Management Plan - National Estuarine Research Reserve System

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X. Research and Monitoring PlanIntroductionStrategiesThe Wells Reserve Research Program studiesand monitors change in Gulf of Maine estuaries,coastal habitats, and adjacent coastal watersheds,and produces science-based information needed toprotect, sustain, or restore them. In a typical year,the program directs or assists with more than 20studies involving dozens of scientists, students,and staff from the Reserve, academic and researchinstitutions, resource management agencies, andenvironmental and conservation groups.Wells Reserve scientists participate in research,monitoring, planning, management, and outreachactivities locally, regionally and nationally. Theprogram supports field research along Maine’ssouthwest coast from the Kennebec River to thePiscataqua River, including nearshore and offshorewaters. Within this region, effort is focused onthe coastal compartments from Great Bay, N.H.,to Casco Bay, Maine, which are characterized bynumerous marsh-dominated estuaries and barrierbeaches.The Wells Reserve Research Program will continueto focus its efforts on investigations of coastal foodwebs, the habitats that support them, and thehuman-mediated and natural disturbances thatalter them. In addition, we will continue to activelypromote the development and implementationof regionally coordinated ecological monitoringof coastal habitats along the gradient of least disturbed,to restored, to most disturbed. This will beaccomplished through committee work, meetings,workshops, presentations, and reports. New effortswithin the Research Program include the developmentof programmatic ties with one or moreacademic institutions.Objectives and StrategiesObjective 1Investigate coastal food webs and habitats, theirunderlying physical and biological processes, andtheir response to natural changes and humanactivities.◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊Investigate the ecology of estuarine and coastalhabitats and food webs along the Gulf ofMaine.Evaluate the effectiveness of coastal habitatrestoration along the Gulf of Maine.Support investigations regarding salt-marshfish production.Support investigations regarding the quantityand quality of estuarine and watershedresources.Promote the investigation of linkages betweenestuaries and open water in the Gulf of Maine.Promote a landscape ecology approach to theconservation of coastal lands and watersheds.Collaborate with other agencies to determinecoastal research needs relevant to resourcemanagement, and conduct research projects tomeet those needs.Participate in system-wide scientific workgroups addressing how wetlands, estuaries,and nearshore ecosystems respond to land usewithin coastal watersheds.Provide scientific support for education, outreach,and training efforts to manage andprotect freshwater and tidal shorelands inwatersheds.Objective 2Provide visiting investigators and staff with opportunitiesto conduct independent or collaborativeresearch at the Reserve and in the Gulf of Maineregion.Strategies◊ Train and mentor undergraduates, graduatestudents and citizen volunteers.◊◊◊Support visiting researchers by providingaccess to facilities, field sites, staff and interns.Participate in the NOAA Graduate ResearchFellowship Program and offer opportunitiesfor graduate research fellows to make contributionsin their chosen field of research.Cultivate programmatic affiliations withacademic institutions, and collaborate withinstitutions on specific research projects.78 Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve
Figure X.1. Jeremy Miller (right) and Martin Junco identify, measure and photograph benthic invertebratesfrom the Gulf of Maine.◊Share information, personnel, equipment andfacilities with partners to facilitate research.Objective 3Promote the development and implementationof regionally coordinated ecological monitoringof coastal habitats, and continue to maintain andexpand the System Wide Monitoring Program(SWMP).Strategies◊ Fully implement and expand SWMP, includingbio-monitoring and land-use change analysis.◊◊◊◊◊Collect, maintain and analyze consistentSWMP data for weather, water quality, nutrients,vegetation and land-use change usingstandardized protocols and technologies.Organize, review, document and submit quality-controlledSWMP data to the CentralData Management Office.Promote and increase awareness of SWMPdata within the Gulf of Maine scientificcommunity.Link SWMP and other monitoring effortswith the Gulf of Maine Ocean ObservingSystem and the national Integrated OceanObserving System.Contribute to local, regional and Gulf ofMaine initiatives involving restoration scienceand coastal habitat monitoring.NERR System Research OverviewThe National Estuarine Research Reserve System(NERRS) provides a mechanism for addressingscientific and technical aspects of coastal managementproblems through a comprehensive, interdisciplinaryand coordinated approach. Research andmonitoring programs, including the developmentof baseline information, form the basis of thisapproach. Reserve research and monitoring activitiesare guided by national plans that identify goals,priorities, and implementation strategies for theseprograms. This approach, when used in combinationwith the education and outreach programs, willhelp ensure the availability of scientific informationthat has long-term, system-wide consistency andutility for managers and members of the public touse in protecting or improving natural processes intheir estuaries.The NERRS research program was re-evaluated in1991, 1994 and 1996. Research policy at the WellsReserve is designed to fulfill the NERRS goals asdefined in program regulations. These include:◊◊Address coastal management issues identifiedas significant through coordinated estuarineresearch within the System;Promote Federal, state, public and private useof one or more reserves within the SystemManagement Plan: Research and Monitoring79
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Wells National Estuarine Research R
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Table of ContentsAcknowledgments..
