Research Activities
The LowCountry Institute has developed partnerships with regional universities and state and federal organizations to create an exciting research program to address local issues. Spring Island (office location of LCI) has been used as an outdoor laboratory for a wide variety projects. Other research projects have focused on the greater Port Royal Sound watershed.
To date, LCI has provided $87,000 and the university partners have provided over $350,000 in support for these programs (1999-2008). Much of this research was also supported by a partnership between LCI and the Spring Island Trust, which has almost 20 years of experience of experimenting with the best ways to manage local habitats effectively, especially those that are in close proximity to residential areas.
research: example projects
Port Royal Sound and Water Quality
Port Royal Sound is one of the most unique saltwater systems in the United States. As more people discover this ecological treasure, the potential for environmental degradation increases, threatening the landscape that drew people here to begin with. The LowCountry Institute is dedicated to protecting the greater Port Royal Sound watershed by using the best available science to inform citizens and local policy makers.
- Port Royal Sound is home to world-class fishing and a high diversity of sharks and rays. Michelle Evans, a graduate student at Coastal Carolina, has been catching and tagging sharks and rays to learn more about the ecology of these magnificent animals.
- Heath Kelsey, in a project involving NOAA and the University of North Carolina, studied the ability to identify sources of E. coli pollution in water samples using advanced molecular techniques. Because E. coli is one measure of water quality that affects recreation (e.g. swimming) and harvesting of oysters, identifying the source(s) of pollution can help us make wise land-use decisions to protect the waters of Port Royal Sound.
- The LowCountry Institute started an annual monitoring program in 2009 using volunteers from the community to track the nesting success of ospreys. Ospreys are dependent upon the overall health of the Port Royal Sound ecosystem and can serve as indicators of environmental quality.