Georgia sound, Vol. 13, no. 2 (Apr. - June 2007

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G E O R G I A

C O A S T A L

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P R O G R A M

Georgia

Sound VOL.13, NO.2 By: Paul Medders ~ Marine Educator

COASTAL GEORGIA
What you need to..... KNOW

KNOW This: Georgia's relatively small coastline (~100 miles) contains one-third of all the salt marsh on the East Coast of the United States. Salt marshes and coastal wetlands are critical ecosystems performing many ecological functions. They help to filter pollutants and protect our coastal area from damaging floods.
KNOW This: Georgia's coastal beaches and dunes represent critical habitats for rare turtles and shorebirds. Intertidal sand beaches provide foraging habitat for a great number of shorebirds including sandpipers, plovers, sanderlings, turnstones, terns and dowitchers.
KNOW This: Coming to a beach near you: Coastal Resources Division is hosting the Second Annual "Beach Week." Georgia's Coastal Ark will "sail" through the coastal area and provide educational information and activities. Dates and locations include: ! July 1, St. Simons Sunshine Festival in the Pier/Village area; ! July 3, Tybee Island beach area; ! July 5, Jekyll Island; ! July 6, St. Simons East Beach parking lot.

Wwww.KnowTheConnection.com

Inside This Issue:
What You Need to KNOW
CIG Funds Archaeological Site Inventory of Camden County

Sand Dollar Collection Sea Monkeys Recognized for Project

What a Concept

Volunteer for G.E.O.R.G.I.A. & Adopt-A-Wetland

Go Online and Check the Sign

From Ship to Shore

The Beach Short Strikes Girl Scouts Honor CRD

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By: Carolyn Rock

Coastal Incentive Grant Funds An Archaeological Site Inventory of Camden County, Georgia

Zone

In 2005, Valdosta State University was awarded a Coastal Incentive Grant through the Georgia Coastal Management Program and the National Atmospheric & Oceanic Administration (NOAA). The grant provided funding for an archaeological inventory and survey of Camden County. The goal of the inventory/survey was to document previously unrecorded sites in order to enhance archaeological research and aid in conservation planning as Camden County grows and develops. The project included background investigations of previous archaeological work, public workshops, a collectors' survey, interviews with historians and local citizens, and field surveys where appropriate.

Tabby foundation at a plantation site.

Cultural information obtained from archaeological inventories and surveys can contribute to a desired

balance of economic development and historic preservation. In Camden County, a more comprehensive

regional archaeological site database not only presented a better understanding of prehistoric and historic

coastal culture, but also provided professional archaeologists with information to aid local, regional and state

agencies and planners. In addition, the involvement of local collectors and interested citizens fostered increased

participation at the grassroots level, and provided previously unrecorded data.

The project took place from November 2005 to September 2006. A two-part archaeology workshop was implemented in December 2005/ January 2006 to attract interested citizens and local collectors. At the workshop, local artifacts were displayed and identified, recent excavations and prehistoric cultures described, and the importance of a partnership between professionals and amateurs was emphasized. Instructions were provided on organizing collections and documenting sites. Contacts were established with collectors. Later in the year a brochure was created (and distributed to coastal regional planning offices) outlining the benefits of cooperation among archaeologists, planners and developers. In addition, Terry Jackson of the Department of Community Affairs provided an article entitled "Some Observations on Change, Planning and Archaeology on the Georgia Coast: Recommendations for a New Partnership Between Planners and Archaeologists," (listed as Appendix B in the main report at www.camdencounty.org/CCAS ).

The rest of the project focused on research strategies and methods found in the preliminary phases of an archaeological survey: the organization of general environmental and cultural background information, interviews with historians, documentation of local artifact collections, and surface reconnaissance of properties and newly discovered sites when permission of the landowner

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was granted. Background research was also conducted to assess the potential for underwater archaeological sites and offer a foundation for future underwater field surveys (presented by Rita Elliott in Appendix A of the main report). The present project was primarily a collector-based survey, geared to documenting locally known sites before they fade from local memory.

A total of 119 new sites were documented, an increase of 45% over those 266 recorded from the previous forty years. All new sites (except underwater sites) were visited and their characteristics listed on the official Georgia Archaeological Site File (GASF) forms, to be stored on a GIS database at GASF in Athens for future research.

