Screenshot of the “Marine Issues on Daufuskie Island” StoryMap created by Daufuskie Island Independent School students.
The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium (Consortium) collaborated with Daufuskie Island Independent School (DIIS), the College of Charleston (CofC), Coastal Carolina University (CCU), and Daufuskie Island Conservancy on a 10-week Geographic Information System (GIS) course to teach middle school students how to use GIS technology to understand their erosion and sea level trends on Daufuskie Island over the last 45 years. The course was supported by Dr. Norman Levine, CofC Professor at the Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences and the director of Santee Cooper GIS Laboratory (SCGIS) and Lowcountry Hazards Center (LCHC). Dr. Levine created GIS and application development course materials and delivered in-person and virtual lectures.
DIIS students and educators enjoying their trip to the Mace Brown Museum of Natural History, where they interacted with marine fossils.
Over the 10-week course, students at DIIS conducted an ArcGIS Mapping project that identified marine issues impacting their island using imagery from 1977 to 2023. By mapping data related to the locations of Daufuskie Island’s wet-dry lines (an approximation of the high tide line), students identified trends of erosion and accretion (or sediment loss and accumulation, respectively). Students studied the pathways of the hurricanes that intersected with Daufuskie Island dating back to 1853 and the evolution of the Island as evidenced by its notable geographical ridges. With mounting concern for flooding and storm surges impacting the barrier island, the students also studied scenarios using GIS projections of up to 3 ft of sea level rise.
The course culminated in the completion of the “Marine Issues on Daufuskie Island” StoryMap, which students presented to the Daufuskie Island community. Students wrapped up the course with a field trip to the College of Charleston’s Mace Brown Museum of Natural History, Santee Cooper GIS Laboratory (SCGIS), and Lowcountry Hazards Center (LCHC). They engaged in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) activities with the Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic and Marisa Them, STEM Outreach Coordinator for the South Carolina Space Grant Consortium, to learn more about NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and other scientific research applications.
Dr. Norman Levine and Marisa Them teaching DIIS students about the dark side of the moon.
Students reported that Daufuskie Island’s ocean-side shoreline has receded 173 ft on average since 1977, while areas including Bloody Point and Haig Point show evidence of accretion. These shoreline changes have led to higher frequencies of road flooding and deterioration, impact on wildlife and vegetation, and reduced distance of houses to the ocean resulting in some buildings becoming surrounded by water permanently.
Students and educators prepared the following statement: “Overall, our research shows that erosion and sea level rise are significant issues for the island, especially looking into the future… In this project, we have identified areas of greatest change on the island and have been able to measure that change. It is now our environmental stewardship and responsibility to search and learn more about the actions we can take to preserve and protect our island.”
Be sure to view the Marine Issues on Daufuskie Island StoryMap and accompanying analysis created by Daufuskie Island Independent School students.
For more information, visit the DIIS ArcGIS Mapping webpage or contact Katie Finegan, P.E., Coastal Processes Program Specialist, or Shu-Mei Huang, Coastal GIS Specialist.
Shu-Mei Huang talking to students about marsh restoration and the From Seeds to Shoreline program at the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium, holding up a Spartina alterniflora plant.