Attachment-I_SamplePlan.pdf

Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

March, 202039 Exhibits (001–005, 008, 013–016, 017A, 017B, 017C, 020–031, 040–044, 050–051, 053–054, 057–058, 070–074)

Wayside Exhibit Revised Final Plan

Writer/Planner

Designer

Attachment-I, Sample Plan I

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Doing Our Part

Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Sea turtles and other animals are attracted to colorful balloons and plastic bags floating in the water.

There is a fascinating and fragile world in the coastal bays.

Schools of tiny fish shimmer in the sunlight. Crabs scurry by, jellyfish flow with the tides, and verdant eel grasses sway in the current. The shallow coastal bays of Assateague are connected to the local watershed and are sensitive to human impact.

To minimize your impact, make responsible outdoor choices.

Properly dispose of your trash and leave the area you visited cleaner than you found it.

DC

MD

PA

NJ

DE

VA

ATLANTIC

OCEAN

Chesap eake B ay

D elaw are Bay

COASTAL BAYS

WATERSHED

The watershed surrounding Assateague is tiny compared to the vast Chesapeake Bay.

Sea nettle Silversides

Loggerhead turtle

Hermit crab

Eel grass

Blue crab

Spot

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Keep Them Wild

Keep Them Safe Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Horses have been present on Assateague since the 1600s. Free ranging bands graze in the marshes, saunter along the beach, and drink at freshwater ponds. They wander on trails and roads.

They are accustomed to human activity but they are not tame.

To keep them wild, keep your distance.

• Horses bite and kick in response to crowding or competition for food. Stay 40 feet away.

• Visitors can be knocked down and stepped on if horses spook or react suddenly.

• Horses are large animals, making it dangerous for anyone, especially children, to get too close.

Dangers of Being Too Close

During your visit to Assateague you will likely encounter a few of the island’s most popular residents.

Both petting and feeding horses causes harmful behavioral changes as they become unafraid of humans and vehicles. When horses begin approaching vehicles and visitors, they become more aggressive over time. Horses attracted to roads have an increased risk of being injured or killed by a vehicle.

Being unafraid of humans is not the same as being “tame”! For your safety and the safety of the Assateague horses, please obey park regulations and do not approach, touch, or feed them.

Food Safety Tips

Secure coolers with nylon straps.

Store unattended food in your vehicle.

Keep beach bags and soft coolers zipped up.

Use built-in food storage cabinet under picnic table.

Use sturdy, hard-sided, latched containers.

Avoid bags that do not close.

A swirling mass of tree swallows fills the sky over the dunes. The coastal shoreline guides birds, other animals, and insects during their seasonal migrations.

A variety of birds create a blur of activity on the beach. Bills and foraging strategies are unique to each species.

Bottlenose dolphins are mammals that travel in pods. Members of the pod work together to hunt schools of fish.

Loggerhead turtles dig nests in the sand to lay eggs. They are vulnerable to human disturbance and animal predators.

Great blue herons wade along the water’s edge.

They catch fish, amphibians, and other prey with dagger-like bills.

Monarchs migrate south in September and October along Assateague Island on their journey to Central Mexico to overwinter.

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On The Move

Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Each day is different. The animal population is always on the move. Resident species travel for food, shelter, and reproduction. Migrating species stop over and rest here during spring and fall journeys. Many of the nearly three hundred bird species observed in the national seashore are temporary residents.

Whales and dolphins are sometimes seen hunting just offshore. Loggerhead turtles and horseshoe crabs lay eggs on the beach, then return to the ocean.

Take the time to look around. Look up in the sky, along the shore, and out in the ocean. You just might encounter a creature that traveled farther than you to get here.

The repetition of growth, decay, and rebirth is the foundation of the nutrient cycle of the marshes.

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Marshes Fuel the Bay

Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Salt marshes play an important role. They are the engine that fuels the ecosystem. In summer, vegetation thrives in nutrient rich marshes. The grasses provide food and shelter for animals. The saltmarsh filters pollutants from the water. It also provides storm protection for adjacent uplands. The marshes are working even in winter when the vegetation dies back and decays. The nutrient rich organic material or detritus, is transported by the tides between the marsh, mudflats and bay. This nutrient cycle is the foundation of the food chain of the bay.

Fiddler crab

Male bufflehead

Snow geese

Clam

Great blue heron Summer Winter

Great egret Willet

Responsible Harvesting

Male, “Jimmy” blue claws & narrow apron

Immature Female, “Sally” red tip claws & V shaped apron

Mature Female, “Sook” red tip claws & wide apron

Female with Eggs “Sponge Crab”

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Crabs, Clams, and Mussels Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Blue crabs are crustaceans that molt their hard shell as they grow. They spawn in high salinity water and may live in lower salinity brackish waters. Submerged aquatic vegetation provides cover as they hunt and scavenge for food.

Clams and mussels are bivalve mollusks. They have two shells that completely protect the animal inside. They feed by filtering plankton and other food particles from the water.

Look for clams in sand and mud flats. Mussels prefer the edge of saltmarshes.

• Take only what you will consume.

• Crabs, clams, and mussels will not survive in a bucket of water.

• Store and transport crabs, clams, and mussels in a cool, dry container.

• Never eat or cook dead crabs, clams, or mussels.

• Prepare for changing tides, weather, and insect conditions.

• Respect physically posted commercial leased sites in the bay.

Blue Crabs

Atlantic Ribbed Mussels Northern Quahog Clams

• No license is required for recreational crabbing.

• Hand lines and collapsible traps are permitted.

• Crabbing equipment must be attended at all times.

• All lines and collapsible traps must be removed after crabbing.

• Regulations change frequently. Check at visitor centers.

• No license is required for recreational mussel gathering.

• Mussels should be removed one at a time by hand.

• Mussels should be collected at high tide when submerged.

• Regulations change frequently.

Check at visitor centers.

• No license is required for recreational clamming.

• Clam rakes are permitted.

• Stay out of underwater grass beds.

• Regulations change frequently.

Check at visitor centers.

Mussels attach to the marsh bank with strong filaments. They filter water to feed and close up when the tide recedes.

Specialized clam rakes can be used for harvesting clams recreationally.

Crabbing is a fun family activity. Watch out for the pinching claws!

Know Your Crab

Courtesy of the Integration and Application Network, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (ian.umces.edu/symbols/).

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Regulations for Harvesting

Males: at least 5”—Mature females: no size limits Mature females with eggs: prohibited Season: open from April 1 - December 31 Limit: one bushel per person per day

Minimum size limit: none, but use the “rule of thumb” Season: year round Limit: none

Atlantic Ribbed MusselsBlue Crabs Minimum size limit—Maryland Coastal Bays: Minimum size limit:

at least 1” wide at the hinge Season: year round Limit: 250 per person per day

Northern Quahog Clams at least 1” at the hinge at least 5” from point to point of top shell at least as long as your thumb

5”

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Assateague Island Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Activities

Pets

Ranger guided programs Deer and waterfowl hunting Bird watching Swimming Picnicking Kayaking Canoeing Crabbing Camping Boating Fishing Biking

Hiking

The national seashore offers a wealth of opportunities for nature-based recreation, education, and solitude. It is a place where natural processes occur with little or no human intervention. The beaches, bays, dunes, and marshes provide a wide range of environments for year round enjoyment.

Bateman Center/ Refuge Visitor Center U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Toms Cove Visitor Center National Park Service

Assateague Island Visitor Center

National Park Service

BUS

POCOMOKE RIVER

STATE PARK

A ss at ea gu e

Is la nd N at io na l

Se as ho re

B ou nd ar y

A T L A N T I C

O C E A N

A T L A N T I C

O C E A N

Green Run Bay

TOMS

COVE

Snow Goose Pool

Swan Cove Pool

N E W P O R T

B A Y

Wildcat Marsh

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EP

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B A

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Po co m ok e R iv er

Pope Bay

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Bayside Dr

Verrazano Bridge

Bayberry Dr

Maddox Blvd

(C lo se d to v eh icl es

MARYLAND

VIRGINIA

The 50-mile distance between the north and south ends of Assateague Island takes about 1¼ hours to drive. We recommend the highlighted route shown on this map.

R ec o m m en d ed t ra ve l r ou te

Re co m m en de d tr av el r ou te

(permit required;

closed March 15–August 31)

(vehicles permitted 3 pm to dusk)

(permit required)

State Park Campground and Registration Office

State Park Entrance Station

OCEAN

CITYBERLIN

SNOW

HILL

CHINCOTEAGUE

North Ocean Beach Oceanside

Old Ferry Landing

Bayside

South Ocean Beach

National Seashore Entrance Station and Campground Office

Nature Center

WALLOPS

ISLAND

NATIONAL

WILDLIFE

REFUGE

NASA WALLOPS FLIGHT

FACILITY / WALLOPS ISLAND

NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

NASA

WALLOPS

FLIGHT

FACILITY

Fishing Point

Stockton

Horntown

Public Landing

Girdletree

TOMS

HOOK

COVE

Former U.S. Coast Guard Station

Assateague Lighthouse

Over Sand Vehicle (OSV) zone

Wildlife Loop

Over Sand Vehicle (OSV) zone

South Point

Shad Landing

Milburn Landing

Pony swim

NASA

Visitor Center

A S

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Wild beach (10mi/16km) can be reached on foot only.

To Salisbury, Bay Bridge, Baltimore, and Washington

To Bay Bridge, Baltimore, and Washington

State Line

Pope Bay

Green Run

Pine Tree

Tingles

Little Levels

Woodland Trail

Recommended travel route

Walking / biking trail (paved)

Walking trail

Over Sand Vehicle (OSV) zone

National Wildlife Refuge

National Park Service

State Park

Refuge area closed to public March 15 through August 31

Public campground

Campsite:

backpack or paddle in

Boat launch

Unpaved road

North

0 4 Miles

0 4 Kilometers

You Are Here

Assateague Island National Seashore

• Monitor weather forecast.

• Stay on established trails.

• Wear sunscreen and insect repellent.

• Drink plenty of water.

• Watch for poison ivy.

• Check for ticks.

Safety Tips

Ticks—Inspect yourself daily to avoid tick bites, which may cause diseases.

Poison ivy—All parts of the three-leaved plant can cause an itchy rash.

Wash skin with warm soapy water and apply cool cloths.

National Seashore—Pets are permitted on the beach and frontcountry campgrounds. Pets must be kept on a 6-foot leash and under your control at all times! Please pick up after your pet. National Wildlife Refuge—Pets are prohibited in the Virginia portion of Assateague Island. For Assateague State Park pet regulations call 410-641-2120.

This boathouse is the only surviving structure on Assateague Island associated with the U.S. Life-Saving Service. It was moved here from its original location at Pope’s Island. This photo shows the USLSS crew in 1910.

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Saving Lives

Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

The surfmen of the US Life-Saving Service were real heroes. Come hurricane or nor’easter, they scanned the horizon for ships in distress. They bravely risked their lives to rescue shipwrecked mariners and passengers, conducting both beach and sea rescues.

The endless days of repetitive drills and maintenance paid off. During 40 years of service, from 1875 to 1915, four Life-Saving Stations operated on Assateague Island. They responded to more than 250 incidents. Only two resulted in the loss of life.

Sinepuxent Bay

To Bayberry Drive

To Bayside Campground Entrance

Boardwalk trail

Parking

Overlook

North

0 200 Feet

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Bayside D rive

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Life of the Marsh Trail Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Discover the beauty and diversity of this seldom explored area.

An elevated boardwalk trail winds above wetlands and mudflats providing views of the saltmarsh and bay.

Watch for birds in the air and wading along the shore. Look closely in the shallow water for crabs and small fish. Learn why this ecosystem is vital to marine life. It is a valuable indicator of a healthy watershed.

• Leave No Trace

• Check for ticks.

