Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration

The North Campus Open Space project (the “NCOS Project”) seeks to restore the historic functions of a riparian-to-estuary transition that will enhance the quality of existing wetlands and effectively double the wetland habitat in the Devereux Slough system at the site of what used to be the Ocean Meadows Golf Course (“OMGC”). A crucial component of the restoration project is to develop a Research and Monitoring Plan. The overarching goals and objectives of the Research and Monitoring Plan are to aid scientists and stakeholders in assessing the success of the NCOS Project and assist managers in developing adaptive management strategies as the restoration progresses through its various phases (Stratton, 2013). By considering this early, assumptions can be incorporated explicitly to improve project design and allow for pre-project monitoring.

Bunn et al. (2007) offer insight into developing data quality assurance and data management, analysis, and reporting strategies. They suggest that a new monitoring program should not underestimate the importance and cost of data handling, analysis, and reporting. Good data management should maximize the utility of the data, making it available for queries by managers and scientists addressing new issues and research questions while also providing information for long-term monitoring. A well-designed data management system also improves the level of quality assurance and provides strong incentives to all program participants to standardize and coordinate protocols.

The initial phase of monitoring for the NCOS Project necessitates the development of a baseline database (a collection of historical data on coastal flora and fauna that could potentially be supported by the NCOS Project’s habitat restoration). This project focused on compiling bird survey data for this baseline database from various sources.