{"id":28556,"date":"2018-02-21T11:26:03","date_gmt":"2018-02-21T15:26:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/?p=28556"},"modified":"2018-02-20T12:32:39","modified_gmt":"2018-02-20T16:32:39","slug":"weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm","title":{"rendered":"Weeks Bay NERR offers glimpse into ancient estuaries along the northern Gulf of Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mike Shelton, natural resources planner for Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR), has spent 17 years at the Reserve. The Reserve was founded in 1986 and is located in the Alabama and Florida coastal region. \u201cIt\u2019s a great place for outdoor enthusiasts. Places like this are why we live on the coast,\u201d he enthuses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThere\u2019s also a lot of history here. It\u2019s one of the first areas settled by the Europeans after they arrived in America. The city of Pensacola was the second city built in the U.S.,\u201d adds Scott Phipps, research coordinator for Weeks Bay NERR.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weeks Bay NERR monitoring follows the same System Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP) as the other 28 NERRs, which includes deploying data-gathering sondes throughout the Bay. Like most of the other NERRs, Weeks Bay uses YSI EXO-2 data sondes to gather dissolved oxygen, salinity, pH, turbidity, temperature and depth data which is taken remotely and sent to a data-gathering station every 15 minutes. Triplicate samples are taken at four sites, and tidal cycle data is taken once a month, from low tide to low tide. Nutrient data (nitrate, nitrite, ammonium and phosphate) are determined from these samples. A Campbell Scientific weather station is used to gather humidity, air pressure, wind speed and direction, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and temperature data. Unlike some other NERRs, data from a chlorophyll probe <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in situ<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at Weeks Bay was found to be of limited use, due to the high tannin content of the Bay. Chlorophyll concentration is therefore determined from samples brought to the laboratory. Weeks Bay is a black water river system, with low pH and high colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weeks Bay Reserve also does periodic screenings of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV). SAV gives a good estimate of water quality, with more SAV typically corresponding with better water quality and clearer water. SAV beds support healthier waterways, provide food for waterfowl and provide habitat for many juvenile coastal creatures. The Reserve and other coastal partners promote watershed management to eliminate the pollutants that reduce water clarity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Along the Gulf of Mexico, the red mangrove, a non-native plant, has been gradually advancing northward. \u201cWe\u2019re being threatened by invasive exotic species in our riparian areas,\u201d says Phipps. \u201cWe\u2019re assisting scientists at Dauphin Island Sea Lab with periodic monitoring for the mangrove,\u201d Shelton says. \u201cThe research team has been watching it move in, so a monitoring program is going to be needed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_28562\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28562\" class=\"size-large wp-image-28562\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Weeks_eric-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"NERR\" width=\"620\" height=\"465\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-28562\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eric Brunden measures changes in marsh elevation at the Surface Elevation Table site. (Credit: Weeks Bay NERR)<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weeks Bay NERR not only faces potential threats from non-native plants. There are non-native animals that threaten the NERR, too. One of the unique monitoring programs at the Bay that many other NERRs do not have is a monitoring program for feral hogs. Like many other features of Weeks Bay, feral hogs go back into ancient history. \u201cWe\u2019ve been trying to control them in this area for around 200 years,\u201d Phipps reflects. \u201cThey\u2019re still a significant problem. We hunt them, we trap them, but we haven\u2019t been able to get rid of them. They\u2019re a problem across the whole Southeast.\u201d The hogs are especially attracted to Weeks Bay during dry seasons, when they seek out wet Bay areas. Sometimes 20-25 hogs can be trapped at one time. When trapped, they must be destroyed, as it is illegal to transport feral pigs in the area. While 20-25 at one time may sound like a lot, such a trapping barely makes a dent in overall herd numbers. Phipps notes that the hogs are one of the worst threats to conservation in the area. \u201cThe hogs are very destructive, rooting up and destroying native vegetation. We try to catch a sounder (a group of older pigs) at one time if we can, to be efficient. The wild hogs introduce brucellosis to domestic animals, so they are detrimental in that way, too,\u201d Phipps explains.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Part of the mission of Weeks Bay NERR is to recruit and assist outside research. Scientists and students from Mississippi State, University of Alabama and several other universities conduct field work at Weeks Bay. Recently, a new Weeks Bay internship has begun, with a recent University of Southern Mississippi graduate running the program. The NERR also has a citizen scientist volunteer program and welcomes ad hoc volunteers into a variety of roles. The volunteer program is called Weeks Bay Water Watch, and it gives citizen scientists a chance to monitor water quality in the Bay. Water chemistry, physical parameters, and E. coli counts are part of the data gathering.