• Stash your trash.

• Watch for poison ivy.

• Pets are not permitted on trails.

• Leave plants and natural objects where found.

• Stay on established trails.

Trail Tips

Ticks—Inspect yourself daily to avoid tick bites, which may cause diseases.

Poison ivy—All parts of the three-leaved plant can cause an itchy rash.

Wash skin with warm soapy water and apply cool cloths.

Snowy egrets and great egrets are among the many birds seen along the water’s edge. They hunt fish and other small animals.

Diamondback terrapins live in brackish to high salinity salt marshes and coastal bays. Female terrapins need sandy bayside beaches to lay their eggs.

The great blue heron is a stealthy hunter. It uses its dagger-like bill to catch small fish, amphibians, and other prey.

A tricolored heron is a wading bird that preys on small fish. They stalk and chase after fish with flapping wings.

© PAUL J. FUSCO

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Wonderland Not Wasteland

Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Take time to observe the complexity and inner workings of the salt marsh. The pungent smell of decay is the sign of a healthy ecosystem. Marsh grasses are among the most important of all wild plants. They provide food and shelter for a wide range of insects, birds, and other animals.

As old growth decays, important nutrients support new growth. Tidal fluctuations refresh the bay and wetlands, distributing nutrients and removing waste. Crabs glide and small fish streak through the shallow waters.

Mosquito larvae are a food source for fish and birds.

Mud snails on dead crab.

Shore shrimp are a major food source for larger predators.

Striped bass (juvenile)

Greenhead flies are biting pests to humans and other animals, but are an important food source for many birds.

Clapper rail

Mummichogs

Ribbed mussels cling to the intertidal marsh edge with strong byssal threads.

Marshes are now appreciated as ecologically important areas.

Biomass production in marshlands can equal or even exceed that in tropical forests.

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Shallow Bays

Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

The shallow bays between Assateague and the mainland host an amazing array of life. Abundant microscopic plankton form the foundation of a food web that supports much of the island’s wildlife. Submerged aquatic vegetation captures sediment, stabilizes the bottom, and produces oxygen.

These grasses also provide valuable habitat for many species.

The brackish mix of fresh and salt water creates a spawning ground for countless species of ocean fish. The warm, sheltered environment provides a safe habitat for juveniles to grow. Those that avoid predation from birds and bigger fish grow and migrate to the open ocean where they may be commercially harvested.

Lined seahorse

Sandbar shark

Forster’s tern

Summer flounder

Bluefish

Northern pipefish

Silversides

Horseshoe crab

Mullet

Southern stingray

Blue crab

Moon jellyfish

American eel

Boardwalk trail

Overlook

Parking

Bayberry Drive

North

0 200 Feet

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You Are Here

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Life of the Forest Trail Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Discover the special places that harbor life in the maritime forest.

It is a shaded sanctuary, spared from the blazing sun. It is a place of refuge for animals during storms. Essential sources of fresh water can be found here.

The path winds through the forest and around wetlands bordering the bay. Its thick understory and tall trees reveal a different character of Assateague. This woodland habitat is a marked contrast to the sun-scorched beach and dunes. A unique community of plants and animals thrive here.

Eastern towhees scratch the ground for seeds and insects. Look for their long tails and triangular beaks.

The great horned owl is sometimes found in the loblolly pine forest. They feed at night on small birds, mammals, and reptiles.

Wild turkeys were first sighted at Assateague in the 1990s. They forage in the understory and are sometimes seen in marshy areas.

The black ratsnake is a common non-venomous snake frequently found in edge habitats. This powerful constrictor is an excellent climber.

• Leave No Trace

• Check for ticks.

• Stash your trash.

• Watch for poison ivy.

• Pets are not permitted on trails.

• Leave plants and natural objects where found.

• Stay on established trails.

Trail Tips

Ticks—Inspect yourself daily to avoid tick bites, which may cause diseases.

Poison ivy—All parts of the three-leaved plant can cause an itchy rash.

Wash skin with warm soapy water and apply cool cloths.