Woodland Period Hernando points. (Collector #8)

Most new sites were located in the western part of the county, an area virtually ignored during the course of earlier archaeological studies. Prehistoric as well as historic

sites were recorded. Results provided new data regarding the presence (very rare on the coast) of Late Paleo-

Indian Dalton (ca. 8000 B.C.) projectile points, as well as a variety of Early and Late Archaic Period (8000 -

1000 B.C.) artifacts. Equally informative was the relative distribution of aboriginal ceramics: the common

occurrence of Deptford (500 B.C.- A.D. 500), sporadic incidence of Swift Creek (A.D. 500-800), and sparse

Mississippian (A.D. 800 -1550) and Contact Period (A.D. 1550 - 1700) materials. Historic sites were numerous,

reflecting changes from antebellum plantations to post- civil war homesteads, sawmills, turpentine stills and

their associated communities. Historic site types also included sunken ships, rice mills, docks, dikes and burial

sites.

We cannot over-emphasize that our inventory is merely preliminary. Many more sites remain hidden behind dense vegetation, beneath the soil, or in the endless places left unexplored. We have recorded only a small sample of sites. A complete inventory and survey would involve years or decades of dedication. We feel confident, however, that we have identified a significant portion of major sites known by the local population, and have safely documented them for future generations.

Some ecological zones not searched are still in need of investigation. These include marshes that may be harboring prehistoric sites once existent when the sea level was slightly lower, marsh hammocks that could potentially have served as ideal prehistoric campsites, and underwater sites that require special equipment for survey and testing. An underwater survey plan is provided in the complete report.

Site maps generated by the project revealed extremely sparse occupation during the late Paleo Indian Period (c. 8000 B.C.), followed by increasing numbers of sites as time passed. Results from the present report should be seen as a work in progress. The information gathered will hopefully aid in the planning of prospective archaeological projects in the county by alerting researchers to the

Deptford Simple-Stamped ceramic fragment. (Collector #2)
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potential variety of sites that can be found. The data can also serve as information for future investigators to create more sophisticated research designs. Suggestions for planners may cultivate the creation of early and well-organized designs for future preservation.

Brick foundation for turpentine still.

Camden County is just one part of a coastal zone that has become increasingly pressured by development and construction. The salvage of archaeological information may be the last link to many aspects of our cultural heritage, beginning with the Paleo-Indian Dalton points from 8,000 B.C., and traveling through time up until the sawmills and turpentine stills of the early twentieth century.

Although specific site information is not available to the public, a general project report has been made accessible online (www.camdencounty.org/CCAS).

Sand Hill Section

Brunswick

Woodbine

Satilla River St. Marys River

Kingsland St. Marys

Previously recorded sites, in gray. Sites recorded for this grant shown in blue.

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By: Robi Gray ~ Glynn County 4-H Agent
Glynn Senior 4-H Recognized
for Mapping and Community Readiness Project
Glynn County's Senior 4-H'ers were recently honored by the Glynn County Commission for a mapping and community readiness project they have been working on for the last two years. The project, started locally, has taken off and received nationwide recognition from National Geographic and colleges across the country.

In September 2005, the Senior 4-H'ers were

planning to attend the Governor's sponsored Georgia

Youth Summit at Rock Eagle 4-H Center but the event

was canceled to allow Rock Eagle to house 609

Hurricane Katrina victims. This situation inspired

Glynn's 4-H'ers to think about their own community

and how they could use their GIS skills, which they

Present for the Glynn County Commission recognition were (back row, L-R) Commission chairman Tony Thaw, Brandon Smith, Nathan Potts, Lakeno Terrell, 4H Advisory Council member Jack Prince, C.J. Lee and County EMA Director Capt. Richard Strickland. Middle row, (L-R) 4-H Advisory Council member Cynthia Beggs,
Levi Pembroke and Will Prince. Front row, (L-R) Sarah Wallen, Thomas Trinh, Harvest Hale, Glynn County 4-H Agent Robi Gray and Laquita Ferguson.

acquired during their nationally recognized "Orange Tide" project, to better prepare our coastal families for the likes of a Katrina.
Working closely with Glynn County's Emergency Management Agency and Capt. Richard Strickland, the

4-H'ers developed an easy to read map called the "Community Pick-up Map" which is geared to help those with no personal

means of transportation. The map allows residents to identify the nearest pick-up point to their location. It also lists EMA

contact information and prompts readers to think about making plans in advance. For example, no pets are allowed on public

evacuation buses and therefore residents must make advanced plans to evacuate their pets. To date over 2,000 of these maps

have been distributed throughout the community via the health department, local stores, schools and the county fair. The map

will also be added to the Glynn County EMA website.

