Abstract:
The Pamlico Sound serves a vital role in North Carolina's ecology and economy, but
declining water quality threatens the health of this system. Currently, the state of North Carolina does no regular water quality monitoring of the Pamlico Sound so the true condition of the Sound remains unknown. Long-term monitoring is needed to track changes considering the nutrients that enter the Sound as a consequence of land-use change in the watershed. Use of remote sensing in the Pamlico Sound is an ideal way to track phytoplankton changes that occur
over a broad range of time and space domains. Remotely sensed data would provide researchers
with regular and long-term information that can be used to evaluate the impacts of existing land
use and nutrient management programs. Improved information on the Pamlico Sound can help
managers create standards aimed at altering human behavior and improving the condition of the
Sound. This Masters Project investigates the feasibility of using remote sensing to track water
quality in the Pamlico Sound. I conducted interviews with remote sensing experts and North
Carolina water quality managers to determine whether remote sensing of the Pamlico Sound will
be useful in future water quality monitoring programs. I determined that while water quality
managers do not currently have the resources to incorporate remote sensing into existing
programs, it is a tool that will be useful and cost effective in future monitoring plans.
