| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.62 |
| Liaison | Darcy Coughlan |
| Submission Date | Dec. 22, 2022 |
Coastal Carolina University
OP-10: Biodiversity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Jeremy
Monday Director of Sustain Coastal Sustain Coastal |
Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, or regions of conservation importance?:
A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:
The Anne Tilghman Boyce Coastal Reserve (ATBCR), including a portion of Waties Island, is located on the northeast coast of South Carolina, just above Cherry Grove beach. Students and faculty at Coastal Carolina University regularly use a portion of the Reserve owned by the Coastal Educational Foundation, a private, non-profit support component of CCU. Classes, laboratories and independent research projects are conducted on the property by both undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff. In addition, field workshops for precollege classes (K-12) and adult groups are led by a marine science educator.
The Reserve is an outstanding example of an undeveloped complex of ocean frontage, fresh and saltwater marshes, tidal creeks, and upland woods. Surrounded by a rapidly urbanizing environment, it is becoming increasingly significant for research, monitoring and education about the natural coastal habitat.
Property Donation
It was the wish of Anne Tilghman Boyce that the property she left to the Coastal Educational Foundation be maintained "in essentially a wilderness state". Per her wish, in 1995, a total of 1,105 acres on Waties Island and the adjoining uplands of Little River Neck were deeded to the Coastal Educational Foundation which became the Anne Tilghman Boyce Coastal Reserve. The gift has been protected with a perpetual conservation easement through The Nature Conservancy of South Carolina.
Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution?:
A list of endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution, by level of extinction risk:
1. Critically endangered
a. None
2. Endangered https://www.fws.gov/southeast/pdf/fact-sheet/south-carolina-species-list-by-county.pdf
a. Red-cockaded woodpecker,
b. Atlantic sturgeon,
c. Short nose Sturgeon,
d. Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle,
3. Vulnerable https://www.fws.gov/southeast/pdf/fact-sheet/south-carolina-species-list-by-county.pdf
a. Sea-beach Amaranth
b. West Indian Manatee
c. Red Knot
d. Piping Plover
e. American Wood stork
4. Near threatened https://www.fws.gov/southeast/pdf/fact-sheet/south-carolina-esfo-at-risk-species.pdf
a. Golden wing warbler
b. Saltmarsh sparrow
c. Carolina pygmy Sunfish
d. Southern Hognose Snake
e. Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
5. Least concern
a. None
Has the institution conducted an assessment to identify areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution?:
A brief description of areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution:
Habitats and environmentally sensitive areas include wetlands. A report created in 2009 through the county, in association with the Waccamaw Watershed Academy, lists identified species in Horry County: http://www.horrycounty.org/portals/0/docs/planningandzoning/parksopenspaceplan.pdf
Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species Inventory of Horry County
AGALINIS APHYLLA COASTAL PLAIN FALSEFOXGLOVE
SC
AGALINIS MARITIMA SALT-MARSH FALSEFOXGLOVE
SC
AMARANTHUS PUMILUS SEABEACH AMARANTH FT/ST
ANDROPOGON MOHRII BROOMSEDGE SC
ANTHAENANTIA RUFA PURPLE SILKYSCALE SC
ASCLEPIAS PEDICELLATA SAVANNAH MILKWEED RC
BALDUINA UNIFLORA ONE-FLOWER BALDUINA SC
CALAMOVILFA BREVIPILIS PINE-BARRENS REED-GRASS NC
Horry County Parks and Open Space Plan 65
CALOPOGON BARBATUS BEARDED GRASS-PINK SC
CARETTA CARETTA LOGGERHEAD FT/ST
CAROLINA BAY SC
CHAMAEDAPHNE CALYCULATA LEATHERLEAF SC
CLEMMYS GUTTATA SPOTTED TURTLE ST
COLONIAL WATERBIRD SC
COREOPSIS GLADIATA SOUTHEASTERN TICKSEED SC
COREOPSIS INTEGRIFOLIA CILIATE-LEAF TICKSEED SC
COREOPSIS ROSEA ROSE COREOPSIS RC
CORYNORHINUS RAFINESQUII RAFINESQUE'S BIG-EARED BAT SE
CROTONOPSIS LINEARIS NARROWLEAF RUSHFOIL SC
