Current Research
Sea Turtle Conservation & Nesting
Each summer, Pritchards Island becomes an important nesting ground for several species of sea turtle, providing students with a unique opportunity to assist in their conservation. From May to October, a team of USCB student interns and volunteers conduct daily beach surveys, documenting activity, monitoring nests, and collecting data that contributes to broader SCDNR sea turtle conservation efforts. Long-term monitoring also provides valuable insight into nesting patterns, reproductive success, and the ways changing coastal conditions may affect future generations of sea turtles.
Wildlife Ecology Lab
The Wildlife Ecology Lab provides undergraduate students with hands-on experiential learning opportunities to engage with emerging methods in behavioral ecology while contributing to impactful wildlife conservation research. Research on Pritchards Island focuses on the ecology of non-avian vertebrates, using traditional and novel tools such as camera trapping, radio telemetry, accelerometry, mark–recapture, and other next-generation biologging approaches. Students assist in the documentation of wildlife activity, movement, habitat use, behavior, and responses to environmental conditions across maritime forest, marsh, and beach habitats. Through this work, the Wildlife Ecology Lab is establishing baseline ecological data and a repeatable long-term monitoring framework for understanding how wildlife populations persist and interact within dynamic coastal environments and how that differs from mainland populations.
Shorebird Migration & Habitat Use
Pritchards Island provides important habitat for migratory shorebirds traveling along the Atlantic Flyway, including species such as Red Knots, Semipalmated Plovers, Sandpipers, and Whimbrels. Researchers are documenting seasonal changes in species diversity, abundance, and habitat use to better understand how birds depend on the island’s beaches, dunes, and marshes. Continued monitoring will help establish a long-term picture of how shorebird populations use this relatively undisturbed coastal landscape.
Listening to and Remotely Sensing Marine Life Surrounding Pritchards Island, SC
The Marine Sensory and Neurobiology Laboratory uses underwater microphones (hydrophones) and remote sensing to study the hidden underwater world surrounding Pritchards Island. By listening to snapping shrimp, fish courtship sounds, bottlenose dolphin vocalizations, and vessel noise, we identified biological hotspots and showed that different habitats support distinct underwater acoustic communities. Snapping shrimp activity was greatest around oyster reefs, while fish spawning activity and bottlenose dolphin vocalizations were concentrated in the deep channels of Trenchards Inlet, with station PR4 emerging as the most important biological hotspot. These findings guided the placement of two permanent acoustic monitoring stations (PR4 and PR7), establishing Pritchards Island as a low-impact reference estuary within the Estuarine Soundscape Observatory Network in the Southeast (ESONS) for long-term monitoring of ecosystem health and environmental change.
Computational Science master’s student Jessica Miller deploys a short-term passive
acoustic recorder near Pritchards Island. These short-term deployments help identify
biological “hotspots” and determine ideal locations for long-term acoustic monitoring.
USCB students Tim Sullivan, Hayden Dunning, and Jessica Miller service long-term acoustic monitoring stations by retrieving the deployed recorder and immediately replacing it with a ready-to-go unit, ensuring continuous data collection. Each monitoring unit includes a custom-built metal frame and attachments for HOBO depth and temperature loggers, allowing researchers to collect information on the underwater soundscape alongside environmental conditions.
Field Collection of Amphibalanus amphitrite (The Striped Barnacle) on Pritchards Island, SC
Dr. Ed D’Antonio and his lab are investigating heme peroxidases—enzymes involved in biological processes such as defense and oxidative stress—in marine invertebrates found on Pritchards Island. Undergraduate researcher Steven Lemus is examining the striped barnacle (Amphibalanus amphitrite) and other marine invertebrates to better understand the structure and function of these enzymes. Specimens collected on Pritchards Island are being genetically identified through DNA barcoding, including analysis of ribosomal RNA markers, before being incorporated into laboratory studies. This work connects field-based biodiversity research with molecular biology and biochemistry, using Pritchards Island’s diverse marine life as a source for scientific discovery.
Surveying Plant Communities
At USC Beaufort, real‑world experiences beyond the classroom help students and researchers build powerful connections to science and to place. On Pritchard Island, studying plant communities firsthand allows us to explore coastal landscapes and why these habitats matter to the future of our region. These experiences turn our barrier islands, sea islands, salt marshes, beaches, and forests into living laboratories, giving USCB students a unique opportunity to engage in regional challenges through interdisciplinary approaches.
Archeological and Anthropological Research
USCB faculty and students participated in a non-invasive archaeological survey on Pritchards Island led by Dr. Kimberly Cavanagh and Dr. Audrey Dawson (Department of Humanities and Social Sciences). In May 2026, students received hands-on training in magnetometry from State Underwater Archaeologist Jim Spirek and his team, including demonstrations of drone-based remote sensing (magnetometry and LiDAR) technology used to identify potential archaeological features beneath the surface. The fieldwork also included the documentation of surface artifacts, such as a pottery sherd recorded by Dr. Dawson that was tentatively identified as St. Catherine’s pottery dating to the Late Woodland period, approximately 1,500 years ago. These activities provided students with practical experience in archaeological survey methods while contributing to ongoing research on the island.
Marsh Elevation & Sea-Level Change
Salt marshes are constantly building, eroding, and adjusting to changes in sea level, making their elevation an important measure of coastal resilience. Researchers are using Rod Surface Elevation Table (RSET) stations at Pritchards Island to measure subtle changes in marsh elevation and determine whether marshes are keeping pace with rising seas. The long-term data will help scientists understand which marshes are most resilient and how these critical habitats may respond to a changing climate.
Collaborations in Science and Art
Though scientific and artistic inquiry have distinct approaches, they share a persistence in seeking, noticing, and remaining curious. Moreover, when diverse ways of seeing and understanding are allowed to flourish, opportunities for discovery expand. At Pritchards Island artists, scientists, and students have the unique opportunity to look and listen through many lenses. In 2025 and 2026, the USCB Sea Islands Center Gallery hosted three renowned artists-in-residence: April Flanders, Eveline Kolijn, and Hillary Waters Fayle, whose work has been inspired by Pritchards Island. Through exhibitions, workshops, and lectures, each artist shared that inspiration with USCB students and the broader community.
Student Independent Research
Pritchards Island provides USCB students with opportunities to develop and conduct independent research alongside sponsoring faculty. Together, students and faculty mentors collaborate to design projects and carry out field-based studies. These projects allow students to gain hands-on experience in field research, becoming active participants in the discovery and stewardship of Pritchards Island. Research findings are shared at USCB's annual Pritchards Island Research Symposium.
Historic Shoreline Change
Pritchards Island offers a rare opportunity to observe natural barrier-island processes without the influence of seawalls, beach nourishment, or other major shoreline interventions. Researchers are comparing historical aerial photographs and satellite imagery to document how the island’s shoreline has shifted over decades. By comparing Pritchards with neighboring islands that have experienced greater human intervention, USCB can better understand natural patterns of erosion and the complex ways barrier islands respond to environmental change.