At the national level the Glynn Senior 4-H'ers were asked to teach a community preparedness GIS workshop at the National 4-H Technology Conference at the University of Nebraska. In preparation for the workshop, the teens polished their skills, learning to develop evacuation maps and teach ArcView 9.1 through training conducted by Glynn County's Geographic Information System Department (GIS) specialist Chris Chapman and Robi Gray, 4-H Agent. The county's Information Technology Department (IT) offered their computer lab for the training.

In July 2006, the 4-H'ers presented "Pirates of Evacuation Mapping" at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The audience of youth and adults from across the nation were engaged in a workshop to learn about GIS, trained to use the basic features of the software, and to develop a simple evacuation map for their own community. The teens worked hard to make this a fun workshop as disaster preparedness often makes individuals uncomfortable and prevents them from considering emergency situations.

Following the success of the Nebraska training, the National Geographic Society became interested in the Glynn Senior 4-H'ers and their efforts. In September 2006, National Geographic flew to Brunswick to film Glynn 4-H'ers teaching evacuation mapping to McIntosh and Camden County students. The National Geographic Society has since provided $20,000 to the Glynn Co. 4-H'ers to teach evacuation mapping as a part of a nation-wide community readiness training program called "Alert, Evacuate, and Shelter." Glynn students will teach evacuation mapping techniques to individuals from 120 coastal counties from Delaware to Texas. The first training session was conducted in April of 2007 at the University of Virginia. Other sessions are scheduled for the University of Maryland, University of Florida and Louisiana State University.

Glynn Co. 4-H youth are using geo-spatial technology to assist our community in emergency preparedness and they continue to look for ways to volunteer their time for a safer Glynn County. At present five Senior 4-H'ers are active Search and Recovery Volunteers. And, our youth are using their skills to help other communities. We should be very proud of these dedicated teenagers from Glynn County - they are proof that young people are making a positive impact in our community.

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By: Jennifer Kline ~ Coastal Technical Assistant & Katie Hoover Alvarado ~ UGA Marine Extension
What a Concept

Have you heard of "Low Impact Development" (LID)? Yes? No? Maybe? It is a new and innovative trend across the nation and is starting to take root here in coastal Georgia.

LID is the general term used to characterize a comprehensive array of site planning, design and pollution prevention strategies that when combined create a more economically sustainable and ecologically functional urban landscape. LID uses a "decentralized at the source" approach to manage stormwater. Hydrologic and water quality functions are integrated into every aspect of a multifunctional urban landscape, maintaining and restoring the ecological integrity of receiving waters while reducing construction and maintenance costs.

LID examples such as a Wilmington coffee shop's bioretention efforts were
toured by convention participants.

This new technology involves multiple disciplines and has far reaching impacts in urban stormwater management, land use planning, water resources protection, site planning/design, best management practices, building requirements, construction and maintenance of stormwater infrastructure. At its very nature, LID is an inter-disciplinary, functional approach that involves teamwork in its planning, implementation and maintenance. Therefore, Everyone and anyone involved in development should learn about this valuable new tool.

For these reasons it was great to have several coastal Georgia representatives at the second "National Low Impact Development Conference" held in Wilmington, North Carolina earlier this year. The conference attracted over 500 attendees from all over the world and coastal Georgia was represented by government agencies such as the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the University of Georgia Marine Extension Service and DNR's Coastal Resources Division. Even more exciting was the fact that two coastal engineering firms were also present at the conference. EMC Engineering (Savannah office) and Golden Isles Engineering Consultants (Brunswick) were educated on innovative tools and brought this knowledge with them back to our coast.

For more information about how LID can work for you, contact CRD's Jennifer Kline at jennifer_kline@dnr.state.ga.us or (912) 264-7218.

Conference attendees toured Wilmington's local YMCA that had incorporated a rain garden and pervious concrete in its facility
design.

GO Online AND Check the Sign!

It is summer in coastal Georgia and it is hot, hot, hot. Time to head for the beach for a cooling dip in the water.