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Weeks Bay NERR is part of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Lands Division and a component of the NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserve System. \u00a0Weeks Bay Foundation (<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.weeksbay.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">www.weeksbay.org<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) and Weeks Bay Volunteers provide many types of assistance and volunteers supported activities at the NERR.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In his 19 years at Weeks Bay Reserve, Scott Phipps has seen some changes. \u201cAverage salinity has increased due to changes in hydrology. We\u2019ve also seen more drought and more flooding events,\u201d he says. The urbanization of the area over time has also caused more run off from impervious surfaces like roads and driveways, causing more pollutants to enter the waterway. Changes have also occurred as land has gone from forest to being used for farming to becoming urban. Phipps stops short of attributing these differences over time to climate change, however. \u201cWe\u2019ve only been gathering some of these data for around 20 years, so it\u2019s too early to attribute what we\u2019ve seen to climate change,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_28559\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28559\" class=\"size-large wp-image-28559\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Weeks_hogs_forest-1024x789.jpg\" alt=\"NERR\" width=\"620\" height=\"478\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-28559\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Invasive feral hogs. (Credit: Tommy and Alan Moore, Redtown Timber)<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to being a great place for outdoor pursuits, Phipps also noted that Weeks Bay is special for another reason: it has turned out to be a good microcosm for the much larger Mobile Bay. \u201cInstead of driving for days around the Mobile Bay watershed, you can drive around the Weeks Bay watershed in a day. Weeks Bay therefore provides a model for the larger Mobile Bay system,\u201d Phipps explains.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The staff at the Bay continue to be enthusiastic about their everyday work. Eric Brunden, stewardship coordinator for Weeks Bay NERR, says one of his favorite things about Weeks Bay is its variety. \u201cWhile some of the monitoring we do is routine, the Bay changes all the time and it\u2019s enjoyable to watch,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe Bay is great,\u201d says Phipps. \u201cIt\u2019s also fun to interact with the graduate students as they learn about it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI highly recommend everyone to visit their local NERR, if they\u2019re lucky enough to live near one. Get involved!\u201d says Shelton. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the most rewarding things you can do.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Steeped in history, Weeks Bay NERR offers outdoor enjoyment and critical environmental monitoring. Red mangroves and feral hogs may threaten the area.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":28560,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[500,531,103,109,532],"class_list":["post-28556","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-estuaries-wetlands","tag-monitoring","tag-nerr","tag-news-2","tag-news-ticker","tag-ysi-exo2"],"remote_post_permalink":false,"remote_post_featured_image":false,"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Weeks Bay NERR offers glimpse into ancient estuaries along the northern Gulf of Mexico<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Steeped in history, Weeks Bay NERR offers outdoor enjoyment and critical environmental monitoring. Red mangroves and feral hogs may threaten the area.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Weeks Bay NERR offers glimpse into ancient estuaries along the northern Gulf of Mexico\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Steeped in history, Weeks Bay NERR offers outdoor enjoyment and critical environmental monitoring. Red mangroves and feral hogs may threaten the area.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Environmental Monitor\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-02-21T15:26:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Weeks_researchers-683x1024.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"683\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lori Balster\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lori Balster\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Lori Balster\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc098253ffd6cd9f653771a15dbd57df\"},\"headline\":\"Weeks Bay NERR offers glimpse into ancient estuaries along the northern Gulf of Mexico\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-02-21T15:26:03+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm\"},\"wordCount\":1156,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.fondriest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/Weeks_researchers-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"monitoring\",\"NERR\",\"news\",\"news ticker\",\"YSI EXO2\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Estuaries &amp; Wetlands\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm\",\"name\":\"Weeks Bay NERR offers glimpse into ancient estuaries along the northern Gulf of Mexico\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.fondriest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/Weeks_researchers-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-02-21T15:26:03+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc098253ffd6cd9f653771a15dbd57df\"},\"description\":\"Steeped in history, Weeks Bay NERR offers outdoor enjoyment and critical environmental monitoring. Red mangroves and feral hogs may threaten the area.