Consortium Logs 103 Impacts and Accomplishments in Annual Report

From February 1, 2022 through January 31, 2023, the Consortium and its member institutions documented 103 impacts and accomplishments, 71 products and tools, and 21 journal articles within five focus areas: Healthy Coastal Ecosystems, Sustainable Coastal Development and Economy, Weather and Climate Resilience, Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Scientific Literacy and Workforce Development.

The Consortium achieved $13,606,519 in economic benefits by providing planning assistance to communities to enhance their resilience to hazards, delivering technical support to coastal industries, and implementing education programs. These economic benefits include one business created and 25 businesses sustained; one job created and 224 jobs retained; and 78 students supported through research projects, fellowships, and internships. In addition, education efforts engaged about 17,000 P-12 students and 609 P-12 formal and nonformal educators.

Contact Susannah Sheldon, Research and Fellowships manager, at (843) 953-2083 for more details about the annual report.

Photo: University of South Carolina researcher Alicia Wilson and graduate students install a groundwater monitoring well. Photo courtesy of Caylor Romines, Beaufort County Open Land Trust.

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 a grant from the National Sea Grant Office with additional support from the College of Charleston, Clemson University, and South Carolina Aquarium. The Steering Committee includes specialists from the Consortium, Clemson University, College of Charleston, U.S. Geological Survey, and U.S. Forest Service.

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.

Notable Research at Member Institutions

Transue L., Monczak A., Tribble C., Marian A., Fair P., Ballenger J., Balmer B., Monte E. (2023). The Biological and Anthropogenic Soundscape of an Urbanized Port – the Charleston Harbor Estuary, South Carolina, USA. PLoS ONE 18(4): e0283848. 

Faculty members are encouraged to contact Susan Ferris Hill or Susannah Sheldon with publications and/or events to share.