NATURE'S WILD THINGS CORNELL LA OF ORNITHOLOGYMARYLAND ZOO IN BALTIMORE

Brown-headed nuthatches probe pine forests for insects, sometimes prying under bark with a small wood chip.

The northern flicker is a woodpecker. They are found on the ground or in trees at the forest’s edge.

Wolf spiders are perfectly camouflaged for life in the forest. While hidden in plain sight on a branch or on the forest floor, they hunt their prey.

White-tailed deer frequent forests and open areas. Males grow a set of antlers each year.

Loblolly pine cone

Greenbriar

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Sheltered Environment

Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

The faint sound of the distant surf drifts through the thick vegetation of the maritime forest. Though close to the beach it seems a completely different world. It provides a peaceful contrast to the intensity of the ocean shore. The impact of salt, sand, and sun is less here. Birds, mammals, and insects are attracted to this sheltered environment.

From the top of the canopy to the forest floor, this habitat is a haven for life. The slightly higher elevation and richer soil allows trees and shrubs to flourish.

Tall loblolly pines and other trees provide shade and sources of food. The thick understory offers shelter and sustenance for birds and small animals.

© BARBARA BLAISDELL

The dunes, forest, and marsh are the main habitat zones on Assateague.

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A Thin Ribbon of Life

Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

The cross-section of the island reveals distinct habitat zones.

The dynamic Atlantic Ocean on the east shapes the shoreline.

Wind and tides build the primary dunes. The salt spray and intense sunlight dictate the plants and animals that can survive here.

The center of the island is higher. Its richer soil and more protected environment enables greater biodiversity. Shrubs and trees take hold here. The shallow bay washes the western shore. Plant and animal communities transition as the elevation descends to the wetter conditions of the marsh.

Bay

Forest Primary dunes

Low marsh Ocean

Shrub Inner dunes

Beach

Shrub High marsh

AT L A N T I C

O C E A N

Over-Sand Vehicle

(OSV) Zone

North

0 300 Feet

0 60 Meters

You Are Here

B ay b er ry D ri ve

OSV

Air

Pumps parking

Boardwalk

D u ne s

Tr ai l bi ke t ra il

36 X 48 INCHES | 28% OF ACTUAL SIZE | MARCH 2020 | ASIS | Wayside Exhibit 040

Life of the Dunes Trail Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Discover the unique habitat of the inner dunes. Protected from pounding surf, a varied community of plants and animals are found here. Some flourish in the extreme conditions, others struggle to barely survive.

The sandy path rambles through thickets of bayberry and stands of beachgrass. Wind, salt, and blowing sand twist the familiar form of trees into compact and contorted shapes. The trail skirts past broken slabs of asphalt, the remnants of Baltimore Boulevard. It was the only paved road on the island before the 1962 Ash Wednesday Storm.

Fowler’s toads eat most small insects. Their vocalizations are prominent in the spring.

Eastern hognose snakes use their upturned snout to burrow in the sand to prey on toads. They are non-venomous.

Snowy owls are a rare, unpredictable winter visitor, usually found on Assateague during population “irruptions".

Monarch butterflies stop on Assateague in the fall as they migrate to their overwintering habitat.

• Leave No Trace

• Check for ticks.

• Stash your trash.

• Watch for poison ivy.

• Pets are not permitted on trails.

• Leave plants and natural objects where found.

• Stay on established trails.

Trail Tips

Ticks—Inspect yourself daily to avoid tick bites, which may cause diseases.

Poison ivy—All parts of the three-leaved plant can cause an itchy rash.

Wash skin with warm soapy water and apply cool cloths.

A car splashes past signs of unfinished streets.

More than 130 side streets were planned to intersect with the main thoroughfare.

Asphalt and optimism were the foundation of the road constructed in the late 1950s.

Plans for the island changed when the Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962 damaged the thoroughfare.

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Baltimore Boulevard

Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Today the asphalt slabs are primarily used by gulls as a hard surface on which to drop and crack clams. They are the remnants of Baltimore Boulevard, a 15-mile road built by developers in the 1950s. It was the only paved road on the island, extending south to the Maryland/Virginia State line.

