Research Assists with Planning for Rice Field Management

A 2024-2026 Consortium-funded research project, “Envisioning the Future of South Carolina’s Antebellum Rice Fields: Development of a Decision Support Tool,” aims to assist land managers to plan for sea-level rise, flood control, land subsidence, and increased salinity. The project is led by Principal Investigator James T. Anderson, Ph.D., and Graduate Research Assistant and Ph.D. student Oluwatobi Olaniyi, both working at Clemson University’s James C. Kennedy Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation Center at the Baruch Institute in Georgetown, S.C.

Long recognized as vital habitat for wildlife and fisheries, including migratory waterfowl and endangered species, South Carolina’s managed antebellum rice fields, or impoundments, also provide a valuable ecosystem service by increasing the coast’s resilience to impacts of climate change.

Researchers will compile and analyze data from breached and intact tidal rice fields; assess the methodologies, successes, and failures of restored rice field projects; collect and analyze community input, historical knowledge, and desired future endpoints for infrastructure preservation; generate a decision-support system that addresses the ecological and societal costs and benefits associated with abandoning these historic impoundments versus maintaining them; and identify research and data gaps to develop a long-term research agenda focused on the socio-ecological conservation and ecosystem services of rice fields.

This project is supported by partnerships with Nemours Wildlife Foundation; Clemson University’s James C. Kennedy Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation Center; Clemson University’s College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Life Sciences; Andy Quattlebaum and Blackwell Family Foundation; Ducks Unlimited; Folk Land Management; Weyerhaeuser Company; Gullah Geechee Chamber of Commerce; and the Gullah Geechee Foundation.

Learn about what the research team has accomplished so far on the Consortium’s website. For more information, contact James T. Anderson, Ph.D. at (304) 276-8956.

Akshit Suthar, Ph.D. student and graduate research assistant at Clemson University, demonstrates the operation of a rice trunk in the managed impoundments at Nemours Wildlife Foundation. Photo: Hailey Murphy, S.C. Sea Grant Consortium.

Special thanks to Hailey Murphy, Coastal Public Information coordinator, for providing this research update.

New Toolkit Details Resilience Options for Coastal Communities

A new resource, Coastal Community Policy Toolkit: Nonstructural Options for Climate Adaptation and Resilience, is available on the Consortium’s website. The toolkit will be useful to local government leaders and planners, consultants, and community members who want to learn more about resilience policy and planning options.

The toolkit was developed through an extensive literature review of plans, reports, guides, and studies in the Southeast region. Over 100 coastal resilience and adaptation options are covered in the following areas: best practices; development; erosion; financial incentives; habitat conservation; rain-based flooding and extreme events; tidal flooding and sea-level rise; and water quality. Many of the policies also are applicable to inland communities.

Contact Sophia Truempi, Coastal Community Engagement specialist, at (952) 423-8113 for more information.

2024 Environmental Awareness Award Winner Announced

Kelly Thorvalson, senior manager of Conservation Programs with the South Carolina Aquarium, was awarded the 2024 S.C. Environmental Awareness Award for her conservation efforts in plastic-pollution mitigation, sustainable seafood, and resilience. Thorvalson assisted in establishing the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Care Center™ and has led community-based conservation programs, such as Plastic-Free Waters, that support marine life and habitats.

The South Carolina General Assembly established the S.C. Environmental Awareness Award during the 1992 legislative session to recognize outstanding contributions made toward the protection, conservation, and improvement of the state’s natural resources.

Each year, residents are encouraged to submit nominations that are then reviewed by an awards committee comprised of representatives from the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium, S.C. Forestry Commission, S.C. Department of Environmental Services, and S.C. Department of Natural Resources. When reviewing nominations, the committee considers excellence in innovation, leadership, and accomplishments that influence positive changes affecting the state’s natural air, land, water, and coastal resources.

For more information about the award and nomination process, contact April Turner, Coastal Communities Program specialist, at (843) 953-2073 or E.V. Bell, Education and Outreach manager, at (843) 953-2085.

Kelly Thorvalson holds the 2024 S.C. Environmental Awareness Award with Kevin Mills, president and CEO of the South Carolina Aquarium. Photo: Doug Wood, S.C. Forestry Commission.

Upcoming Events and Conferences

·     International Symposium on Biogeochemistry of Wetlands and Aquatic Systems, June 1-5, 2025, Baton Rouge, LA.

·     Environmental Education Association of South Carolina Conference, June 19-21, 2025, Florence, S.C.

·     Aquatic Plant Management Society Annual Meeting, July 14-17, 2025,

Providence, RI.