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Jarvis Lab/ UNCW Coastal Plant Ecology Lab

@jarvislabsav

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Coastal Plant Ecology Lab at UNCW.

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🌊🌱 If you can’t see underwater grasses, does that mean they aren’t there? Not necessarily!

During Friday’s NC SAV Watchers monitoring event in Chadwick Bay, visibility was a real challenge. Volunteers couldn’t see underwater grasses from their kayaks, and our GoPro captured only a faint glimpse beneath the surface!

🎥 Watch as White Oak Waterkeeper Christina Boxberger demonstrates some of our monitoring techniques.

🔬 Why does water clarity matter?

Wind, waves, boat traffic, stormwater runoff, sediment, and algae can affect water clarity. We can’t determine the cause of Friday’s conditions from video alone, but documenting visibility is important research.

🌱 Underwater grasses need sunlight to survive and provide critical habitat for blue crabs, fish, and shellfish. 🦀🐟

Protecting these habitats and improving water clarity are priorities of North Carolina’s Coastal Habitat Protection Plan (CHPP), supported by @nc_dmf.

Through our partnership with @uncwilmington and support from @ncseagrant, we’re working to better understand and protect these valuable habitats.

💙 Interested in spring 2027 SAV monitoring?

Email waterkeeper@coastalcarolinariverwatch.org!

#NCSAVWatchers #CoastalCarolinaRiverwatch #UNCW #NCSeaGrant #WaterQuality #BlueCrabs #CommunityScience #NewRiver by @jarvislabsav

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9 days ago

🌊🌱 What’s happening beneath the surface of our coastal waters?

Come along for a look at community science in action! Today, Coastal Carolina Riverwatch, UNCW researchers, and dedicated volunteers took to the waters of Chadwick Bay to monitor underwater grasses that provide vital habitat for blue crabs, fish, and other aquatic life. 🦀🐟

Together, we’re turning research into action to protect North Carolina’s coastal waters!

💙 Learn more: https://coastalcarolinariverwatch.org/programs-and-projects/nc-sav-watchers/

#NCSAVWatchers #CoastalCarolinaRiverwatch #UNCW #CommunityScience #CleanWater by @jarvislabsav

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10 days ago

🌊🌱 Community Science in Action on the New River!

Today was an exciting day for Coastal Carolina Riverwatch as we joined researchers from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) and a wonderful group of community volunteers for our first NC SAV Watchers monitoring event in Chadwick Bay, Sneads Ferry!

Working from kayaks, volunteers helped document submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), often called underwater grasses, while collecting observations about water clarity, depth, and habitat conditions.

🐟 Why does this matter?

These underwater habitats provide essential shelter and nursery areas for fish, blue crabs, and other aquatic life. They also help stabilize sediments and support healthy coastal ecosystems.

Through this North Carolina Sea Grant-supported research project, led by Dr. Jessie Jarvis at UNCW in partnership with Coastal Carolina Riverwatch, we’re exploring how trained community scientists can help expand SAV monitoring across coastal North Carolina.

💙 A huge thank-you to our dedicated volunteers, Dr. Jarvis and the UNCW research team, our White Oak Waterkeeper, Christina Boxberger, and Board President, Jan Farmer, for helping make this field day possible!

This is just the beginning. The information and experiences gained through this pilot will help us refine monitoring methods, strengthen community participation, and build a foundation for future coastal habitat research.

Together, we’re connecting science, community, and conservation to protect the quality of water and quality of life in coastal North Carolina.

📍 Chadwick Bay | New River | Sneads Ferry, NC

🔗 Learn more about NC SAV Watchers and our research partnership:
https://coastalcarolinariverwatch.org/programs-and-projects/nc-sav-watchers/

#NCSAVWatchers #CoastalCarolinaRiverwatch #UNCW #CommunityScience #NewRiver #CoastalConservation #CleanWater by @jarvislabsav

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10 days ago

NC false fall: nor’easter offshore, foul weather gear on, and seagrass transects still getting done. 🌊🧡#fortheloveofseagrass #bossphdstudents #whichpvcisoursagain #medusahairdontcare by @jarvislabsav

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23 days ago

New paper out! What happens when a seagrass pushes into territory where the odds are stacked against it? We take a closer look at the northern range edge of Halodule wrightii and uncover how light and temperature interact to shape where this tropical seagrass can persist. Range edges aren’t just boundaries. They’re experiments in real time. Link in bio! #fortheloveofseagrass #halodulewrightii #sorrynowittyhashtagthistime by @jarvislabsav

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a month ago

After a day off the water due to high winds, we were back in Core Sound for more Tier 2 fun! I tried to remember how to BB, Shilpa was thrilled to be back in sub 25C water temps, Wilson broke (and then fixed!) the secchi pole AND we managed to get 38 sites (+ 1 Tier 3 transect) done! Not bad for a Tuesday. 😉 #fortheloveofseagrass #shaft #sorrykimwilsonkeepseatingsugar #probablybecausewemadebrownies #apnepisthebestplacetocelebrateanniversaries by @jarvislabsav

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a month ago

When your survey points feel miles apart… and “water depth” is just a suggestion 😂 #fortheloveofseagrass #bowriding #wemakefoulweathergearlookgood by @jarvislabsav

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a month ago

Day 2 in the books! Shilpa BB’d like a boss, Wilson successfully navigated the shallows, and I tested out our self-inflating PFDs (totally on purpose 😉). All that before we dodged storms on the way home. We call that a success! #fortheloveofseagrass #onlyhadtopushtheboathalfamile #westartedaflymurderingclub by @jarvislabsav

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a month ago

Great way to start APNEP Tier 2 monitoring!! Day 1 done! #fortheloveofseagrass #ochoisback by @jarvislabsav

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a month ago

Our end-of-summer lab party had food, a slip ‘n slide, and a severe thunderstorm that definitely did not RSVP. We welcomed our newest lab members and said goodbye to our awesome BMB Cavalieri intern Nathan! Never a dull moment with this crew! #fortheloveofseagrass #labparty #getoutofthepool #theyaregoingtohatesomeofthese #sorrynotsorry by @jarvislabsav

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2 months ago

@shilpa__v did a great job leading this crew today! I mean all she had do was coordinate marking our new Topsail Sound research sanctuary boundaries, seed bank and biomass core collection, PAR swap outs, new depth sensor deployment, TSS and Chl a sampling, and finding 45 plots with flowering Ruppia 2 weeks past their peak season. Oh and practice her boating and trailering skills. Just that 😉 To be fair she had a great crew too! #fortheloveofseagrass #whatheatindex #greatjobeveryone #happybirthdaypetal by @jarvislabsav

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2 months ago

Monitor our Ocracoke NPS eelgrass common garden restoration plot? ✅ Scout out a new spot for our second common garden? ✅ Get back before the weather hits? ✅. Not a bad day! #fortheloveofseagrass by @jarvislabsav

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2 months ago