Saco River Estuary Project
Sustaining Quality of Place in the Saco River Estuary through Community Based Ecosystem Management
Phase I: Bridging Community Goals for Quality of Place and Scientific Knowledge of Ecosystem Structure and Function through Collaborative Learning
One of the unique things about the University of New England is its location right at the mouth of the Saco River. The Saco begins in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and empties into the Gulf of Maine just beyond campus. From the mouth of the river up to the first dam, the tide mixes salt water with fresh.
This part of the river is the Saco River estuary, and it is the focus of a new research project aimed at sustaining the health of the estuary into the future.
The research is made possible by a $125,000 EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) grant titled "Sustaining Quality of Place in the Saco River Estuary through Community Based Ecosystem Management."
With this grant a team of researchers and undergraduate students is currently studying the ecology of the estuary as well as the policies, regulations and economics that influence this portion of the river. Faculty from the departments of Environmental Studies, Biological Sciences, Business Administration and Marine Science, together with the research director from the nearby Wells Estuarine Research Reserve, have come together to collaborate on this project.
The Saco River Watershed
The Saco River watershed is the largest watershed in southern Maine, encompassing more than 1,500 square miles. The estuarine portion of the river lies below the first dam on the river, and includes a variety of coastal habitats, including rocky intertidal, sandy beaches, mudflats and salt marshes. This stretch of the river is bordered by the town of Saco and the city of Biddeford. The University of New England (UNE) is located in the city of Biddeford, at the mouth of the Saco River.
Project Focus
The project is focusing on understanding the effects of increasing coastal development on the health of the Saco River Estuary and on ways to mitigate these effects. It is employing the methods of social sciences in understanding management and policy challenges, and in examining existing gaps in scientific knowledge required to address these challenges.
It is also using the methods of the natural sciences to develop ecological indicators that reflect the extent and impacts of coastal development. This project is a first step in achieving the long-term goal of sustaining the structure and function of the Saco River Estuary, and could serve as a model for bringing scientists and stakeholders together to achieve similar goals.
Interdisciplinary
The University of New England has recently created a Center for Land Sea Interactions (CLSI), based in its Marine Science and Research Center on the Biddeford campus. One of the core themes of the institute is a focus on environmental sustainability of coastal ecosystems. Faculty from a diversity of departments participate in CSLI activities in collaboration with organizations outside UNE.
One of our past and current collaborators is the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve (WNERR), whose research department studies and monitors change in Gulf of Maine estuaries, coastal habitats, and adjacent coastal watersheds, and produces science-based information needed to protect, sustain, or restore them.
In addition, the Wells Reserve is home to the Coastal Training Program (CTP), which engages coastal communities, resource managers, federal and state environmental agencies and NGOs in collaborative dialogues aimed at sustaining coastal ecosystems through shared effort. CTP provides environmental training and technical assistance and has served an average of 4,000 coastal decision-makers each year for the past seven years.
Stakeholder Engagement
One of the first steps has been to gather information from the people who use and manage the river through interviews and two public information sessions.
At the workshops, UNE students presented information on issues such as climate change, water quality, biodiversity, wetlands, and ecosystem services. Using hand-held audience polling devices, community members engaged in lively debate about important values and brainstorm strategies to maintain fish populations, balance coastal development, and protect healthy beaches to support a vibrant economy.
Stakeholder engagement and collaboration is central to the Saco River Estuary Project. The guide to Collaborative Learning for Ecosystem Management describes the process used by the project.
Student Research
Students are working on all aspects of the project, in courses such as Ecosystem Management and Environmental Communication, and as research assistants. The research assistants are gathering stakeholder input, analyzing the economic value of the estuary, and studying the fish and birds that use this part of the river. Because the project is interdisciplinary, these students are exposed to research methods in both the natural and the social sciences.
During the field season, students are donning rubber boots, binoculars and sunscreen to travel throughout the estuary collecting ecological data. A third stakeholder workshop is planned to bring together UNE scientists, policymakers and resource managers to discuss the future of the estuary.
Team leaders:
Pamela Morgan, Ph.D., associate professor, UNE Department of Environmental Studies
Christine Feurt, Ph.D., director of the Center for Sustainable Communities, UNE Department of Environmental Studies.
Collaborators:
James Sulikowski, Ph.D, associate professor, UNE Department of Marine Sciences
Stephen Zeeman, Ph.D., professor and chair, UNE Department of Marine Sciences
Gregory Zogg, Ph.D., associate professor, UNE Department of Biology
Noah Perlut, Ph.D., assistant professor, UNE Department of Environmental Studies
Michael Daley, Ph.D., assistant professor of economics, UNE Department of Business and Communications
Michele Dionne, research director, Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve
Administrative Support:
Jenna Blake Davis
Office of the Vice President for Research
207-602-2855
jdavis12@une.edu
Saco River Corridor Commission
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
City of Biddeford
City of Saco
Saco Valley Land Trust
Local residents
Saco River Salmon Club
Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission