To characterize the beach and nearshore morphology and evaluate the USGS Total Water Level and Coastal Change Forecast. Use of CoastCam camera station to visualize and map the beach and nearshore region to determine the types of bar morphologies, their persistence and temporal variability, and the relationship of these changes to wave and water-level conditions. Meteorlogical measurements will be made at the CoastCam location to supplement data on nearshore circulation processes, especially during the summer-early fall deployments that overlap with the shark behavior research.
Location
Marconi Beach, Cape Cod National Seashore, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States, Atlantic Ocean
Summary
The CoastCam at Marconi was moved twice during 2025 due to eroding bluffs. The CoastCam known by CACO-03 was moved back in January of 2025 to the position CACO-04, and then in November 2025 it was moved back again to the position CACO-05. During the year, cameras c1 and c2 were maintained periodically by Friends of the Cape Cod National Seashore and USGS personnel to clean lenses and fix parts. Camera was not fully operational for the full year, see AWS buckets for dates camera was active. But when active, camera continued to take and store video and images. Three extrinsic calibrations were completed with limited success on 2025-11-04 due to pole height error on Emlid RS3.
The weather station successfully collected data throughout the year.
Info derived
Periodic trips to maintain and service CoastCam site and meteorological station at Marconi Beach on Cape Cod National Seashore as part of this ongoing project.
Comments
These are recurring trips to maintain CoastCam and weather station at Marconi Beach as part of this project. This FA shall cover events and data collected in calendar year 2024.
Entries for this field activity are based on entries from Field Activity 2021-019-FA.
Entries for this field activity are based on entries from Field Activity 2022-008-FA.
Entries for this field activity are based on entries from Field Activity 2023-006-FA.
Entries for this field activity are based on entries from Field Activity 2024-002-FA.
C. Sherwood and B. Bales went out to camera and fixed broken collar with hose clamps. Rotated camera to original orientation.
2025-01-17
2025-01-17
Bales, Sherwood, Suttles, and Over went to assess the status of the Marconi camera (CACO-03). It was determined that the camera should be moved relatively soon due to rapid dune erosion. After assessing the camera, the met station solar panels were positioned south and voltage was measured to verify power was ok. When repositioning the solar panel, it moved the entire met station pole which changed the met station orientation. The met station was re-oriented to magnetic north around 17:30 UTC.
2025-01-23
2025-01-23
Bales, Sherwood, Over, and Lange going out to calibrate CACO-03 camera orientation. AIM (Cramer, Ackerman, Brosnahan) doing drone survey. Removed camera and pole. Installed pole (CACO-04) in more stable location (~2m north of previous site). Did not finish installation, so cameras are not mounted properly.
2025-01-24
2025-01-24
Bales, Lange, Sherwood finishing the camera installation in new location. Installing guide wires and T mount. Orienting cameras to proper view.
2025-02-19
2025-02-19
A. Lange and J. Over with S. Ramussen from NPS will be placing targets in front of the camera (CACO-04) for an EO calibration at low tide
2025-02-24
2025-02-24
Robert Bales and Eric Marsjanik are going to Marconi Beach to reposition the solar panel for the camera charging system. The dune is eroding and the solar charging system is precariously close to the edge and needs to be reposition for safety.
2025-11-04
2025-11-04
E. Marsjanik, C. Sherwood, and J. Over went out for an extrinsic calibration of camera pre-moving camera pole back. Due to pole height error only four points useable - see GPS file. Cleaned lenses.
2025-11-12
2025-11-12
Marsjanik, Bales, and Sherwood moved camera pole back to new position (CACO-05)
2025-11-13
2025-11-13
Marsjanik, Sherwood, Bales, and Over do extrinsic calibration of new camera position.
