Sapelo Research Application Form
Research Application ID: GCE-15-2011 (submitted: 06/23/2011, status: approved)
Provide a brief title for web display
Photomapping of marsh vegetation
Investigator Information
On Island Sponsor: GCE SINERR UGAMI GADNR
| Principal Investigator: | Steven C. Pennings | ||
| Home Institution: | University of Houston | ||
| Award Information: | GCE LTER 2, $4,920,000 for entire project. | ||
| Mailing Address: | Department of Biology and Biochemistry | Phone Number: | (713) 743-2989 |
| University of Houston | E-mail Address: | scpennin@central.uh.edu | |
| Houston, Texas 77204-5513 | |||
| Co-investigators: | |||
Briefly describe the project goals and methodology
This project is a collaboration with Dr. Marc Garbey, Department of Computer Science, University of Houston. Our goal is to develop methods for collecting large numbers of high resolution digital images of the marsh, aligning these images, and then extracting data from the images, using modern computer techniques and volunteer scientists. We marked an area of marsh for annual photo-mapping in 2010. Annual maps will allow us to study change over time. We should be able to extract data on plants, Littoraria, Geukensia and crabs from the images.
Where will the project be located?
Along the lighthouse road, near 31o23'34N; 81o16'23 based on google earth.
How will you provide GPS coordinates for study sites?
I will arrange with my research sponsor to collect and register GPS coordinates
What are the expected start and end dates of the project?
Start Date: 05/01/2010 End Date: (ongoing)
How many people will access the site and at what frequency?
Three people will visit the site once a year for 2-3 days.
Keywords that describe your project
What equipment will be deployed in the field?
The perimeter of the mapped area (about 200 x 300 m) is marked with about 30 pvc stakes.
Will plants or animals be collected as part of this study?
No.
What are the likely impacts of the project on the site?
Trampling of vegetation once a year around the perimeter of the site. Mild disturbance inside the mapped area. We are working on minimizing the trampling inside the mapped area. In 2010 we walked transects alongside a camera rig built from one bicycle; in 2011 we hope to tow an unmanned lightweight camera rig built from two bicycles across the transects, and in 2012 we hope to have a helicopter-like vehicle that will cause no impact whatsoever.
Will the project design include boardwalks? If not, explain why not.
No. The site is visited only once a year, and we think that the vegetation will recover in between visits. At the moment this is a pilot project. If we are funded to do long-term work, we will assess whether putting a ring of boardwalks around the site would be of enough benefit to justify the disturbance caused by adding and maintaining the boardwalks.
How long will impacts persist after the research is concluded?
Once the project is terminated, we will remove all pvc stakes. We expect that the vegetation will recover from the modest amount of trampling caused by this project within one year.
Research Permits:
Georgia DNR Coastal Resources Division: GCE-15-2011_Permit_040512.1031am_040612.LOPGCE15 (04/06/2012-04/05/2015)
Study Area Map:
Files attached to this application
GCE-15-2011_GPS_GCE15_Pennings.zip (Zip archive, 55.71 kb, submitted 07/29/2011)
GCE-15-2011_GIS_GCE-15-2011_GIS_Pennings.zip (Zip archive, 8.23 kb, submitted 08/03/2011)
GCE-15-2011_Maps_GCE15_Pennings.kml (KML file, 10.54 kb, submitted 08/03/2011)
GCE-15-2011_Permits_040512.1031am_040612.LOPGCE15.pdf (PDF file, 389.37 kb, submitted 04/10/2012)
GCE-15-2011_Permits_NWP_Form_GCE_15.docx (MS Word file, 16.35 kb, submitted 04/10/2012)
