SCIENCE FOR COASTAL NATIONAL PARKS AND COASTAL PARKS FOR SCIENCE

The National Park Service preserves and protects some of the most unique coastal resources in the United States and U.S. territories. The NPS manages coastal lands along 7310 miles of shoreline in 88 units. These coastal park units all have a shoreline, but they carry a variety of designations including national seashores, lakeshores, reservoirs, historic sites, and monuments. Regardless of the designation, these park units are all managed to the high standards imposed by the NPS Organic Act and NPS Management Policies.

To effectively manage these "crown jewels" and protect their natural and cultural resources, the NPS needs to facilitate and utilize the best available science. For example, the NPS needs to be on the cutting edge of understanding coastal dynamics. In addition to eroding shorelines, subsidence, and nutrient loading, natural resources in the coastal parks are threatened by visitor use and infrastructure needed by park visitors and adjacent landowners. Marine protected areas are being designated in the coastal parks and will be managed in accordance with NPS management policies that will allow natural processes to continue. Numerous cultural resources are vulnerable to coastal erosion, storms, and sea level rise. Some structures, such as the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse have been relocated, but larger structures, such as brick forts, can not be moved and will require the best science to meet NPS goals of protecting these resources while also preserving natural processes.

At the same time, the national parks provide unique natural laboratories and critical baselines that can be used to evaluate the successes and failures of coastal management policies on adjacent lands that include a variety of shoreline engineering projects and shoreline stabilization. A new online research permit system was introduced in 2001, and continued updates of this system will provide searchable lists of research needs in the coastal parks as well as annual research reports.

Clearly, science is needed for the parks, but parks are needed for science.