Charleston’s coastal waters face growing challenges from intense storms, rising temperatures, and rapid land development. In partnership with Charleston Waterkeeper, this project will develop cutting-edge remote sensing tools to monitor water quality, track microbial communities, and evaluate how land use and land cover changes are affecting the health and resilience of the coast.
Why We Care
Coastal areas like salt marshes and estuaries are not only important for nature, they also support tourism, recreation, sustainable fisheries, and the well-being of local communities. In Charleston, South Carolina, rapid land development and frequent flooding events from storms are changing the landscape and affecting the health of nearby coastal waters. These waters support fishing, boating, scenic views, and the overall quality of life for residents and visitors. Runoff from urban areas and more frequent flooding may be changing water quality and how nutrients and organic matter flow through these ecosystems, potentially impacting the entire food web.
What We Are Doing
The College of Charleston leads this Congressionally Directed Spending project that will use Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), satellite-based sensors, and water quality testing methods to monitor how land use–land cover changes are impacting the water quality within the coastal waters of Charleston Harbor.
Rapid urbanization in Charleston is leading to significant land use–land cover changes, with varying impacts on downstream aquatic systems due to related nutrient pollution and loss of salt marshes and wetlands. Sea level rise and the changes in the frequency and intensity of storm and precipitation events can significantly impact the coastal carbon cycle, leading to “blue carbon” fluxes in coastal waters.
This project aims to:
- Relate near surface, UAV, and space platform (Landsat, Sentinel) remote sensing signatures of water quality to optically active constituents such as chlorophyll-a and dissolved organic matter
- Assess how frequent flooding, intense precipitation events and sea level rise impact the nutrient and carbon dynamics, phytoplankton biomass, and microbial community composition within Charleston coastal waters
- Evaluate whether “blue carbon” fluxes are related to land use or land cover changes
- Communicate project results and broaden the end-user community for open-source hyperspectral remote sensing data products through Cultivate SciArt public workshops
- Empower the training of a new generation of marine scientists both at the undergraduate and graduate level at the College of Charleston
Charleston Waterkeeper, a non-profit organization, will collect samples weekly from April to October to evaluate changes in hydrographic parameters, nutrients, carbon dynamics, phytoplankton biomass, and microbial community composition related to land use–land cover changes, nuisance flooding, intense precipitation events, and sea level rise.
Benefits of Our Work
Improving our understanding of water quality, carbon movement, and biological activity in Charleston’s land-ocean interface is key to protecting the region’s natural beauty, recreational opportunities, and quality of life.
This research will guide smarter urban planning and coastal management across South Carolina. Local leaders, planners, and community groups rely on sound science to safeguard essential ecosystem services like clean water, highly diverse and sustainable marine life, and access to safe, enjoyable coastal spaces. By supporting healthier coastal systems, this work helps ensure Charleston remains a thriving place to live, work, and visit.
Giacomo DiTullio and Eric McElroy of the College of Charleston co-lead this project. This is a Congressionally Directed Spending project funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (P.L. 118-42).