But before you head to the beach, take the time to go online and make sure your beach is not under a bacterial

advisory. Samples of the beach water on Jekyll, St. Simons and Tybee islands are collected weekly and sent to the Chatham County Health Department Laboratory to be checked for potentially harmful bacteria. As soon as we receive the laboratory analysis, we update the webpage. So go to http://GaHealthyBeaches.org and follow the links to check the status

BEACH WATER QUALITY MONITORING

FOR SWIMMER HEALTH, THIS BEACH WATER IS TESTED WEEKLY FOR HARMFUL BACTERIA

Department of Natural Resources Coastal Resources Division

BACTERIA LEVEL IS ACCEPTABLE
(Date Tested)

Glynn County Health Department

of your favorite beach.

At the beach, be sure to check out the signs posted at the crossovers. If you find that your favorite beach access has a posted advisory, please try another beach access. Have a happy, healthy summer!

Peach on the Beach

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Please Do Not Collect
LIVE Sand Dollars
Most visitors to the beach do not realize that taking live sand dollars threatens the species and is in fact illegal in many parts of the United States. Unfortunately, most are taken by beach goers during the summer months when sand dollars are reproducing. So many sand dollars have been taken from Tybee Beach that the
average size has decreased in comparison to populations on Georgia's other barrier islands.
If you plan on beach combing, please help to conserve local sand dollar populations by only collecting white shells.
Scientific name: Mellita isometra Common name: Five-slotted Sand Dollar or Keyhole Urchin Phylum: Echinodermata which means "spiny skinned." Size: Round, flat, & growing to about 100 mm in diameter. Color (living): Purple & velvety due to tiny spines & tube feet that are used in respiration, feeding & movement. Color (non-living): White test (shell), without spines and tube feet. Habitat: Found primarily on the beach margin and thus susceptible to collection pressures. Diet: Microscopic diatoms and detritus. Reproduction: Gametes are released into the water where the larvae swim for a period before metamorphosing. Association: Small crabs (Dissodactylus mellitae) are ectosymbionts (i.e. they live on the surface of sand dollars). Predators: Fish, crabs, whelks, seastars, birds. Other Threats: Storms, high temperatures during low tide, and low food abundance during the summer months. Human Threats: Pollution, dredging, beach renourishment, trawling fisheries, and the ornamental trade.

G. E. . R. G. I. A.
The University of Georgia Marine Extension Service invites you to participate in the community-based oyster restoration program G.E.O.R.G.I.A. (Generating Enhanced Oyster Reefs in Georgia's Inshore Areas).
! Take your eaten oyster shells to our recycling center on Jekyll or Tybee
Islands.
! Call Daniel in Savannah (912) 598-2348 and Ashby in Brunswick (912)
264-7323 to schedule a shell pick-up if you are hosting a large roast event.
! Join our volunteers at the recycling centers on Jekyll and Skidaway Islands
on the Saturdays and times listed below to help place the shell into mesh bags that will be later planted to create new reefs.
SKIDAWAY ISLAND
June 30th, 8:00am - 10:00am July 28th, 8:00am - 10:00am August 25th, 8:00am - 10:00am (meet at the Shellfish Research Laboratory, 20 Ocean Science Circle)
JEKYLL ISLAND
June 9th, 8:00am - 10:00am July 14th, 8:00am - 10:00am August 4th, 8:00am - 10:00am (meet at the Recycling Center on Riverview Drive)
! Contact our GEORGIA coordinator Erica (912) 598-2348 Ext 4 or email
lemoine@uga.edu to register for events, for more general information about the program, to schedule a presentation, or to schedule a group shell bagging activity on a different date.
! Visit our website at www.marex.uga.edu/shellfish.

Wetland Conservation Through Volunteer Monitoring
Adopt A Wetland Training Dates
To register, or for more information, contact Angela Bliss at (912) 598-2348 Ext. 2 or acbliss@uga.edu
Thursday June 7th - 5:00pm to 7:00pm Shellfish Research Lab, Skidaway Island - Chemical Monitoring
Tuesday, June 12th - 5:00pm to 7:00 pm Stephens Wetland Center, Richmond Hill - Chemical Monitoring
Saturday June 23rd - 9:00am to 12:00pm UGA MAREX, Brunswick - Chemical Monitoring
Saturday July 7th - 9:00am to 3:00pm Shellfish Research Lab, Skidaway Island - Chemical and Biological Monitoring
Thursday August 8th - 5:00pm to 7:00pm Shellfish Research Lab, Skidaway Island - Chemical Monitoring
Saturday August 18th - 9:00am to 12:00pm UGA MAREX, Brunswick - Chemical Monitoring
Thursday August 23rd - 9:00am to 12:00pm Shellfish Research Lab, Skidaway Island - Biological Monitoring

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Susan Shipman

From the Director's Desk
SHIP TO SHORE... Coastal Resources Division Director

Georgia's Drought - Individual "waterSmarts" Necessary

While many think of Georgia as having abundant water resources ----- the state averages 60 inches of rainfall a year ---- water is nonetheless a limited resource. What we take for granted becomes increasingly precious during times of drought and wildfires, such as we are facing now.

