The Tidal Creeks Project: A Retrospective of the Questions Asked Along the Way?
Denise Sanger, SC Sea Grant Consortium
29 Aug 2008
Meandering shallow tidal creeks are a dominant feature of Southeastern estuaries and provide nursery grounds for many fish and crustaceans. The shores of these creeks are also preferred sites for human development. The Tidal Creeks Project was initiated in 1994 to determine the effects of coastal development on SC headwater tidal creek environmental quality. The project has expanded through the years with the same general goal of understanding the impacts of development on tidal creek ecosystems; however, a wide range of additional questions have been asked to understand the spatial patterns, temporal patterns, ecology, and ecotoxicology. The project has also expanded the list of indicators used to assess the impacts of development on tidal creeks. A conceptual model linking coastal watershed development to the environmental quality and human health and well-being of tidal creeks has been developed for the Southeast based on this research. This model links human population growth to changes in the physiochemical environment and ultimately ecosystem and human responses.