Planned side streets that would connect thousands of building lots were never constructed. The main thoroughfare was damaged by the nor’easter Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962. The destruction put a halt to planned development and created an opening for the growing movement to protect Assateague Island as a wild place. In 1965, Assateague Island became a national seashore.

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Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Telltale Signs The sand is like a blank canvas. The artists are the plants, insects, and animals that leave their mark. Other than birds, most animals are active at night, or at dawn and dusk.

Their tracks linger until erased by wind or shifting sand.

Some animals leave prominent tracks while other creatures leave tracks that are harder to detect.

Doodlebugs (antlion larva) leave a distinctive whimsical trail. Try to follow the path to the cone-shaped pit at the entrance to its lair. A perfectly-round pencil-sized hole likely leads to a spider den. Look for rippling lines marking the path of a snake. Some animals, like Fowler’s toads are often heard before they are seen.

Antlion larvae are voracious carnivores that prey on ants. Their erratic tracks resemble haphazard doodles in the sand.

Wolf spiders live mostly in solitude.

They do not spin webs; they stalk their prey.

Red fox hunt birds, rabbits, and rodents. They search for turtle eggs along the beach.

The red fox digs its den into the sides of sand dunes. Females deliver an average of four to six kits per litter.

Tree swallows digest the high energy waxy coating of the bayberry fruit and pass the hard seed.

Male deer scrape a wallow in the ground and mark it with urine to attract females.

Fowler’s toads are nocturnal hunters. Their vocalizations are most evident in the spring.

© JOHN MacGREGOR

The loblolly pine is much smaller in the harsh dune environment.

The wind and salt stunt growth and fosters low skirting branches.

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Natural Pruning

Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Harsh winds and salt spray distort plants from their typical form. These natural forces shape trees and shrubs in the dunes. Exposed plants cling close to the ground, often in unusual shapes. Their trunks are short and thick with low spreading branches. They have been salt-pruned.

Over time fallen leaves decay, enriching the sandy soil with organic material. As the pioneer plants grow, they provide a buffer against the wind. This enables less hardy plants to slowly become established. The plant community of the dunes develops over time.

The loblolly pine can grow to a height of 100 feet. Branches typically start two-thirds of the way up on the trunk.

Loblolly Pine

Red oaks and other deciduous trees are subject to flagging by strong winds. Growth is curtailed on the windward side and extended on the opposite side.

The red oak grows tall and straight. It can reach 75 feet tall with a canopy of 45 feet.

Red Oak

Harsh conditions shear exposed holly trees. The tree grows tight and dense in response to constant wind and salt exposure.

The American holly typically takes a pyramidal shape. This evergreen can reach a height of 50 feet.

American Holly

The hook at Toms Cove was created by the natural migration of sand. Over time, currents deposited several miles of shoreline on the southern end of the island. It stranded the lighthouse farther and farther from the ocean.

At the top of the lighthouse, the Fresnel lens focuses light into an intensely magnified beam.

ATLANTIC

OCEAN

TOMS

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Assateague Lighthouse

Toms Cove Visitor Center

1859 shoreline sh or el in e

North

0 2 Miles

0 2 Kilometers

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Lighting the Way

Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

The current Assateague lighthouse was completed in 1867, replacing an earlier 1833 version. The lighthouse marked the southern tip of the island and guided vessels into the Chincoteague Bay. Today, it is surprising to find the structure far removed from the ocean. Over time, natural migration of sand reshaped the shoreline.

Changes at the Toms Cove “hook” extended the island south five miles to the inlet.

The distinctive red and white design dates to the 1960s when the lighthouse was first painted. Now fully automated, it produces a double flash every five seconds.

The beacon is visible up to 22 miles away.

COURTESY MUSEUM OF CHINCOTEAGUE ISLAND

Dagger-like bills enable herons and egrets to capture their prey.

