Field Activity Details for field activity 2025-009-FA

Other ID: Marsh Island New Bedford 2025 - CED/AIM/EG

Status: Completed

Organization(s): USGS, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Funding Program(s): Aerial Imaging & Mapping (AIM) (LQ000GU1400), Biochemical Processes & Budget (LQ00.U0D01), Estuarine Processes, Hazards, and Ecosystems ?mid-Atlantic (LQ00UHB)

Principal Investigator(s): Sandra Brosnahan, Meagan Eagle, Neil Kamal Ganju

Affiliate Investigator(s):

Information Specialist(s): Olivia De Meo, Robert Bales, Jennifer Cramer, Jennifer O'keefe Suttles, Meagan Eagle

Data Type(s): Location-Elevation: LIDAR, Location-Elevation: Transects, Imagery: Photo, Time Series: Geochemical Monitoring, Sampling: Geology, Sampling: Chemistry, Time Series: Mooring (physical oceanography), Location-Elevation: Navigation

Scientific Purpose/Goals: Monitor the hydrodynamics and sediment supply to a newly engineered system. Buzzards Bay Coalition and their partners have just completed Phase I of this project to create an engineered salt marsh on a former fill area. Sediment supply is a key factor in salt marsh sustainability with rising sea-level, this site provides a unique opportunity to study the establishment of the engineered system under the natural forcing of the tides and water flow.

Vehicle(s):

Start Port/Location: Fairhaven, MA

End Port/Location: Fairhaven, MA

Start Date: 2025-01-02

End Date: 2025-12-31

Equipment Used: Wingtra Lidar, RTK, Altum-PT, YellowScan Mapper +, In-Situ AquaTroll 200 (CTD), Water sampler, Bottom platform, Aeropoint targets, Skydio X10, Emlid RS3

Information to be Derived: Time-series data of water level, currents, flow/discharge, waves, turbidity, and other water-quality parameters (temperature, salinity, chlorophyll, dissolved oxygen, pH, fDOM, blue-green algae). Supplemental water samples will be collected and analyzed for total suspended-sediment concentration and loss-on-ignition. Aerial mapping will provide full elevation coverage and multispectral orthoimage data. Biochem time-series sensor data are groundwater well CTD measurements.

Summary of Activity and Data Gathered: We continued to maintain three instruments on two fence-post mounted platforms and one fiberglass grated bottom landing platform. All platforms are located under the footbridge in the center of the channel on the seabed. The first fence-mounted platform contains a Sontek IQ+, which measures water velocity and flow every 15 minutes. This yields a volumetric water flux over each tide, and any net flux in/out during storms and rainfall events. Adjacent to this, connected with a power cable, is a submersible battery on a bed mounted fiberglass grate, weighted down with ~ 60 lbs. On the second platform, we have a YSI EXO2, which measures water depth, turbidity, salinity, pH, oxygen, fluorescent dissolved organic material, and chlorophyll every 15 minutes. Water samples were collected in February, April, and December of 2025 from the footbridge with a handheld sampler. Along with water samples, we can convert the turbidity signal to suspended sediment, and with the flow data, compute sediment fluxes in/out of the system. This platform also has an RBR Dwave, which measures wave height and period. In May of 2025, the IQ was removed due to technical difficulties and was not re-deployed. It was determined that enough velocity and flow data was collected; however, the IQ may be re-deployed at the same location in the future. The Exo and RBR instruments will remain on-site for the duration of the experiment, which ideally will last until the system is completely vegetated and in a quasi-equilibrium. We will continue to conduct site visits every ~3 months to switch out the instruments and collect elevation data. Disturbance at the site will be minimal as the platforms will stay in place and the instruments will be temporarily removed. Water sampling will continue to be conducted from the footbridge with a handheld sampler multiple times a year. AIM mapped the area with UAS twice, in March and in July. The March data collect included lidar, rgb photos, and GPS check shots. The July data collect included lidar, rgb, multispectral, thermal imagery, and gps check shots. From the UAS data, multiple orthomosaics and elevation models were made.

Staff: Amit Millo, Brita Jessen, Robert Bales, Olivia De Meo, Jin-Si Over, Eric Marsjanik, Seth Ackerman

Affiliate Staff:

Notes: This will be an ongoing study and would like it to be an event type field activity.
Multiple Information specialists due to group overlap.
Entries for this field activity are based on entries from Field Activity 2023-025-FA.
Entries for this field activity are based on entries from Field Activity 2024-004-FA.

Location:

Marsh Island site New Bedford Harbor, Acushnet River, Fairhaven, MA..

Platform(s):

Publications

Portals/Viewers

Data Acquired