ELIZABETH
CITY STATE UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Faculty
Research Assistants
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Department of Geological, Environmental and Marine Sciences Remote Sensing Lab
ECSU's Department
of Geological, Environmental and Marine Sciences (GEMS) Remote Sensing
Lab is presently conducting a three year NOAA funded project entitled "
North Carolina Coastal Habitat Protection Plan Implementation Support through
Directed Research and Remote Sensing". The project is a collaborative
effort between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), ECSU, the North Carolina Division
of Coastal Management (DCM), and the North Carolina Division of Marine
Fisheries (DMF). ECSU is collaborating with agencies within the North Carolina
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to develop appropriate
implementation strategies as part of the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan
(CHPP) process. Applications of remotely sensed data (both aerial photography
and satellite imagery) are being used to better identify, quantify, protect
and enhance critical fish habitats that support marine, estuarine and anadromous
fisheries, particularly in the northeastern region of North Carolina and
the southeastern portion of Virgina. Dr. San Juan is principle investigator
and Liz Noble is project coordinator of the NOAA Environmental Entrpreneurship
Program (EEP). Research Assistants include Jacklyn
James, Shanna Chamblis, Reginald Bazemore,
Emma Sawyer, Matthew Woolard, Richard Hewlin, Solomon Griffin, Heather
Allen, and Aubrey Jones.
Additional SAV research being initiated at ECSU includes work by Dr. Kathleen Fischer, Assistant Professor in the GEMS Department at ECSU. Dr. Fisher, a geochemist, is interested in understanding the environmental factors that trigger enhanced SAV growth in Albermale and Currituck sounds, particularly favorable climatic conditions, optimal dissolved nutrient levels and/or low suspended solid concentrations. This research proposes to monitor SAV distribution and duration during periods of low and high coverage by collecting data on SAV species compositon, water chemistry (dissolved oxygen and dissolved nutrient concentrations, temperature, salinity, clarity and trace metals), suspended sediment concentrations, bottom sediment characteristics, and meterological conditions.