DIONAEA MUSCIPULA VENUS' FLY-TRAP RC
ECHINODORUS PARVULUS DWARF BURHEAD SC
EUPATORIUM RECURVANS COASTAL-PLAIN THOROUGHWORT
SC
FIMBRISTYLIS PERPUSILLA HARPER'S FIMBRY NC
FUNDULUS DIAPHANUS BANDED KILLIFISH SC
HALIAEETUS LEUCOCEPHALUS BALD EAGLE FT/SE
HELENIUM BREVIFOLIUM SHORTLEAF SNEEZEWEED RC
HELIANTHEMUM GEORGIANUM GEORGIA FROSTWEED SC
HELIANTHUS SCHWEINITZII SCHWEINITZ'S SUNFLOWER FE/SE
HETERODON SIMUS SOUTHERN HOGNOSE SNAKE SC
ILEX AMELANCHIER SARVIS HOLLY SC
LACHNOCAULON BEYRICHIANUM SOUTHERN BOG-BUTTON SC
LECHEA TORREYI PIEDMONT PINWEED SC
LILAEOPSIS CAROLINENSIS CAROLINA LILAEOPSIS NC
LIPOCARPHA MICRANTHA DWARF BULLRUSH SC
LITSEA AESTIVALIS PONDSPICE SC
LYGODIUM PALMATUM CLIMBING FERN SC
MYCTERIA AMERICANA WOOD STORK FE/SE
OXYPOLIS TERNATA PIEDMONT COWBANE SC
PARNASSIA CAROLINIANA CAROLINA GRASS-OFPARNASSUS
NC
PELTANDRA SAGITTIFOLIA SPOON-FLOWER SC
PHYSOSTEGIA LEPTOPHYLLA SLENDER-LEAVED DRAGONHEAD
SC
PICOIDES BOREALIS RED-COCKADED
WOODPECKER FE/SE
PITUOPHIS MELANOLEUCUS PINE OR GOPHER SNAKE SC
PLANTAGO SPARSIFLORA PINELAND PLANTAIN SC
PTEROGLOSSASPIS ECRISTATA CRESTLESS PLUME ORCHID SC
PYXIDANTHERA BARBULATA VAR
BARBULATA WELL'S PYXIE MOSS SC
Horry County Parks and Open Space Plan 66
RHYNCHOSPORA OLIGANTHA FEW-FLOWERED BEAKEDRUSH
SC
RUELLIA PEDUNCULATA SSP
PINETORUM STALKED WILD PETUNIA SC
SABATIA BARTRAMII BARTRAM'S ROSE-GENTIAN SC
SABATIA KENNEDYANA PLYMOUTH GENTIAN RC
SARRACENIA RUBRA SWEET PITCHER-PLANT SC
SCHWALBEA AMERICANA CHAFFSEED FE/SE
SCLERIA BALDWINII BALDWIN NUTRUSH SC
SOLIDAGO PULCHRA CAROLINA GOLDENROD SC
SPOROBOLUS TERETIFOLIUS WIRE-LEAVED DROPSEED NC
STERNA ANTILLARUM LEAST TERN ST
STYLISMA PICKERINGII VAR PICKERINGII PICKERING'S MORNING-GLORY SC
TOFIELDIA GLABRA WHITE FALSE-ASPHODEL SC
URSUS AMERICANUS BLACK BEAR SC
Source: S.C. Department of Natural Resources
FE - Federal Endangered
FT - Federal Threatened
NC - Of Concern, National (unofficial - plants only)
RC - Of Concern, Regional (unofficial - plants only)
SE - State Endangered (official state list - animals only)
ST - State Threatened (official state list - animals only)
SC - Of Concern, State
The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or areas of biodiversity importance and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:
Facilities Planning and Management contracts with an engineering firm for ongoing needs and assessment for building projects annually, including 2015.
In 2004, Coastal Carolina University established the Waccamaw Watershed Academy (WWA) under the aegis of the Burroughs & Chapin Center for Marine and Wetland Studies (BCCMWS) to meet local needs for expertise in the areas of watershed and wetland science and management. The mission of the academy is to deliver educational, research, and public outreach services to the university and the local region. Ongoing monitoring is done by Coastal Carolina University’s Campus Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program and is co-administered by Coastal Carolina University's Waccamaw Watershed Academy and the Waccamaw RIVERKEEPER® Program of Winyah Rivers Foundation.
A brief description of the scope of the assessment(s):
The assessment takes place with a Facilities Planning and Management contract with an engineering firm for ongoing needs and assessment
A brief description of the plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:
Plans and programs that are in place include continuous education and student research opportunities through classes offered through Coastal Carolina University and relevant initiatives/programs such as the Waccamaw Watershed Academy.
Additionally, Waties Island is used as natural laboratory for extensive study in marine science and wetlands biology.
https://www.coastal.edu/app/newsletter/archived_newsletter/22/684
https://youtu.be/a5O_XMtg5fs
https://youtu.be/hO_z3MvkCdw
Sea Turtle Monitoring at Waties: https://youtu.be/CKSm5f-KU9A
Estimated percentage of areas of biodiversity importance that are also protected areas :
Website URL where information about the institution’s biodiversity initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.