Second CoastSnap Station Documents Shoreline Change

CoastSnap was recently installed at the Folly Beach Pier in Folly Beach, S.C. CoastSnap is a beach monitoring program that uses cell phone photos taken by beach visitors from a specific location to track how the shoreline is changing over time. The information gathered will assist the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers with making decisions on when to renourish Folly Beach. CoastSnap also will help scientists better understand factors contributing to shoreline change, including sea-level rise, king tides, hurricanes, and nor’easters.

The other CoastSnap station in South Carolina is located at the Cherry Grove Fishing Pier in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., but it has been inaccessible while the pier undergoes repairs to damage from Hurricane Ian in 2022. There are several other regional CoastSnap locations, including in North Carolina and Virginia. 

Contact Katie Finegan, Coastal Processes program specialist, at (843) 349-5017 to learn more about CoastSnap and how to get involved as a community scientist.

Registration Open for Conference on Forested Wetlands

Registration is now open for the Forested Wetlands of the Upper Estuary conference scheduled for March 5-7, 2024 in Charleston, S.C. Participants will convene to discuss the state of knowledge regarding tidally-influenced forested wetlands (TFW) in the Southeast and to build an understanding of information needs, including ecosystem and ecological services provided by TFWs, cultural identities related to this resource, cross-system management comparisons, and decision-management frameworks.

The conference is sponsored by the Consortium, National Sea Grant Office, Clemson University, College of Charleston, and U.S. Geological Survey. For more information, contact Brita Jessen, Interdisciplinary Research and Partnerships lead, at (843) 953-6417 or Amanda Guthrie, Coastal Climate and Resilience specialist, at (843) 953-2097.

Need a Good Book to Read Over the Holidays?

The All Booked Up Coastal Reading Club, an initiative of the Consortium’s Marine Education program, provides a platform for educators to discuss books about cultural, environmental, and natural resources topics. Two books a year are chosen based on input from the club’s 40+ members, with corresponding discussions occurring in the late summer and winter months.

The next book is Rice by South Carolina native poet Nikky Finney, who was featured in the summer 2023 issue of Coastal Heritage. The club meeting will be in the winter of 2024, and authors often join for an in-depth discussion of their books. For more information, visit the All Booked Up Coastal Reading Club webpage or contact E.V. Bell at (843) 953-2085.