The State's Drought Management Plan provides for an assessment of drought conditions, and triggering of responses to mitigate the impact. Environmental Protection Division (EPD) Director Dr. Carol Couch, in consultation with the State Drought Response Committee, has concluded the entire state has been under "persistent and progressive drought conditions" for the past year. The southeast corner of the State which encompasses the coastal counties, is in extreme drought conditions. Dr. Couch based her conclusion on climatic and water resource indicators, in particular rainfall, soil conditions, groundwater levels, and stream flow data compiled by the State Climatologist and EPD staff.

This assessment prompted Dr. Couch to declare a "Level 2 Drought" for the entire state in mid-April. Drought levels are tiered (1 through 4) depending on the severity of the drought, with 4 being extreme drought. Recommended actions increase as the drought level increases. Through this strategy, the Drought Levels manage the time of day that watering occurs to better manage evapotranspiration.

The Level 2 Drought declaration limits outdoor water use only from midnight to 10:00 am on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at odd-number street addresses, and on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at evennumber addresses. Watering is banned on Fridays. (Check the EPD website for exceptions) Also, local governments may have imposed more stringent watering schedules. Check with your local water provider for more specific local guidance.

Dr. Couch is committed to monitoring the situation closely and to reassessing the indicators as the summer progresses. Don't be surprised if revised drought response declarations have already been instituted by the time you read this. Regardless of the Drought Level classification, the water conservation tools we implement now should frankly become the norm. Water conservation is by definition, the reduction in water use, waste, and loss. Water conservation has environmental, economic, social, and political benefits. It protects streams, wetlands, and estuaries, as well as extends the life of water supplies.

Although homeowners or renters with wells technically are not required to comply with the prescribed watering schedule, it just makes good sense. High water demand requires more water be withdrawn from shallow aquifers, which in turn, lowers the water table. Water conservation can expand the life of the water table, to the benefit of natural habitats, wildlife, and outdoor recreation.

An easy way for the public to conserve water is through further outdoor watering behavior modification. Turns out, the Level 2 Drought watering regimen is plenty generous. Few realize that plants need only one inch of water every seven to ten days to stay healthy. Many unknowingly over water their plants.

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To help educate the public about water conservation, DNR has just launched a "waterSmart" campaign in five pilot cities. Modeled after Cobb County- Marietta Water Authority's extremely successful campaign of like name, waterSmart is a program that encourages Georgians to conserve water by reducing their outdoor water use. Coastal Resources Division will be promoting waterSmart through outreach and education in the coastal zone. For example waterSmart offers these following five tips to help your plants thrive:

Water only once a week. When it hasn't rained, a deep soaking every week will provide your plants with plenty of moisture. Soak, don't sprinkle. When you water, aim the nozzle at the base of plants so more water will reach the roots. Don't water in the heat of the day. You will only lose water to evaporation. If you have an automatic system, set it to come on in the early morning hours between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. Turn off sprinkler systems when it rains. Install an inexpensive rain sensor shut-off switch. Mulch! Using pine straw, pine bark chips or ground hardwood. Mulch on the roots of plants and trees helps the soil retain water. Steer clear of cypress mulch!

