NPS photo / M. Forbes Boyle (SECN Botanist)
NPS photo / SECN staff
Overview
Canaveral National Seashore lies on the east coast of central Florida, in Volusia and Brevard Counties, just north of Kennedy Space Center. The seashore protects the longest stretch of undeveloped coastline in Florida. The park is approximately 23,335 hectares (57,661 acres), including Mosquito Lagoon. The southern portion of the seashore is jointly managed by the NPS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The natural resources at the seashore include a diverse assemblage of wildlife, vegetation communities, geophysical features, and natural processes that reflect the complexity of the land/lagoon/sea interface of east–central Florida. Mosquito Lagoon, extending along the backside of the barrier island, is the northernmost part of the Indian River Lagoon and was designated an Estuary of National Significance by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1991. The lagoon acts as an important nursery area for a wide variety of wildlife species.
Unlike many barrier islands, Canaveral National Seashore has a simplified dune system separating the lagoon from the ocean, generally consisting of a single primary dune averaging 3.7 meters (12 feet) in height. Surface water, including the nearshore Atlantic Ocean, comprises 68% of the Seashore’s total area, while five dominant vegetative classes make up 22.7% of the remaining area: mangroves, oak-palmetto shrubland, pine woodlands, oak-cabbage palmetto hammock, and salt wort-salt grass (Cotten et al. 2020). The distribution of vegetation community types at the park generally follows subtle variations in topography, salinity gradients, and differences in hydrologic properties. The seashore’s unique and complex habitat mosaic supports a high species diversity in many taxa.
The Southeast Coast Network conducts the following monitoring at Canaveral National Seashore:
- Water-quality monitoring is conducted in the estuarine waters at Canaveral National Seashore. To effectively monitor a diverse and dynamic set of estuarine water resources, the network implements a two-pronged monitoring approach consisting of a fixed-monitoring station and parkwide assessments. This gives a more complete picture of physical processes, diurnal and seasonal variations, and spatial patterns during critical portions of the year. The fixed station monitoring site is near the Apollo Beach visitor center, on the northeast side of Mosquito Lagoon where a data sonde measures chlorophyll a, depth, dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, total algae, turbidity, and water temperature data every 30 minutes. Data collected from the site is augmented with monthly data collected at five additional stations by St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) in Mosquito Lagoon. Water-quality data from the sonde are available on the Aquarius web portal. Parkwide water quality assessments are conducted every five years at 30 randomly selected estuarine sites and evaluate the same parameters monitored at fixed-stations. In addition, sediment samples are collected every ten years and analyzed for metals and organic contaminates. Water-quality monitoring at Canaveral National Seashore has been ongoing since 2007.
- Coastal shoreline change monitoring is conducted on an annual basis and frequently after major storm events. Change in shoreline position drives the alteration and replacement of established natural habitats, and shoreline retreat may destroy cultural resources, facilities, and other infrastructure. Spring data collection is scheduled during March to April while fall collection is September to November. An open-data geo package containing all shoreline data collected by the Southeast Coast Network from 2017–2023 has been published.
- Salt marsh elevation monitoring sites are surveyed twice annually during spring and fall. Salt marshes and coastal wetlands habitats host a wide diversity of wildlife and are important to many aquatic species but are threatened by sea-level rise. The marshes must grow at a rate equal to or greater than the rate of sea level rise, or they will eventually disappear. The network measures salt marsh elevation and investigates the rate of accretion or subsidence (growth or reduction) in these areas. Salt marsh elevation monitoring at Canaveral National Seashore has been ongoing since 2014 and a cumulative data package was recently updated and published. This data package includes data from 1998 through 2024 and includes data for five I&M networks.
- Landbird community monitoring and Vocal anuran community monitoring is conducted on a rotating schedule every three years. These wildlife communities play critical roles in park ecosystems and interact with several trophic levels of food webs. The network uses automated recording devices (ARDs) to collect vocalization data during mornings and evenings in the spring, which are analyzed by bioacoustics specialists. Data collected from these vital sign monitoring efforts help assess the ecological integrity and diversity of park areas and how communities and park conditions may change over time. The landbird and vocal anuran monitoring efforts in network parks began in 2012.
- Vegetation community monitoring is conducted on a rotating schedule. Monitoring vegetation is important because it’s key indicator of overall ecosystem health. Changes in vegetation reflect the effects of stressors like extreme weather, disease, invasive species, fire, and land use change. Plant communities also provide structured habitat and food resources for other species. Vegetation monitoring data provides managers with information about the degree of change in their park’s natural communities. Vegetation plots have been established across the following habitats: Coastal Plain Open Woodlands and Maritime Upland Forests and Shrublands. Data reports include information about new occurrences and rare plants, species richness and abundance, tree health and regeneration, disturbance observations, soil nutrients, landform/geomorphology, and downed woody debris.
|
Vital Sign
|
Examples of Measurements |
|---|---|
| Estuarine Water Quality | pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity |
| Shoreline Change | Net shoreline movement and end-point rate |
| Salt Marsh Elevation | Magnitude, rate and within-site variability of surface elevation, sediment accretion or erosion, different drivers |
| Landbirds and Vocal Anurans | Species occurrence, distribution |
| Terrrestrial Vegetation | Plant community diversity, relative species/guild abundance, structure/age class, incidence of disease |
Source: Data Store Collection 3947. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.
Source: Data Store Collection 3943 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.
Source: Data Store Collection 3945 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.
Source: Data Store Collection 3944. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.
Source: Data Store Collection 3949 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.
Source: Data Store Collection 3948 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.
Source: Data Store Collection 3946 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.
Last updated: November 11, 2024