Navigating Water Risks: The Coastlines and People (CoPE) Initiative in Eastern North Carolina
The Coastlines and People (CoPE) initiative is a collaboration between 7 academic institutions and 12 community stakeholder groups with an interest in understanding the issues and solutions to water-related risks in eastern North Carolina funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Map showing water sampling along the Tar-Pamlico River Basin.
The Tar-Pamlico River watersheds have been designated as nutrient sensitive water since 1989. CoPe monitoring efforts aim to improve understanding of how watershed processes impact water quality along the Tar River and in the Pamlico Sound. ECU WaterCorps’ involvement includes supporting environmental justice by leading the sampling and analysis of a total of 36 monthly active sampling sites broadly distributed along the Tar-Pamlico River Basin.
The sampling period for CoPe is a long-lasting project with funding to sample for 6 years. All data collected during sampling is compiled into a database and will be utilized to show if there are any areas within the Tar-Pamlico watershed that are facing significant environmental challenges.
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- Mariana Puente-Herrera (left), and Caitlyn Grutzik (right) performing bacterial incubations for the CoPe Project.
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- Trey Blackwell (left), Braden McPhillips (middle), and Brice Long (right) conducting monthly field work at the Tar River Reservoir.
Client: Dr. Mike O’Driscoll
Project Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mike O’Driscoll
Project Owner: Braden McPhillips
Key Team Members: Braden McPhillips, Neda Safari, Trey Blackwell, Nicholas Kruchten, Oceana Apollo, Camryn Landreth, Brice Long, Mariana Puente-Herrera
Necessary Skills: Biology, Chemistry, Advanced Lab Work (Lachat), Water Sampling, Driving, Geology, Data Entry, Data Analysis.
Are you interested in working with ECU WaterCorps?
If you are interested in working with ECU WaterCorps, please fill out the attached form and send it to water@ecu.edu. ECU WaterCorps will then review the project request and determine if we have the capability and staffing to assist with the proposed project. We encourage potential clients to directly contact us at water@ecu.edu prior to submitting the form to help with scoping the project.
Click here to download the ECU WaterCorps Client Application Form!
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