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.fondriest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/Weeks_researchers-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/news.fondriest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/Weeks_researchers-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":1707,\"height\":2560,\"caption\":\"Researchers erect the station that collects weather data. (Credit: Weeks Bay NERR)\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"Environmental Monitor\",\"description\":\"Application and technology news for environmental professionals\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc098253ffd6cd9f653771a15dbd57df\",\"name\":\"Lori Balster\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0c8139da2000d0ce1a5dc0049226e06fde3164eb8794393883c36a7e0d158d8f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0c8139da2000d0ce1a5dc0049226e06fde3164eb8794393883c36a7e0d158d8f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0c8139da2000d0ce1a5dc0049226e06fde3164eb8794393883c36a7e0d158d8f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Lori Balster\"},\"description\":\"Lori Balster is a writer, consultant, and nature enthusiast based in Dayton, OH. Lori has also worked as a research chemist at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.fondriest.com\\\/news\\\/author\\\/loribalster\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Weeks Bay NERR offers glimpse into ancient estuaries along the northern Gulf of Mexico","description":"Steeped in history, Weeks Bay NERR offers outdoor enjoyment and critical environmental monitoring. Red mangroves and feral hogs may threaten the area.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Weeks Bay NERR offers glimpse into ancient estuaries along the northern Gulf of Mexico","og_description":"Steeped in history, Weeks Bay NERR offers outdoor enjoyment and critical environmental monitoring. Red mangroves and feral hogs may threaten the area.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm","og_site_name":"Environmental Monitor","article_published_time":"2018-02-21T15:26:03+00:00","og_image":[{"width":683,"height":1024,"url":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Weeks_researchers-683x1024.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Lori Balster","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Lori Balster","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm"},"author":{"name":"Lori Balster","@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/cc098253ffd6cd9f653771a15dbd57df"},"headline":"Weeks Bay NERR offers glimpse into ancient estuaries along the northern Gulf of Mexico","datePublished":"2018-02-21T15:26:03+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm"},"wordCount":1156,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/news.fondriest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Weeks_researchers-scaled.jpg","keywords":["monitoring","NERR","news","news ticker","YSI EXO2"],"articleSection":["Estuaries &amp; Wetlands"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm","url":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm","name":"Weeks Bay NERR offers glimpse into ancient estuaries along the northern Gulf of Mexico","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/news.fondriest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Weeks_researchers-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2018-02-21T15:26:03+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/cc098253ffd6cd9f653771a15dbd57df"},"description":"Steeped in history, Weeks Bay NERR offers outdoor enjoyment and critical environmental monitoring. Red mangroves and feral hogs may threaten the area.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/weeks-bay-nerr-offers-glimpse-ancient-estuaries-along-northern-gulf-mexico.htm#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/news.fondriest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Weeks_researchers-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/news.fondriest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Weeks_researchers-scaled.jpg","width":1707,"height":2560,"caption":"Researchers erect the station that collects weather data. (Credit: Weeks Bay NERR)"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/","name":"Environmental Monitor","description":"Application and technology news for environmental professionals","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/cc098253ffd6cd9f653771a15dbd57df","name":"Lori Balster","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0c8139da2000d0ce1a5dc0049226e06fde3164eb8794393883c36a7e0d158d8f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0c8139da2000d0ce1a5dc0049226e06fde3164eb8794393883c36a7e0d158d8f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0c8139da2000d0ce1a5dc0049226e06fde3164eb8794393883c36a7e0d158d8f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Lori Balster"},"description":"Lori Balster is a writer, consultant, and nature enthusiast based in Dayton, OH. Lori has also worked as a research chemist at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.","url":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/author\/loribalster"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28556"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28556\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28564,"href":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28556\/revisions\/28564"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28556"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28556"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fondriest.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}