Because as much as 60% of household water use in the summer season is used for landscape purposes, you will also want to consider water-wise landscaping strategies: native and drought tolerant plantings, reducing the turf in your lawn area, and xeriscaping. Speaking from personal experience, having adopted this approach for my own yard 15 years ago, xeriscaping pays huge dividends in terms of yard maintenance (low), wildlife habitat, and water conservation.
There are various ways to optimize the rain that does fall during these dry times. A rain barrel can be used to harvest rainwater that hits your home and garage. The stored water can in turn be used to irrigate your yard. Or give a rain garden a try. A natural landscape rain garden feature is low maintenance and requires few chemicals and less watering than turf. Water retained by a rain garden slowly soaks into the soils instead of flash runoff into the street or down a storm drain.
As for the plumbing, certain appliances, and other water-based operations in our homes, "Water Use It Wisely" a nationally acclaimed water conservation campaign has lots of water saving tips to implement in our homes. Check out www.h2ouse.org for wise water use tips.
To learn more about water conservation, go to EPD's Water Conservation website at www.conservewatergeorgia.net, which contains numerous links to additional resource materials. There are a number of weblinks to help you save water, time, and money through smart irrigation and landscaping. Detailed drought information can be viewed at www.drought.org.
All the signs are pointing to a long, hot and dry summer. It's time for some new behaviors. Make every drop count!

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Sea Cucumber (phylum echinodermata)

Courtesy of the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve
The Beach

www.sapelonerr.org By: Margaret Olsen

The beach forms at the edge of an island between the ocean and the sand dunes. The sand is deposited by waves and currents and is then blown around by the wind to create dunes. The beaches of Georgia's undeveloped islands are made mostly of fine-grain sand. The beaches are fairly wide and slope gently toward the ocean. This harsh environment is a moderate energy area because the waves from distant storms release their energy as they roll up onto the beach. Winds keep sand in constant motion. In the summer the prevailing winds along the east coast blow from the southwest and in the winter from the northwest. The profile of the beach changes from a broad flat beach in the summer to a narrower and steeper beach in the winter.

Diopatra Worm (cements pieces of shell and Spartina
debris into its tube)
Polychaete Worm
Whelk Egg Casings

All beaches have different parts or zones, although all the zones may or may not be present at any one time. The backshore is the area from the dunes to the berm and is an area rarely touched by wave action. The berm marks the highest limit of storm waves. On beaches where high tide goes all the way to the dunes, the backshore and berm will not be noticeable. The foreshore is the area between high and low tide often called the intertidal zone. Usually beyond the low tide line there is a longshore trough (through which longshore currents travel) and beyond that a longshore sandbar or series of sand bars. The area where waves break is called the inshore or surf zone and is usually over the longshore sand bars. Waves roll up onto the beach in a thin sheet of water. This area is called the swash zone.
The organisms characteristic of a beach must be adapted to these and other harsh conditions. They must be able to withstand the crashing waves and periods of inundation by sea water at high tide. They must be able to survive the hot, beating sun and wind during low tide, and the freezing cold of winter. Many organisms like the ghost shrimp, polychaete worms, coquina clams, mole crabs, isopods, amphipods and sand dollars burrow into the sand. They are either filter feeders and use their antennae to extract food from the water or scavenge the algae and detritus from between the sand grains. Gastropods like the oyster drill and moon snail and whelks actively prey on other animals. At low tide, a large variety of shorebirds, raccoons, insects and ghost crabs visit the beach to feed.

Ghost Shrimp Burrow Ghost Crab Burrow

Algae is the only characteristic plant of the beach. Algae lives between the grains of sand and occasionally adds a green, gold, pink or purple tint to the sand. Other plants like ulva (sea lettuce) and sargassum (a brown algae or seaweed) are often washed up onto the beach. The wrack line or strand line is a line of debris that often runs parallel to the water's edge and marks the high tide line. This wrack line is made up of a mixture of manmade materials that have washed up onto the beach and decaying marsh grasses. This wrack, though unsightly, is important. It provides an ideal environment for microorganisms, amphipods and insects. The marsh grasses decay over a period of a year and become detritus which is a major marine food source. The grass and other materials in the wrack play an important role in the building of new dunes by capturing sand and seeds allowing new dunes to form.

Wrack Line Moon Snail

Beach Week 2007

Georgia's Coastal Ark will be visiting St. Simons and Jekyll Island beaches during July providing activities
and information focusing on Georgia's beaches.
The Coastal Ark, a 30 foot mobile educational platform, will showcase activities, information and
materials dealing with a wide array of subjects including beach water quality, sand dollar stewardship and sand dunes.

