Coastal Water Quality

The GCRC has been involved in coastal water quality issues since its inception in 2001.

Research Areas

• Coastal Water Quality Indicators -- We have received funding to compile and analyze coastal water quality dataset from several disparate Coastal Resources Division programs. As part of this analysis, we will develop a framework for categorizing Georgia's coastal water quality status based on seasonal and long-term trends.

• Freshwater Inflow -- A large body of our work concerns the effects of changing inflow on downstream resources and conditions. Please visit this section to see our current projects and view a number of coastal water quality documents.

• Watershed Assessments -- Some of our most detailed studies were supported by the National Park System: we prepared Water Resources and Habitat Assessments of Fort Pulaski National Monument and Cumberland Island National Seashore. These substantial reports synthesized relevant data on coastal water quality to identify the key threats in the area. Since these parks are at the northern and southern extents of Georgia's coastline and they are in markedly different realms with respect to development, they provide an interesting perspective on coastal water quality in our region.

• Other water quality studies by GCRC affiliated researchers.

Other Projects

• Southeast Coastal Water Quality Monitoring Metadata Project -- The National Park Service has identified a need to compile information on long-term monitoring of water quality in southeast coastal waters. The GCRC is working with many agency partners to create a database of water quality metadata.

• Coastal Stakeholder Issues -- Additional information on water quality issues may be found in the material for this focus area.

Documents and other resources

• State of Knowledge Report: Stormwater Ponds in the Coastal Zone. Sadie Drescher, Mark Messersmith, Braxton Davis, Denise Sanger, October 2007. Prepared by the South Carolina Dept. of Health and Environmental Control, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management in cooperation with the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium. (1.4 Mb PDF, opens in new window)