Our research requires a range of tools, techniques, and talents. We may venture to remote areas or work in offices; use sophisticated hand-held data devices or something as simple as a measuring tape. We count, measure, and monitor in places ranging from glaciers to coral reefs; from isolated desert springs to lakes and rocky coasts. Here are stories about how we work and how we're learning about national parks.
Tales from the Field
Showing results 1-7 of 7
Loading results...
- Sites: Inventory and Monitoring Division, Sierra Nevada Inventory & Monitoring Network, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Yosemite National Park
Sierra Nevada lakes provide habitat for wild plants and animals and supply fresh water to downstream farms and communities. Their rugged settings and clear blue water make them popular hiking destinations. But the condition of these lakes is affected by deposition of air pollutants, warming temperatures, and non-native species. In this story map, readers join Sierra Nevada Network field scientists as they travel to remote areas and study lake ecosystems.
- Northeast Coastal and Barrier Inventory & Monitoring Network
Documenting the Toll of Coastal Storms — with Smartphones
To document the impacts of storms in national parks, NPS is experimenting with smartphone applications such as GeoJot and ArcGIS Online. These applications allow users to capture field data using a smartphone or tablet by taking geotagged photos and filling out pre-constructed forms embedded in the photos.
- Sites: Katmai National Park & Preserve, Lake Clark National Park & Preserve
Although remote, the Alaska Peninsula is still vulnerable to natural and human-caused disturbances. These disturbances could affect the amount of food available for brown bears. As part of a larger project looking at the nearshore environment of the peninsula, biologists will outfit 12 bears with GPS collars, to track their movements between different habitats, and conduct direct observations on these bears to collect data on their foraging behavior.
- Northeast Coastal and Barrier Inventory & Monitoring Network
Discovering the Secrets of Resilience: Through long-term monitoring, National Park Service scientists learn how coastal places rebound from storms and adapt to sea level rise
Traveling through several National Parks from Maine to Virginia, biologist Jim Lynch measures gradual changes occurring in salt marshes. The vital sign that he tracks for the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network (NCBN) is salt marsh sediment elevation. Using a device called a Surface Elevation Table (SET), he learns whether existing salt marshes are building up sediment fast enough to keep pace with sea level rise and to avoid drowning.
- Sites: Regions 3, 4, and 5, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Indiana Dunes National Park, more »
Great Lakes Network staff assisted Midwest Region staff in a mapping project that reveals a whole new way of looking at the Great Lakes parks.
- Katmai National Park & Preserve
Winter Marine Bird Survey - Part I
Part one of "When the Birding Gets Tough," a personal account of the 2018 Katmai Winter Marine Bird Survey as told by a newcomer to Alaska and the rigors of research in Alaska's capricious coastal areas.
- Sites: Northeast Coastal and Barrier Inventory & Monitoring Network, Assateague Island National Seashore, Cape Cod National Seashore, Fire Island National Seashore, Gateway National Recreation Area
Researchers, including Monique LaFrance, take part in a landmark mission in four coastal National Parks to map thousands of acres of underwater habitats that have never been surveyed. Together, the four habitat-mapping teams will create maps to help coastal parks in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Maryland better prepare for damaging storms and sea level rise.
#sciencedeskdigs: The Tools We Use
What do Inventory & Monitoring scientists keep on their desks? These installments of the #sciencedeskdigs series gives you a special look!
Showing results 1-4 of 4
Loading results...
These specialized binoculars are invaluable in helping Chris Sergeant, NPS Ecologist in Southeast Alaska, track bird populations. Take a gander here and learn what’s so special about this rather ordinary-looking pair. (Adapted from a post from the Instagram series called #sciencedeskdigs).
Simon Kingston, the (Acting) National Data Manager for the Inventory and Monitoring Division, explains how database managers use process models. (Adapted from a post from the Instagram series called #sciencedeskdigs that highlights the stories and work of NRSS scientists).
Alison Loar a Biologist with the Inventory and Monitoring Division explains why she hangs onto a species reference manual from '94. (Adapted from a post from the Instagram series called #sciencedeskdigs that highlights the stories and work of NRSS scientists).
Learn about how Ecologist, Erin Borgman, helps parks monitor the animals that live there by setting up wildlife cameras to capture their presence and behavior. (Adapted from a post from the Instagram series called #sciencedeskdigs that highlights the stories and work of NRSS scientists).
Last updated: January 26, 2021