Georgia sound, Vol. 19, no. 1 (Spring 2013

Spring 2013
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Vol.19, No.l

SIDEWALK TO THE SEA
Connecting Children with Coastal Resources

Students in the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System's Title I schools have limited exposure to their coastal environment. Most of these children live 15 miles from the coastline and have never experienced the ocean. Constrained by finances, transportation, and little time outside of work, parents are often unable to take their kids outside of the city. There are few opportunities for these students to connect with Georgia's coastal resources. Consequently, many children rarely relate to the natural environment and have no real world experiences to apply to the natural sciences instruction they receive or the state science standards they are tested on at school.

These children represent the next generation of stewards for our coastal resources. If they are to become informed adults, they must be exposed to and understand the importance of our coastal and offshore environments. To accomplish this, the Tybee Island Marine Science Center, with financial support through a two year NOAA/Georgia DNR Coastal Incentive Grant, has provided a unique program known as Sidewalk to the Sea: Connecting City Kids with Coastal and Offshore Environments.

Sidewalk to the Sea provides opportunities for Kindergarten through 6th grade students in

the city's Title I elementary schools to participate in structured, marine science-based field

activities using the resources of the Tybee Island

Marine Science Center. The program provides

students with exposure to their coastal and

offshore environments, enhances classroom

science and cross disciplinary learning, and

supplements the standard classroom instruction

students receive to prepare them for

standardized testing. DNR grant support ends

soon, but Sidewalk to the Sea will continue.

Students participate in three-hour programs Several schools have received corporate

ofcoastal science, fun and learning including support and private donations to continue the

guided beach and marsh walks with Tybee Island Marine Science Center staff.

program for the 2013/2014 school year.

The Coastal Incentive Grant (CIG) program, operated by the GADNR, distributes approximately $1 million each year to local governments and research institutions for important research, planning and small scale public access projects in the 11 county coastal area. The Program is made possible through the Coastal Zone Management Act funds provided by the NOAA, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management. Contact Susan Reeves for more information.

Text by: Susan Snyder Reeves, CRD Maria Procopio, Tybee Island Marine Science Center

www.CoastalGaDNR.org

Spring 2013

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-GeorgiaSound

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Wrack 'n Raft

The salt marshes in coastal Georgia support a variety of plant species that change with the seasons just as upland plants do. In spring and summer, many marsh plants bloom like flowers in your yard. In autumn, certain marsh plants turn pink and red, then in winter, drop dead stems and leaves...just like the leaves of hardwood trees. In an upland forest, fallen twigs and leaves feed the forest floor as they decay and are processed by animals, fungi and bacteria. The same process happens in the marsh. In winter, marsh plants,
most specifically Spartina alterniflora, or smooth cord grass, drops dead stems and leaves onto the surface of the marsh that can form large 'wracks' of decaying saltmarsh grasses that drift with the tides and currents. This wrack, though unsightly, is ecologically important.

Phytoplankton and zooplankton, tiny plants and animals

living in the wrack, not only breakdown the leaves and stems,

but are also a source of food for snails, crabs, oysters, and

many juvenile fish species. The decaying vegetation also

returns Nitrogen and Carbon to the marsh as a natural

fertilizer.

Rafts can get carried away by winds and tides

to areas in the middle of the marsh, out to sea, or other marsh edges.

Wrack also helps maintain the elevation of the marsh surface. Because the marsh area closest to the creek banks

can be washed away with each tidal cycle, the marsh surface

can sink. Wrack keeps the marsh surface at a stable elevation by adding layers of material. The decaying

vegetation adds to the peat layer on the marsh surface, building it up a little at a time, over the years.

Like tree leaves blowing around in the wind, high tides and water currents can carry wrack material great distances. Water currents merge wrack from multiple local sources and combine the material into large 'rafts' or mats of dead stems and leaves. Bends in the waterways, structures such as causeways, and even stands of other marsh plants can trap the mats of wrack.

When wrack stays where it lands, the mat can smother the marsh plants under it. As the rack moves off, a large mud flat will be left behind. Over time root growth from surrounding surviving plants begins to repopulate the bare spots. But if the mat remains where it lands and the wrack material decays and breaks down, marsh plants under the raft regrow through the mat. The wrack material breaks down, increasing the peat layer, and the cycle continues.