Coming to a beach near you!
Sunday, July 1, 8am-5pm St. Simons Island, Pier Area
Tuesday, July 3, 9am-3pm Tybee Island, North Beach Thursday, July 5, 10am-3pm Jekyll Island, Summer Waves Friday, July 6, 10am-3pm St. Simons Island, Coast Guard Station
Beach Entrance

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By: Spud Woodward ~ Assistant Director for Marine Fisheries

Short Strikes

Jekyll Island Pond Home To Hatchery-Reared Redfish
On March 28, 2007, 1,200 juvenile redfish ranging in length from 4 to 7 inches were released into a 23-acre saltwater pond on Jekyll Island as part of the Peach State Reds Initiative. All the fish are genetically fingerprinted, and 500 were marked with external color-coded tags. Over the next two years, survival and growth of these fish will be monitored through gillnet surveys and angler captures of tagged fish. If these fish survive and grow, they will enhance angling opportunities in the pond, which is open to the public for shore, pier, and non-motorized boat fishing. More juvenile redfish will be released in the pond during the spring of 2008. Federal Aid in Sportfish Restoration and private donations are funding the Peach State Reds Initiative. For more information contact Doug Haymans at (912) 264-7218.
Popular Tybee Island Boat Ramp Enhanced
An additional double-lane boat ramp and expanded vehicle/boat trailer turnaround area have been completed at the Lazaretto Creek boating and fishing facility located on the Tybee Causeway near Fort Pulaski National Monument. The National Park Service authorized use of federal land to expand the boat ramp facility while Chatham County contributed $25,000. Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration was used for the remainder of the $99,500 cost of the project. Staff with Parks and Historic Sites Division provided technical assistance and organized the bid and contracting process. This access site now provides four boat ramp lanes, a boating service dock, a hard surface parking area, and a public fishing pier. For more information contact John Pafford at (912) 264-7218.
New Red Drum and Shark Survey Underway
Using federal funds, the Coastal Resources Division is doing a survey of adult red drum and sharks using a longline - fishing gear in which short lines carrying baited hooks are attached to a longer main line at regular intervals. This new survey, conducted in coordination with several other states and funded by the U.S. Congress through the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act, will help scientists determine the status of the spawning population of red drum and various species of sharks in the South Atlantic region. The longline gear, consisting of a half-mile length of monofilament main line with 60 circle hooks attached, is deployed for approximately 30 minutes at each location. Sample sites include artificial reefs, natural live bottom areas, and sandbar/shoal complexes along the southern Georgia coast. All red drum and the larger harks captured will be measured, tagged, and released alive. All red drum will also receive an internal PIT (passive integrated transponder) tag. Anglers encountering tagged fish should record the tag number and length before releasing the fish. Contact Carolyn Belcher at (912) 264-7218 for more information and to report recaptures of tagged adult red drum.

THE GEORGIA COASTAL

M A N A G E M E N T

P R O G R A M

PAGE 12

THE GEORGIA SOUND

T H E

G E O R G I A

C O A S T A L

M A N A G E M E N T

P R O G R A M

A P R I L - J U N E , 2 0 0 7

Georgia Sound
VOL.13, NO.2

Department of Natural Resources
Coastal Resources Division One Conservation Way, Suite 300 Brunswick, GA 31520-8687

KNOW
THE CONNECTION
COASTAL GEORGIA
Don't forget - the GA Sound is on the web! Log on to the CRD web site http://crd.dnr.state.ga.us
& look under "Education & Outreach" to find the current and archived pdf versions of the Sound.

S P R I N G , 2 0 0 7

Girl Scouts Recognize CRD for Community Service
The Girl Scout Council of Savannah recently honored DNR's Coastal Resources Division (CRD) with a "Community Service Award." The award recognized CRD's support of the Marshes of Glynn Girl Scout Program.
Paul Medders, CRD's Marine Educator (L) recently received the award on behalf of the Division from Margaret Laurens of the Marshes of Glynn Girl Scouts.

The Georgia Sound is produced quarterly by the Georgia Coastal Management Program. If you would like more information on the Georgia
Coastal Management Program, visit our web site at http://crd.dnr.state.ga.us
or contact Coastal Resources Division at (912) 264-7218. Past issues of The Georgia Sound can be found on the CRD web site.
Layout & Design by: Lea King For address corrections or to be added or deleted from the mailing list,
please contact Lea King at (912) 264-7218.
Lea_King@dnr.state.ga.us

Contributors to this issue: Elizabeth Cheney, Robi Gray, Katie Hoover Alvarado, Jennifer Kline, Paul Medders,
Margaret Olsen, Carolyn Rock, Susan Shipman and Spud Woodward
This publication is made possible through efforts by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the
Deadline for the Summer 2007 edition is August 1, 2007. We welcome suggestions of articles and photography.