Taylor Creek Earthcache EarthCache

Purpose: To learn how seagrass plays a crucial role in shaping, stabilizing, and safeguarding Taylor Creek.

Taylor Creek:

Taylor Creek is a body of water that separates the town of Beaufort, NC from Carrot Island and Town Marsh. It is a little over three miles in length and approximately 750 feet wide at its widest point. The creek flows east to west with a moderate current.

In the early 1900s, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers began dredging the mouth of Taylor Creek, using Carrot Island and Town Marsh as dredge material deposition areas. Before the dredging, these islands were essentially all tidal marsh with some elevated hammock land. By the 1930s the islands had been built up by the dredge material deposition to the point that they provided protection for the town from high winds, flooding and storm waves. The Corps of Engineers continued to utilize the islands as deposition sites for local dredging projects and maintain rights for this purpose even today.

Seagrass:

Seagrasses are underwater flowering plants found at shallow depths in protected bays, lagoons, estuaries, and creeks. Seagrasses line the edges of Taylor Creek. As a nursery environment, seagrasses support small fish, shrimp, and crabs that hide among the blades and feast on decaying leaves. Seagrasses also help stabilize shifting sands on the bottom of the bay and improve water clarity by trapping fine sediments and particles. Seagrass beds are susceptible to dredge-and-fill activity, declines in water quality, and damage from motor boats.

Their specialized leaves and root systems are adapted to the submerged, saline environment. There are three primary species of North Carolina seagrass that help to shape, stabilize, and safeguard the Taylor Creek waters and marshes – Eel Grass, Shoal Grass, Widgeon Grass.

LOGGING REQUIREMENTS:

To receive credit for this earthcache, please email me the answers to the questions below within 48 hours of logging this earthcache. To find the answers you will need to read the above information, read the sign at the stated coordinates for this earthcache, and take a short 200 feet walk onto the end of the pier which can be found at the additional waypoint.

1. Identify the seagrass species at the water’s edge seen from the pier.
2. Describe the seagrass’s geological role. In other words, how does it help to shape Taylor Creek and the Earth?
3. Describe 2 benefits of seagrass at Taylor Creek.
4. Describe 2 causes of seagrass loss at Taylor Creek.
5. Globally, seagrass stands are vanishing at what rate per year?
6. Identify, describe, or post a photo of a creature that you saw during your visit to this earthcache.
7. (Optional) Post a photo of yourself or your GPSr at this earthcache or a photo of Taylor Creek taken from the pier.