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A Bird Buffet

Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

High tides flood the mud flats and saltmarshes with water from the bay. Scattered throughout the wetlands are small depressions that trap water as the tides recede. These small pools are banquets teaming with small fish and other aquatic organisms. The rich bounty attracts birds and other wildlife.

Cordgrass stretches across the horizon. It thrives in the saltmarsh along the intertidal edge of the bay. The marsh provides shelter for small animals, feeding and nesting areas for birds, and hunting grounds for predators. When the plants die back, the detritus provides nutrients for the marsh and bay.

Snowy egret

Great egret

Unlike most Life-Saving Stations, the Assateague Beach Coast Guard station faced the bay. The calmer waters and gasoline powered vessels enabled speedy dispatch of rescue craft.

The 38-foot cabin picket boat was used for “chow runs” to Chincoteague, supplies, and transporting crewmen.

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Coast Guard Station

Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

The Assateague Beach Coast Guard Station was active from 1922 until it was decommissioned in 1967. The complex included living quarters for the crewmen, a lookout tower, boathouse and launchways. The crew stationed here were actively engaged with intercepting smugglers, watching for enemy ships during wartime and constantly maintaining round-the-clock lookout for ships in distress.

An earlier Life-Saving Station built in 1874 not far from this location was cut off from the ocean with the growth of Toms Cove hook.

The hook created an optimal site for this station because when the conditions at the beach were too rough, it was safer and faster to launch rescue boats into the protected waters of the cove.

There is a long tradition of harvesting shellfish in Assateague waters. Commercial watermen operate year round under state-issued licenses.

36 X 24 INCHES | 40% OF ACTUAL SIZE | MARCH 2020 | ASIS | Wayside Exhibit 054

Shellfishing

Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Gathering shellfish in the back bays of Assateague Island is a popular recreational activity. Along the edges of the salt marsh grasses, ribbed mussels may be harvested by hand. Clams can be found beneath the bay sand and mudflats. You will need digging tools or rakes and a container to harvest them. Blue crabs are almost everywhere in the bays, moving with the tides. Using a baited line and net to catch them is a favorite activity of many Assateague visitors. Recreational harvesting of oysters has a specific winter season which varies year to year. Stop in the visitor center for current regulations.

Oysters attach themselves on hard surfaces, usually other oyster shells.

Crabs are abundant in the back bays where they scavenge for food.

Clams are found in sandy beds and mudflats. They filter food from the water.

Ribbed mussels cling to the intertidal marsh edge with strong byssal threads.

Shellfishing Guidelines

• Take only what you will consume.

• Never eat or cook dead shellfish.

• Shellfishing is subject to state regulations.

• Check at the visitor center for regulations and local conditions.

• Keep out of physically posted commercial leased sites in the bay.

• Prepare for sun, heat, cold, insects, and changing tides.

© KEITH LAMPHER

Crabbing is a fun family activity.

Watch out for the pinching claws!

36 X 24 INCHES | 40% OF ACTUAL SIZE | MARCH 2020 | ASIS | Wayside Exhibit 058_060

Crabbing

Assateague Island National Seashore National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Anyone can catch blue crabs. The simplest method is to toss a baited string into the water. A piece of chicken or fish head are commonly used. Gradually pull the string. As the baited end draws near the surface, have a net ready to scoop up a crab clinging to the bait.

Place your catch into a waterless bucket or container and store live caught crabs in a cool, shady area.

Take only what you will consume.

Rules for Crabbing

• “Keepers” measure 5 inches from point to point on the widest part of the shell.

• Release egg-bearing females called “Sponge Crabs”. They have an orange egg mass visible on their underside.

• Never cook or eat dead crabs.

• Persons with known shellfish allergy should refrain from handling shellfish.

• Regulations change frequently, check at the visitor center for the latest information.

5” Male, “Jimmy” blue claws & narrow apron

Immature female, “Sally” red tip claws & V shaped apron

Mature female, “Sook” red tip claws & wide apron

Female with eggs “Sponge Crab”

Courtesy of the Integration and Application Network, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (ian.umces.edu/symbols/).