So why was J.P. in South Carolina and Georgia?...I am currently working with Tom Allen (ECU Geography) and colleagues from South Carolina (Jim Morris, James Edwards, USC, Baruch Institute) and Georgia (Clark Alexander, Mike Robinson, UGA, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography) on some marsh mapping research across the Southeast. The research is funded by the South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative (http://www.southatlanticlcc.org/page/about) and involves remote sensing and field work. This trip was needed to meet with scientists and select training sites for satellite imagery (LANDSAT) classifications. Also, it allowed us to discuss more fully where and what field work would be needed to measure elevations with RTK GPS and map vegetation. While there has been a lot of work mapping marshes locally, this project is important as it is focused on examining the entire multi state region. Ultimately, the goal is to be able to use this methodology to evaluate marsh habitat change over time. Fortunately the weather during the field visits was incredible (for August), although it rained most of the trip home.
Of course, the work exposed us to wild boar, raccoons, snakes, bugs and lots of smelly mud, but it wasn't all bad. We had nice visits to Charleston and Savannah and got primo tours of the Baruch (SC) and Skidaway (GA) institutes.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone
