The beach-dependent shorebirds project at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center models current and future habitat availability for nesting shorebirds in an effort to map current and likely future habitat availability on a range of sites along the U.S. Atlantic coast.
Policy-makers, individuals from government agencies, and natural resource managers are under increasing pressure to manage changing coastal areas to meet social, economic, and natural resource demands, particularly under a regime of sea-level rise. Scientific knowledge of coastal processes and habitat-use can support decision-makers as they balance these often-conflicting human and ecological needs. An interdisciplinary USGS team is conducting research and developing tools to identify suitable coastal habitats for species of concern, such as the piping plover (Charadrius melodus), under a variety of sea-level rise scenarios.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Beach-dependent Shorebirds Project Objectives
iPlover data collection: Understanding and managing dynamic coastal landscapes for beach-dependent species requires biological and geological data across the range of relevant environments and habitats. These data are often challenging to acquire and often have limited focus due to resource constraints, are collected by non-specialists, or lack observational uniformity. We developed an open-source smartphone application called iPlover that standardizes the collection of biogeomorphic information at piping plover (Charadrius melodus) nest sites on coastal beaches and reduces other data acquisition challenges.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
During the piping plover breeding seasons (April – July) of 2014, 2015 and 2016, iPlover was used to collect and record landcover characteristics at 2,099 nest locations and 1,952 random points on 97 beaches and barrier islands from Maine to North Carolina. This dataset was collected in partnership with federal and state agencies, universities, and private organizations.
Predicting piping plover habitat: Understanding patterns of habitat selection across a species’ geographic distribution can be critical for adequately managing populations and planning for habitat loss and related threats. The iPlover dataset was used to develop a model that predicts the probability that a combination of landcover characteristics at a given location will be associated with piping plover nesting habitat. Landcover characteristics considered include Geomorphic Setting, Substrate Type, Vegetation Type, Vegetation Density, Distance to Foraging, Distance to Ocean, Beach Width, and Elevation.
Using elevation datasets (e.g., lidar) and orthoimagery, these landcover characteristics are mapped for an entire area of interest, such as a barrier island. The Piping Plover Habitat model can then evaluate combinations of landcover characteristics to map the probability that each map cell supports piping plover nesting habitat. These maps are currently being created for 21 beaches and barrier islands, referred to as ‘Deep Dive Sites’, along the U.S. Atlantic coast.
Forecasting piping plover habitat under sea-level rise: Project researchers are conducting research needed to create tools for identifying suitable coastal habitats for species of concern or, conversely, areas of high hazard exposure for humans and infrastructure today and into the future. The most likely (a) shoreline change rate, (b) barrier island characteristics, and (c) piping plover habitat availability are forecasted under different SLR rates and storm regimes. This framework portrays results as probabilities, which can inform decision-making and highlight knowledge gaps and research avenues. This research is also generalizable to a variety of forecasting problems for coastal systems, including investigations of habitat availability for turtles, birds, and plants as well as the potential hazard exposure for human infrastructure along coastal environments throughout the United States. Piping plover habitat forecast maps are currently being created for 21 beaches and barrier islands, referred to as ‘Deep Dive Sites’, along the U.S. Atlantic coast.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Piping Plover Habitat, Cedar Island
The beach-dependent shorebirds project at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center models current and future habitat availability for nesting shorebirds in an effort to map current and likely future habitat availability on a range of sites along the U.S. Atlantic coast.
USGS scientists measure beach elevation and other profiles
USGS scientists measure beach elevation and other profile characteristics as part of a project that models how barrier islands will likely change with sea-level rise - and how those changes will ultimately affect piping plover and other shorebird nesting habitat availability.
USGS scientists measure beach elevation and other profile characteristics as part of a project that models how barrier islands will likely change with sea-level rise - and how those changes will ultimately affect piping plover and other shorebird nesting habitat availability.
USGS staff and partners
The beach-dependent shorebirds project at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center relies heavily on collaborations with other DOI agencies, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service.
The beach-dependent shorebirds project at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center relies heavily on collaborations with other DOI agencies, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service.
Piping Plover Nest
An in-progress piping plover nest on Parramore Island, Virginia -- females typically lay 3 to 4 eggs in a nest over the course of a week. Both the male and female will take turns incubating eggs when the final egg is laid. This nest was established in new overwash habitat created by storms during the winter of 2017-2018.
An in-progress piping plover nest on Parramore Island, Virginia -- females typically lay 3 to 4 eggs in a nest over the course of a week. Both the male and female will take turns incubating eggs when the final egg is laid. This nest was established in new overwash habitat created by storms during the winter of 2017-2018.
Piping Plover Chicks
Piping Plover chicks
Piping Plover nest
USGS scientists are working to model shorebird habitat availability both today and in the future, given processes like sea-level rise, in an effort to support the efficient management of beaches for both people and nesting shorebirds.
USGS scientists are working to model shorebird habitat availability both today and in the future, given processes like sea-level rise, in an effort to support the efficient management of beaches for both people and nesting shorebirds.
Piping Plover nest
USGS scientists are working to model shorebird habitat availability both today and in the future, given processes like sea-level rise, in an effort to support the efficient management of beaches for both people and nesting shorebirds.
USGS scientists are working to model shorebird habitat availability both today and in the future, given processes like sea-level rise, in an effort to support the efficient management of beaches for both people and nesting shorebirds.
Piping Plover nest protected by a predator exclosure
The beach-dependent shorebirds project at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center models current and future habitat availability for nesting shorebirds in an effort to map current and likely future habitat availability on a range of sites along the U.S. Atlantic coast.
The beach-dependent shorebirds project at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center models current and future habitat availability for nesting shorebirds in an effort to map current and likely future habitat availability on a range of sites along the U.S. Atlantic coast.
Area closed
USGS scientists are working to model shorebird habitat availability both today and in the future, given processes like sea-level rise, in an effort to support the efficient management of beaches for both people and nesting shorebirds. This photo shows an area on Long Beach Island, NJ where high quality shorebird habitat has been closed off to beach recreation.
USGS scientists are working to model shorebird habitat availability both today and in the future, given processes like sea-level rise, in an effort to support the efficient management of beaches for both people and nesting shorebirds. This photo shows an area on Long Beach Island, NJ where high quality shorebird habitat has been closed off to beach recreation.
USGS scientists walk through a tern colony
USGS scientists walk through a tern colony on the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge (MA). Here, these scientists are using ecogeomorphological models to predict how this refuge will be impacted by sea-level rise and how that will ultimately effect shorebirds.
USGS scientists walk through a tern colony on the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge (MA). Here, these scientists are using ecogeomorphological models to predict how this refuge will be impacted by sea-level rise and how that will ultimately effect shorebirds.
Piping Plover Nest
USGS scientists are working to model shorebird habitat availability both today and in the future, given processes like sea-level rise, in an effort to support the efficient management of beaches for both people and nesting shorebirds.
USGS scientists are working to model shorebird habitat availability both today and in the future, given processes like sea-level rise, in an effort to support the efficient management of beaches for both people and nesting shorebirds.
Sara Zeigler (USGS) uses the smartphone data collection app ‘iPlover’
Sara Zeigler (USGS) uses the smartphone data collection app ‘iPlover’ to classify the landscape characteristics in an area immediately surrounding a piping plover nest (here, protected with a black mesh predator exclosure).
Sara Zeigler (USGS) uses the smartphone data collection app ‘iPlover’ to classify the landscape characteristics in an area immediately surrounding a piping plover nest (here, protected with a black mesh predator exclosure).
Area Closed
USGS scientists are working to model shorebird habitat availability both today and in the future, given processes like sea-level rise, in an effort to support the efficient management of beaches for both people and nesting shorebirds. This photo shows an area on the Rockaway Peninsula where high quality shorebird habitat has been closed off to beach recreation.
USGS scientists are working to model shorebird habitat availability both today and in the future, given processes like sea-level rise, in an effort to support the efficient management of beaches for both people and nesting shorebirds. This photo shows an area on the Rockaway Peninsula where high quality shorebird habitat has been closed off to beach recreation.
Gateway National Recreation Area shown here on the Rockaway Peninsula
The beach-dependent shorebirds project at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center models current and future habitat availability for nesting shorebirds in an effort to map current and likely future habitat availability on a range of sites along the U.S. Atlantic coast.
The beach-dependent shorebirds project at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center models current and future habitat availability for nesting shorebirds in an effort to map current and likely future habitat availability on a range of sites along the U.S. Atlantic coast.
Policy-makers, individuals from government agencies, and natural resource managers are under increasing pressure to manage changing coastal areas to meet social, economic, and natural resource demands, particularly under a regime of sea-level rise. Scientific knowledge of coastal processes and habitat-use can support decision-makers as they balance these often-conflicting human and ecological needs. An interdisciplinary USGS team is conducting research and developing tools to identify suitable coastal habitats for species of concern, such as the piping plover (Charadrius melodus), under a variety of sea-level rise scenarios.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Beach-dependent Shorebirds Project Objectives
iPlover data collection: Understanding and managing dynamic coastal landscapes for beach-dependent species requires biological and geological data across the range of relevant environments and habitats. These data are often challenging to acquire and often have limited focus due to resource constraints, are collected by non-specialists, or lack observational uniformity. We developed an open-source smartphone application called iPlover that standardizes the collection of biogeomorphic information at piping plover (Charadrius melodus) nest sites on coastal beaches and reduces other data acquisition challenges.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
During the piping plover breeding seasons (April – July) of 2014, 2015 and 2016, iPlover was used to collect and record landcover characteristics at 2,099 nest locations and 1,952 random points on 97 beaches and barrier islands from Maine to North Carolina. This dataset was collected in partnership with federal and state agencies, universities, and private organizations.
Predicting piping plover habitat: Understanding patterns of habitat selection across a species’ geographic distribution can be critical for adequately managing populations and planning for habitat loss and related threats. The iPlover dataset was used to develop a model that predicts the probability that a combination of landcover characteristics at a given location will be associated with piping plover nesting habitat. Landcover characteristics considered include Geomorphic Setting, Substrate Type, Vegetation Type, Vegetation Density, Distance to Foraging, Distance to Ocean, Beach Width, and Elevation.
Using elevation datasets (e.g., lidar) and orthoimagery, these landcover characteristics are mapped for an entire area of interest, such as a barrier island. The Piping Plover Habitat model can then evaluate combinations of landcover characteristics to map the probability that each map cell supports piping plover nesting habitat. These maps are currently being created for 21 beaches and barrier islands, referred to as ‘Deep Dive Sites’, along the U.S. Atlantic coast.
Forecasting piping plover habitat under sea-level rise: Project researchers are conducting research needed to create tools for identifying suitable coastal habitats for species of concern or, conversely, areas of high hazard exposure for humans and infrastructure today and into the future. The most likely (a) shoreline change rate, (b) barrier island characteristics, and (c) piping plover habitat availability are forecasted under different SLR rates and storm regimes. This framework portrays results as probabilities, which can inform decision-making and highlight knowledge gaps and research avenues. This research is also generalizable to a variety of forecasting problems for coastal systems, including investigations of habitat availability for turtles, birds, and plants as well as the potential hazard exposure for human infrastructure along coastal environments throughout the United States. Piping plover habitat forecast maps are currently being created for 21 beaches and barrier islands, referred to as ‘Deep Dive Sites’, along the U.S. Atlantic coast.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Piping Plover Habitat, Cedar Island
The beach-dependent shorebirds project at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center models current and future habitat availability for nesting shorebirds in an effort to map current and likely future habitat availability on a range of sites along the U.S. Atlantic coast.
The beach-dependent shorebirds project at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center models current and future habitat availability for nesting shorebirds in an effort to map current and likely future habitat availability on a range of sites along the U.S. Atlantic coast.
USGS scientists measure beach elevation and other profiles
USGS scientists measure beach elevation and other profile characteristics as part of a project that models how barrier islands will likely change with sea-level rise - and how those changes will ultimately affect piping plover and other shorebird nesting habitat availability.
USGS scientists measure beach elevation and other profile characteristics as part of a project that models how barrier islands will likely change with sea-level rise - and how those changes will ultimately affect piping plover and other shorebird nesting habitat availability.
USGS staff and partners
The beach-dependent shorebirds project at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center relies heavily on collaborations with other DOI agencies, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service.
The beach-dependent shorebirds project at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center relies heavily on collaborations with other DOI agencies, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service.
Piping Plover Nest
An in-progress piping plover nest on Parramore Island, Virginia -- females typically lay 3 to 4 eggs in a nest over the course of a week. Both the male and female will take turns incubating eggs when the final egg is laid. This nest was established in new overwash habitat created by storms during the winter of 2017-2018.