"How much wrack develops, where it lands, and the biological, chemical, and physical benefits wrack has on the marsh are all still being studied," says CRD Program Manager Lisia Kowalczyk," but scientists do know that the occurrence of wrack is a seasonal, natural process that results in nutrients for the marsh plants and animals, and stability of the marsh surface".
Want to learn more about marsh wrack? Visit our web site at CoastalGaDNR.org
Text by: Lisia Kowalczyk, CRD

The larger the mat, the more dramatic the smothered area can be.
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( ~_,l GEORGIA l\ D ErARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
COASTAL RESOURCES OMSION

Spring 2013

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It's Time to Get Back to the Beaches...
With the weather warming up, many people are starting to think about heading to the beach. Along Georgia's coast, the beaches of Tybee, St. Simons, and Jekyll Islands are the most popular and easiest to access. Before
you set-up the lounge chairs, be sure to check the status of your favorite beach on DNR's 'GeorgiaHealthyBeaches.org' website.

The DNR in partnership with the Georgia Department of Public Health

(DPH) monitors all public beaches in Georgia weekly for the presence of

enterococcus bacteria. These bacteria are considered indicator organisms.

The organisms are found in the fecal waste of humans and animals. When

elevated levels of bacteria are found, the DPH issues an advisory. An

advisory means that the DNR and DPH recommends you NOT swim at the

designated beach. It does not mean that the beach is closed. The beach is

v open - but swimming is not advised. Check

-~~ -- - ISJt US ' .-: -

H , GaHealthyBeaches.org for any current advisories,

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or look for our signs at the beach crossovers.

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News & Notes...

Have a safe and happy summer!

Text by: Elizabeth Cheney, CRD

Looking for recreational boating access sites or artificial reef locations? DNR's boating access web page has recently been updated to include an online viewer

that allows the user to zoom to locations of interest or sort through the access

points by waterbody type or county. Users can find out more information about specific sites including fees, parking, launch type, dock, restrooms, contact information and

driving directions; coordinates for inshore and offshore reefs are also included. The boating access site is on the CRD webpage under the Saltwater Fishing & Boating tab.

FREE SIP Permit Available - Beginning this year, anyone who has a Georgia Fishing License and will fish in saltwater needs to get a FREE annual Saltwater Information Program permit, or SIP permit. You can get the FREE permit in person from any Georgia Fishing License Vendor, through the Georgia DNR website at: www.GADNR.org, or by calling 1800366-2661. For more information on the SIP permit, visit 'Frequently Asked Questions' at www.CoastalGaDNR.org/SIP.
Interested in a paddle trip in SE coastal waters? A new website maps state water trails from Virginia to Georgia. With funding from a CIG Grant, the Georgia Coastal Regional Commission developed a paddling trail map through 189 miles of coastal Georgia waters. Visit: www.secoastpaddlingtrail.com

June 1, 2013 - 23rd Annual Golden Isles Family Fishing Derby at the Rixen Lake on Jekyll Island. The Derby competition is limited to 125 kids ages 5 12 and pre-registration is required. Contact Paul Medders at CRD for details. (912) 264-7218.

June 8, 2013 - Harris Neck National Refuge Kids Fishing Day. Open to kids ages 5 to 12. Pre-registration is required. For information or to register, contact the US Fish and Wildlife Service at (912) 832-4608.

July 1 - 3, 2013 - CRD hosts the 8th Annual Beach Week. CRD staff will be joined by coastal organizations at beach locations on Jekyll, St. Simons and Tybee to answer questions and talk with beach visitors.

September 28, 2013 - 4th Annual Kids Fishing and Coastal Water Safety Event on Tybee Island. Hosted by SafeKids Savannah and Chatham County Aquatic Center, call 912652-6799 to register or for more information.

October 5, 2013 - 19th Annual CoastFest at the GADNR Coastal Regional Headquarters, Brunswick.

Spring 2013

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Legislative Update

The 2013 Georgia legislative season has come to an end and several pieces of legislation were passed by the General Assembly that were of note to the Department of Natural Resources. At the time of this article, the following bills have been forwarded to the Governor for consideration.

