Join SECOORA for a webinar on September 27 at 12:00 PM ET presented by Natalie Nelson, Megan Carr, and Natalie “Nat” Chazal from North Carolina State University. They will be presenting use cases for a database, ShellBase, that compiles long-term records of coastal water quality from shellfish harvest waters in the Southeast.
Abstract
Few long-term monitoring programs with nationally coordinated practices are in place for tracking water quality changes across U.S. coastal waterbodies. In states where shellfish are harvested, regulatory offices collect fecal indicator bacteria concentrations along with additional water quality measurements from coastal waterbodies to understand in which waterways shellfish can safely be harvested for human consumption. Many states have collected these data for decades, creating impressive long-term records of coastal water quality that can potentially fill gaps in existing water quality monitoring programs.
A recent SECOORA-funded project provided resources to compile water quality data collected by regulatory offices from shellfish harvest waters into a unified database called “ShellBase“. In this talk, presenters will outline how ShellBase is organized, and present two case studies demonstrating how ShellBase data can be used to produce management-relevant insights and tools.
About the Presenters
Natalie Nelson is an Assistant Professor in Biological and Agricultural Engineering at North Carolina State University. Her research team takes a data-intensive and management-focused approach to the study of environmental system dynamics, with most of her projects focusing on water quality in estuarine and fresh surface waters.
Megan Carr, PhD student, and Natalie “Nat” Chazal, MS student, will present some of their ongoing work in this talk. Megan is an alumna of the University of Florida, where she received a BS in Environmental Engineering. Nat is an alumna of NC State, where she received a BS in Zoology and Animal Science.
Related news
Gliders Officially Recognized as Essential Hurricane Monitoring Tools
A milestone years in the making: ocean gliders are now formally recognized as an essential component of the 2026 National Hurricane Operations Plan by the Interagency Council for Advancing Meteorological Services (ICAMS).
Longtime SECOORA Partner USF College of Marine Science Begins Recovery Efforts After Fire
Following the recent fire at the University of South Florida College of Marine Science, SECOORA is focused on supporting our partners and highlighting the importance of critical observing systems and maintaining the flow of coastal data. USF CMS plays an important role in delivering coastal data and observations that support communities across the Gulf and Southeast.
Empowering Communities: Real-Time Shoreline Monitoring in North Carolina
A new story map highlights how two cameras on Oak Island, North Carolina are being used to track changes along the coast from daily shifts in beach width to the impacts of major storms. These cameras provide continuous imagery that helps communities understand changing conditions and make informed management decisions.