources and make them available in the form of an online database for visiting scientists, resource managers and other interested parties.

The Reserve's GIS program also maintains a geocache site on the island. For details, visit www.geocaching.com. Be aware, those interested in searching for the Reserve's geocache on Sapelo Island must make proper tour arrangements through the Sapelo Island Visitor Center.

The Reserve's Stewardship program has begun the task of locating and recovering existing National Geodetic Survey benchmarks and National Ocean Services tidal markers located on and around Sapelo Island.  In July 2008, four new markers were installed by USGS in locations more easily accessible and convenient for research scientist use

Habitat Mapping
Comprehensive Habitat and Land Use Mapping at Sapelo Island, Wolf Island NWR and Blackbeard Island NWR began in February 2009.  The photo interpreters will collect ground truth information required to update/characterize the habitats within the Reserve boundary and map the landscape features of the surrounding watershed of Sapelo Island.  CRMS personnel will work with SINERR staff to conduct quick plots that establish the dominant vegetation species and record information on pertinent environmental factors, disturbance history and management activities relevant to the habitat characteristic.

The geographic location of all field points will be recorded using hand-held Garmin GPS receivers with WAAS-enabled differential corrections for geometric accuracies of approximately +/- 3 m. Digital cameras will be used to record visual images of the characteristic habitats that are tied to the field points through hyperlinks in the geodatabase.  This data will be transferred NERRS Classification Scheme through a five-level hierarchical system with strict numeric attributes.  With cooperation from GDNR resource managers, the SINERR, Wolf Island NWR and Blackbeard Island NWR will be mapped to all five levels (System, Subsystem, Class, Subclass and Descriptor) using protocols provided in Walker et al. 2005.  All data will be submitted in ArcGIS and KML (Google map files) documents.

Monitoring

• Mercury Deposition Network (MDN) Sampling Program:The objective of the MDN is to develop a national database of weekly concentrations of total mercury and methyl mercury in precipitation and the seasonal and annual flux of total mercury in wet deposition. The data is used to develop information on spatial and seasonal trends in mercury deposition. The "wet-side" sampling glassware is removed from the collector every Tuesday and mailed to the Hg Analytical Laboratory (HAL) at Frontier Geosciences in Seattle, Washington, for analysis by cold vapor atomic fluorescence. The MDN provides data for total mercury and methyl mercury.  The Sapelo Island Reserve's station is the only Reserve program participating in this mercury network.
• National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP): The Stewardship Coordinator is responsible for the technical operation of the Reserve NADP site.  Sapelo Island Reserve joined this program in the fall of 2002 in partnership with the Georgia Coastal Ecosystems-LTER program.  The operational duties include weekly maintenance, calibration and preliminary sample analysis prior to submission to the central Analytical Laboratory (CAL) for further analysis, data entry and validation.  The CAL measures deposition sample volume, conductivity, and the following concentrations: calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, ammonium, nitrate, chloride, sulfate and orthophosphate.  The Sapelo Island Reserve site ID # is GA33, and data can be viewed at http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/.
• Marsh Bird Monitoring Program: This program is being conducted through the Stewardship and Volunteer Program at Sapelo Island Reserve.  The Stewardship Coordinator is the primary contact with volunteer observers.  This system-wide initiative was adopted in 2007 and surveys began in spring 2008.  Marsh birds may represent “indicator species” for assessing wetland ecosystem quality.  Few estimates of marsh bird population trends currently exist.  Information gained from a standardized monitoring effort will help managers preserve biodiversity, ecosystem quality, and recreational value across the continent.   Currently data is managed by the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, in cooperation with the University of Arizona and the USFWS Office of Migratory Birds. The website facilitates data entry, data quality control, and report generation.   A total of three surveys are conducted annually during the breeding season. SINERR has selected seven sites on Sapelo Island for the Marsh Bird Monitoring Program.  Three sites are on an evening survey route, and the remaining four are a morning survey route.  These sites are fixed, permanent survey points on a route and each survey point receives a unique identification number.  A map of all survey point locations has been plotted to submit with the data.