Currituck Sound/Back Bay 

CooperativeSAV Habitat Mapping Project

Project Need: The proposed project is to monitor submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in the area from Back Bay, Virginia, to Kitty Hawk Bay, NC. This proposed project is part of an overall and ongoing effort by the state and federal natural resource management agencies to establish long-term monitoring of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in coastal NC and Virginia. 

• Acquire aerial photography needed to map current SAV distribution in Back Bay, Virginia and Currituck Sound, NC. 
• Scan and geo-reference the photography 
• Conduct field surveys from a sub-sample of SAV habitat sites 
• Analyze and interpret the photography 
• Produce maps of SAV habitat polygons in a GIS format 
• Share these data with federal and state natural resource agencies, academia, and the public 

ECSU- Project Leaders: Liz Noble and Aubrey Jones, Research Assistants: Matt Woolard, Soloman Griffin, Jacklyn James, Shanna Chambliss, Shalonda Poole, Richard Hewlin 

Partners- US Fish and Wildlife Service (region 4 & 5), Virginia Institute of Marine Science, North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, The Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program.

Timeline: 

• Obtain aerial photography -Late summer 2003 
• Scan and register the photography -Fall and Winter of 2003 
• Field surveys of SAV sites -Late Summer and Fall 2003 and spring-summer 2004 
• Analyze and interpret the photography -Winter to summer 2004 
• Provide the maps and aerial photographs -Summer 2004 
• Papers maps will be produced and project information included on webpage 

Surveys of submerged aquatic vegatation have been conducted in the coastal North Carolina estuarine system. Many natural resource management agencies and researchers, recognizing the important ecological functions of SAV habitat to fisheries, waterfowl, and water quality, have identified the need for SAV mapping and monitoring. The National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA's Coastal Services Center, and the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences all have similar interests and objectives in mapping and protecting SAV habitat, and have provided techniceal support and guidance to ECSU's SAV habitat mapping project in Albemarle Sound.

Materials and Methods:
 
 
 
 

Results: 

Acknowledgements:

Funding provided by Cooperating Partners, Elizabeth City State University, and the NOAA EEP Program.