Geodetic Survey

A working survey marker commemorating the partnership between NOAA and CBEC was installed in August 2006.  The geodetic control mark was specially made for CBEC and is part of the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS), which is defined and managed by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) National Geodetic Survey (NGS).  In 2009 NGS established 14 vertical control points and 5 Surface Elevation Tables (SET) sites to measure changes in marsh elevations. The vertical infrastructure will be used by NGS to test latest technologies for obtaining coastal wetland elevations.  The infrastructure and the data obtained using geodetic tools and techniques will be used by CBEC and other interested parties to create digital elevation models, elevation maps, and to correlate coastal habitat characteristics and community dynamics to elevation and elevation change.  These and other products will be used to monitor and predict the fate of the coastal habitats at CBEC in the face of global environmental and climate change.  CBEC, an established NOAA partner, will therefore serve as a model for exhibiting the importance and utility of vertical control in coastal research, restoration, and management.  With its highly developed educational and outreach programs, CBEC will provide NGS’ investment wide exposure to a very broad audience, from school-aged children to college graduates, as well as local, state, and Federal lawmakers.

 Partners: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Geodetic Survey (NGS)