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Science Communication Outreach
About Coastal Storm Impacts in
National Parks !
Alison Fisher1, Caroline Gottschalk
Druschke1, Sara Stevens2!
1Society, Ecology and Communication Laboratory,
University of Rhode Island!
2Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network,
National Park Service !
Funding Source:
National Science Foundation
EPSCoR Cooperative
Agreement #EPS-1004057
SEAcomm
university of rhode island
society, ecology & communication laboratory
Project Purpose
Determine the most effective way to communicate to park visitors, park
rangers, and anyone interested in the parks about Hurricane Sandy’s impact,
future coastal storm impacts, and strategies to increase park resilience in the
face of climate change.
Results
Development of resource briefs that inform interested parties about Post-Hurricane Sandy restoration
and resilience projects taking place at Fire Island National Seashore (FIIS) in New York, Gateway National
Recreation Area (GATE) in New York and New Jersey, and Assateague Island National Seashore (ASIS) in
Maryland.
Four briefs were completed in a ten week period. Three of them are general briefs introducing the types
of projects taking place at each of the three parks. These explain what is being done, why it is being
done, and what the anticipated overall outcomes of the research are.
The other brief that was created is a detailed brief regarding the submerged habitat mapping project
that one University of Rhode Island team is completing at the three parks. This brief discusses what
submerged habitat mapping is, why is it done, how it is done, and how this fits into post-Hurricane Sandy
restoration and resilience.
Background
Hurricane Sandy devastated the East Coast when it struck in October 2012. After the storm, it was
determined that a greater understanding of Sandy’s impact and the implications of future coastal storm
events related to climate change were needed. The U.S. Department of the Interior allocated funds to
the National Park Service (NPS) to investigate the storm’s impact on coastal parks. Information gathered
through the research will inform park management protocols and strategies to increase park resilience.
A variety of studies are currently being carried out across the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network
Parks, and there is a lack of readily accessible public information regarding these Post-Hurricane Sandy
efforts. The Society, Ecology and Communication (SEAcomm) Laboratory at the University of Rhode
Island is focused on projects taking place at Fire Island, Gateway National Recreation Area, and
Assateague Island. SEAcomm aims to fill the public information gap by developing a series of resource
briefs, photo stories, researcher profiles, interactive and static maps, and info graphics that highlight NPS
research in clearly accessible terms to public stakeholders and decision-makers.
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Credit: National Park Service
Outcomes
!
There are a number of challenges associated with completing projects of
this type. There must be cooperation between the SEAcomm lab members,
the principal investigators and team members of the research projects, and
the National Park Service. The researcher writing the brief needs to
familiarize herself with the project(s) that the brief encompasses; oftentimes
this requires building understanding of unfamiliar scientific terms and
concepts. The researcher must also understand the work that is taking place
well enough to explain it to an uninformed audience.
!
The method for completing the briefs:
1. Categorize and describe each project based on the
project proposal
2. Draft a basic overview of the project(s)
3. Fill in details and verify accuracy by speaking to
project principal investigator(s)
4. Begin brief layout in Adobe InDesign
5. Request photos and caption information from project
team members
6. Secure approval for each brief from the NPS
Methods!
Each of the briefs will be used to generate interest in the parks, explain and justify the expenditure of
taxpayer money on research and recovery efforts, and increase the National Park Service’s
engagement with employees, park visitors, and an online interested public.
The research seeks to answer two main questions:
What was the effect of Hurricane Sandy on the National Parks?
What can be done to better prepare for the next storm event?
Each brief addresses these questions in the context of the projects that are being discussed.
!
Writer!
Audience!Context!
The rhetorical triangle is an important concept
for communicators in any situation. All three points
must be considered equally to communicate
effectively. This means it needs to be clear who the
writer is, why the writer is writing, who the audience
is, how the communication is taking place, and why
the communication is taking place.
Resource Briefs!
Briefs include
high-resolution
images that
emphasize a key
park feature
Many images
were provided
by research
team members
Definitions are included
throughout in callout
boxes and bold text