An in-progress piping plover nest on Parramore Island, Virginia -- females typically lay 3 to 4 eggs in a nest over the course of a week. Both the male and female will take turns incubating eggs when the final egg is laid. This nest was established in new overwash habitat created by storms during the winter of 2017-2018.
Piping Plover Chicks
Piping Plover chicks
Piping Plover nest
USGS scientists are working to model shorebird habitat availability both today and in the future, given processes like sea-level rise, in an effort to support the efficient management of beaches for both people and nesting shorebirds.
USGS scientists are working to model shorebird habitat availability both today and in the future, given processes like sea-level rise, in an effort to support the efficient management of beaches for both people and nesting shorebirds.
Piping Plover nest
USGS scientists are working to model shorebird habitat availability both today and in the future, given processes like sea-level rise, in an effort to support the efficient management of beaches for both people and nesting shorebirds.
USGS scientists are working to model shorebird habitat availability both today and in the future, given processes like sea-level rise, in an effort to support the efficient management of beaches for both people and nesting shorebirds.
Piping Plover nest protected by a predator exclosure
The beach-dependent shorebirds project at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center models current and future habitat availability for nesting shorebirds in an effort to map current and likely future habitat availability on a range of sites along the U.S. Atlantic coast.
The beach-dependent shorebirds project at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center models current and future habitat availability for nesting shorebirds in an effort to map current and likely future habitat availability on a range of sites along the U.S. Atlantic coast.
Area closed
USGS scientists are working to model shorebird habitat availability both today and in the future, given processes like sea-level rise, in an effort to support the efficient management of beaches for both people and nesting shorebirds. This photo shows an area on Long Beach Island, NJ where high quality shorebird habitat has been closed off to beach recreation.
USGS scientists are working to model shorebird habitat availability both today and in the future, given processes like sea-level rise, in an effort to support the efficient management of beaches for both people and nesting shorebirds. This photo shows an area on Long Beach Island, NJ where high quality shorebird habitat has been closed off to beach recreation.
USGS scientists walk through a tern colony
USGS scientists walk through a tern colony on the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge (MA). Here, these scientists are using ecogeomorphological models to predict how this refuge will be impacted by sea-level rise and how that will ultimately effect shorebirds.
USGS scientists walk through a tern colony on the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge (MA). Here, these scientists are using ecogeomorphological models to predict how this refuge will be impacted by sea-level rise and how that will ultimately effect shorebirds.
Piping Plover Nest
USGS scientists are working to model shorebird habitat availability both today and in the future, given processes like sea-level rise, in an effort to support the efficient management of beaches for both people and nesting shorebirds.
USGS scientists are working to model shorebird habitat availability both today and in the future, given processes like sea-level rise, in an effort to support the efficient management of beaches for both people and nesting shorebirds.
Sara Zeigler (USGS) uses the smartphone data collection app ‘iPlover’
Sara Zeigler (USGS) uses the smartphone data collection app ‘iPlover’ to classify the landscape characteristics in an area immediately surrounding a piping plover nest (here, protected with a black mesh predator exclosure).
Sara Zeigler (USGS) uses the smartphone data collection app ‘iPlover’ to classify the landscape characteristics in an area immediately surrounding a piping plover nest (here, protected with a black mesh predator exclosure).
Area Closed
USGS scientists are working to model shorebird habitat availability both today and in the future, given processes like sea-level rise, in an effort to support the efficient management of beaches for both people and nesting shorebirds. This photo shows an area on the Rockaway Peninsula where high quality shorebird habitat has been closed off to beach recreation.
USGS scientists are working to model shorebird habitat availability both today and in the future, given processes like sea-level rise, in an effort to support the efficient management of beaches for both people and nesting shorebirds. This photo shows an area on the Rockaway Peninsula where high quality shorebird habitat has been closed off to beach recreation.
Gateway National Recreation Area shown here on the Rockaway Peninsula
The beach-dependent shorebirds project at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center models current and future habitat availability for nesting shorebirds in an effort to map current and likely future habitat availability on a range of sites along the U.S. Atlantic coast.
The beach-dependent shorebirds project at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center models current and future habitat availability for nesting shorebirds in an effort to map current and likely future habitat availability on a range of sites along the U.S. Atlantic coast.