House Bill 402, sponsored by Rep. Ron Stephens of Savannah, was a DNR initiated bill that amended both the Coastal Marshland Protection and Shore Protection Acts. In each instance, the authority to issue a Letter of Permission (LOP) was granted to the DNR for activities that do not result in new impacts, that is the activity is completely within an existing permitted footprint, or the activity is temporary in nature, six months or less in duration. Additionally, at the conclusion of temporary activities, the affected area must be returned to an approximate condition or better than before the activity took place. Letters of Permission has been an effective tool used by the Coastal Resources Division for many years, but recent legal challenges to their use required the codification of the practice. The LOP example that seemed to grab the most attention during the legislative session was that of a movie company requesting an LOP to film on a Georgia beach. In addition to the LOP, the bill requires CRD to notify the public at least 15 days before the activity begins.

Also of note to CRD is HB 36 which was sought by the Coastal Conservation Association-Georgia and sponsored by Rep. Ben Watson of Tybee Island. This bill classifies the red drum, already the state's saltwater fish, as a game fish. It becomes the first saltwater species to join the list of 31 other freshwater species already classified as game fish. This classification will prohibit the sale of red drum and restricts the harvest to rod and reel gear only.

Some other bills that were either sought by DNR or were of interest to DNR are as follows

-SB 136 Boater Safety - the "Kile Glover Education Law" and "Jake and Griffin BUI Law" provides greater public protection for boating and hunting. Among other things, this bill changes the boating under the influence and hunting under the influence legal limit from .10 to .08. The bill also requires boater education for those born after January 1, 1998 and raises the requirement for life jackets to 12 years of age.

-HB 381 Natural Resources Foundation - alters the composition of the foundation's Board of Directors to include three members of the Board of Natural Resources who shall serve as non-voting members.

-HB 497 Boater Registration - simplifies the state vessel registration process when transferring ownership.

2013 Coastal & Sportsmen's Day at the Capitol

Master basket weaver Yvonne
Grovner of Sapelo Island
presented Georgia Governor
Nathan Deal with a sweetgrass
basket. From le~, Grovner,
Governor Deal and Spud
Woodward, Director of CRD.

Coastal & Sportsmen's Day 2013 was celebrated at the state capitol on January
17th. CRD partnered with the Georgia Shellfish Growers Association and the staff from Coastal Kitchen on St Simons Island to provide a taste of local seafood
to state legislators.

Dominic Guadagnoli, Manager of
CRD Shellfish Program shucks oysters during Coastal Day.
www.CoastalGaDNR.org

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Spring 2013

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Tracking Great White Sharks
During late February and early March 2013, the non-profit organization OCEARCH conducted a 20 day expedition focused on tagging and releasing great white sharks off the coast of Northeast Florida. Coastal Resources Division's biologist, Dr. Carolyn Belcher, was one of five shark scientists that were invited to participate on OCEARCH's Jacksonville, FL expedition.

Much of the information known about great white shark biology in the Northern Atlantic is dated or very limited. Found in cool, coastal waters throughout the world, there is no reliable data on the great white's population. It is because if its rarity that the great white is currently managed as a prohibited species. Researchers on board for the expedition are focused on learning more information on the great , white's migratory patterns, general behaviors, and life history.

The 126' M/V OCEARCH, is an at-sea laboratory equipped with a custom 75,000 lb. hydraulic

Sharks collected during the OCEARCH expeditions are outfitted with satellite tags which provide real time global positioning when the shark's fin breaks the surface three times in 90 seconds. The overall battery life of the tag is five years. The shark is also fitted with an accelerometer which measures swimming behaviors on a shortterm time scale. The accelerometer has a timed release which allows it to come free from the shark, and float to the surface where it transmits location via radio frequency. Scientists recover the tag and use the information to study recovery behaviors of the shark after it is released. When captured, the sharks are processed in 15 minutes or less and additional information such as sex, weight, size measurements, blood samples, muscle samples and parasites are collected.

The OCEARCH group recently completed two expeditions on the east coast of the United States. Their efforts resulted in the tagging of three female sharks: Mary Lee and Genie - both captured off Cape Cod, MA in September 2012 and Lydia captured off Jacksonville, FL in March of 2013. A second shark was spotted during the Florida expedition but scientists were unable to capture it. The OCEARCH team will be in the waters off Cape Cod, MA during Summer 2013.