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Representation on the Reserve Manag
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Objectives and Strategies.. . . . .
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XIII. Volunteer Plan.. . . . . . .
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xiiWells National Estuarine Researc
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I. OverviewIntroduction to the Rese
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Exhibits and Interpretive Trails; P
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The Wells Reserve requires specific
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II. IntroductionThe Value of Estuar
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Figure II.3. Biogeographic regions
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1.2.3.Address coastal management is
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Department of of CommerceNational O
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16 Wells National Estuarine Researc
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III. Wells NERR SettingPhysical Set
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Figure III.3. The two principal wat
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Wells Reserve campus and adjacent s
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230 bird species and at least 32 ma
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landscapes are assuming a suburban
Page 43 and 44: IV. Strategic Plan29
Page 45 and 46: Objective 2: Optimize educational u
Page 47 and 48: V. Accomplishments33
Page 49 and 50: Figure V.2. Chris Feurt, the CTP Co
Page 51 and 52: Figure V.4. The barn complex was co
Page 53 and 54: ◊With partners (U.S. Fish and Wil
Page 55 and 56: VI. Administration41
Page 57 and 58: RMAManagerEducationResearch & Stewa
Page 59 and 60: ◊The York County Audubon Society,
Page 61 and 62: The Reserve Manager serves as the c
Page 63 and 64: Figure VI.4. An October sunrise gra
Page 65 and 66: VII. Facilities andConstruction51
Page 67 and 68: ◊Make facilities available to par
Page 69 and 70: Figure VII.2. The Reserved Life Est
Page 71 and 72: Killing House (early 1900’s)This
Page 73 and 74: Estate and are currently privately
Page 75 and 76: VIII. Public Access61
Page 77 and 78: Figure VIII.2. An artist at work by
Page 79 and 80: Figure VIII.4. A family enjoys a wa
Page 81 and 82: IX. Education and Outreach67
Page 83 and 84: Strategies◊ Work with partners to
Page 85 and 86: K-12 EducationThe Wells Reserve edu
Page 87 and 88: signs of wildlife, water quality mo
Page 89 and 90: irds, beach exploration, seasonal m
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Page 95 and 96: System-wide Monitoring ProgramThe N
Page 97 and 98: tions concerning the sustainability
Page 99 and 100: permit, the Research Department als
Page 101 and 102: XI. Stewardship87
Page 103 and 104: ◊◊◊◊◊Protect pristine hab
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Page 107 and 108: will monitor this site (and others
Page 109 and 110: Figure XI.6. The Wells Reserve Stew
Page 111 and 112: XII. Reserve Boundary andAcquisitio
Page 113 and 114: Proposed Changes to the Reserve and
Page 115 and 116: Figure XII.2 (top): The main stems
Page 117 and 118: By expanding its boundary the Wells
Page 119 and 120: forests, and wetlands. It has habit
Page 121 and 122: Conservation EasementThe Wells Rese
Page 123 and 124: XIII. Volunteers109
Page 125 and 126: Figure XIII.1. Beach Profiling volu
Page 127 and 128: XIV. Communications113
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Page 131 and 132: AppendicesAppendix A: Memoranda of
Page 133 and 134: Appendix A: Memoranda ofUnderstandi
Page 135 and 136: Appendix A-1Management Plan: Append
Page 141 and 142: Management Plan: Appendix A127
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Appendix A-3Management Plan: Append
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Management Plan: Appendix A131
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Appendix B: ConservationEasementsMa
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Appendix B-1Management Plan: Append
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Management Plan: Appendix B153
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Appendix C: State of MaineLegislati
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Appendix C-1Management Plan: Append
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Management Plan: Appendix C171
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Appendix D: Rules forPublic UseMana
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Appendix Das part of the Reserve. T
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Appendix D(a) No person shall remov
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Appendix D(a) Third through fifth g
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Appendix E: NaturalResource LawsMan
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Appendix Ecomponents of the Program
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Appendix Eability of these areas to
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Appendix ETowns experiencing less g
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Appendix Emust be in place before a
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Appendix F: FederalRegulations—NE
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Appendix Ffor resource management p
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Appendix F(b) The biogeographic cla
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Appendix Fzone. Key land and water
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Appendix Fminor construction projec
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Appendix Finterests therein, for an
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Appendix Fagencies and/or private o
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Appendix Fand the additional compon
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Appendix FResearch Reserve System.(
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Appendix FDC 20235. The following m
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Appendix FThis typology system refl
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Appendix Fthe boring clam Playdon,
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Appendix FC. Inlet type. Inlets in
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Appendix FB. pH Regime: This is ind
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Appendix G:CZMA—Section 315Manage
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Appendix GIn developing the guideli
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Appendix H:Wells National Estuarine
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Appendix HWells National Estuarine
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