A great white shark, named Lydia, is brought on board the OCEARCH research vessel for scientific analysis. Lydia measured 14.5 feet in length and weighted approximately 2000 pounds.

Great whites are the largest predatory fish on Earth. They grow to an average of 15 feet in length, though specimens exceeding 20 feet and weighing up to 5,000 pounds have been CRD biologist Carolyn Belcher recorded. They have slate-gray boards the "mother ship" during upper bodies to blend in with the an at-sea transfer.
rocky coastal sea floor, but get their name from their universally white underbellies. They are streamlined, torpedo-shaped swimmers with powerful tails that can propel them through the water at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour. Highly adapted predators, their mouths are lined with up to 300 serrated, triangular teeth arranged in several rows, and they have an exceptional sense of smell to detect prey. They even have organs that can sense the tiny electromagnetic fields generated by animals. Their main prey include sea lions, seals, small toothed whales, and even sea turtles, and carrion.

Want t.o follow the migration patterns and see the most recent locations for Mary Lee, Genie and lqclia? Check out OCEARCH's "Shark Tracker" application which can be found on their website www.ocearch.org.

Text by: Dr. Carolyn Belcher, CRD Supplemental text: National Geographic Photo credits; OCEARCH, FOX 30 ActionNews

Spring 2013

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Recycled Oyster Shells Used to Build New Oyster Reefs
In Georgia, oysters were once found in abundance and heavily fished along coastal estuaries during the late 1800's and the early 1900's. In 1908, Georgia led the nation in oyster harvesting, primarily for the oyster canning industry. However, the oyster boom lasted only a few decades. Since the mid-20th century, their importance has declined due to a variety of factors - overharvesting, storms, disease, and loss of habitat.

Today the oyster is recognized as a keystone species in coastal ecosystems. Oyster reefs provide a habitat where young oysters can attach and grow, ensuring an abundance for the future. A healthy, living reef also creates habitat for fish, crabs, and other organisms earning oyster reefs the designation of 'Essential Fish Habitat'.

In Georgia, most oyster reefs are found in the inter-tidal zone where they act as break waters reducing wave energy thus protecting the marshes from erosion. Oyster reefs can also improve water clarity and quality by filtering suspended particulate matter such as silt, algae and pollutants. A single oyster has the capacity of filtering five liters of water per hour.

Overlook Park Oyster Reef Restoration.

During March and April 2013 CRD staff and volunteers have built three new oyster reefs in coastal Georgia. "Staff are very excited to have completed GADNR's 10th new oyster habitat project using recycled oyster
shells," said January Murray, Program Manager with the Coastal Resources Division, GADNR. "All shells used in our restoration projects have come from the eight GADNR Oyster Shell Recycling Centers located along the Georgia coast and managed in partnership with the University of Georgia and the Coastal Conservation Association Georgia."

Overlook Park, Glynn County Partnering with the Izaak Walton League ofAmerica, staff and volunteers placed more than 17 tons of recycled oyster shells along an area adjacent to the public fishing pier at Overlook Park in Brunswick.

Restoration work begins.

Florida Passage, Chatham County -

CRD staff partnered with Coastal Conservation Association Georgia/ Richmond Hill

Chapter and volunteers from the local community to deploy over 800 bags of oyster shells

along 200' of the Florida Passage - located on the Intracoastal Waterway just south of

Queen Bess Creek and east of the mouth of Skippers Narrows in Chatham County.

Oyster Creek Project, Chatham County -

The final project for Spring 2013 was in the Chatham County Recreational Shellfish

Harvest Area, also known as Oyster Creek. The project used an innovative approach

to transport more than 22 tons of bagged, recycled oyster shells to the site from a staging area at the Fort Pulaski National Monument. Instead of loading materials

Recycled oyster shells are bagged and ready.

on boats and motoring to the site, two DNR helicopters lifted shell materials right

onto the site. This project helped familiarize DNR staff with helicopter operations,

preparing them to assist the DNR Aviation Unit in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency.

The oyster restoration projects are funded by state fishing license fees, NOAA, Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration and contributions from the Georgia Natural Resources Foundation.
Text by: January Murray, CRD