Restoration / Management Tools

USGS researchers will provide technical guidance to inform the development of monitoring plans for the western coast of Louisiana.

The Mississippi barrier islands are dynamic coastal landforms that are the first line of defense between the Gulf and the Mississippi mainland coast. These islands are experiencing changes in structure (land area and habitat) and geomorphic processes (erosion and accretion) due to frequent intense storms, relative rise in sea level, and changes in sediment supply. A long-term monitoring and...

USGS and partners will identify the causes for the lack of predictive power in some models included in the 2023 Louisiana Coastal Master Plan, and suggest ways to improve the models in future Louisiana Coastal Master Plan modeling exercises.

The USGS Joint Ecosystem Modeling team will work with partners to identify and develop decision support tools for Everglades water management.

WARC will assess Cape Sable seaside sparrow population response and viability under different management and habitat change scenarios. The USGS EverSparrow model will be run on future scenarios, and differences in the predicted probability of presence and the efficacy of varying conservation strategies will be evaluated.

USGS researchers are conducting ground surveys and collecting aerial imagery to understand avian use of restored habitats at Whiskey Island, Shell Island, Cheniere Ronquille, and Breton Island. They will also develop habitat maps to understand how coastal processes and episodic events influence barrier islands.

USGS scientists have developed and optimized python-specific eDNA markers to detect Burmese pythons from water samples taken from the Florida Everglades. This development may aid in the identification of possible waterways used as corridors for northward expansion of this invasive species.

Mole skinks that occur on Florida’s islands rely on sand beaches, beach berms, and dunes, making them particularly vulnerable to sea level rise and storm surge. USGS researchers predicted the impacts of sea level rise and storm surge on habitat for the Florida Keys mole skink ( Plestiodon egregius egregius), the Cedar Key mole skink ( P. e. insularis), and the Egmont Key mole skink (known from a...

Researchers at WARC are determining if temporal mismatches between digital elevation models and land cover data can impact estimates of inundation of beach habitat for barrier islands and low-lying beaches off the Gulf Coast of Florida.

The ornate chorus frog, once common throughout its range, appears to be experiencing population declines. USGS has partnered with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to assess the ornate chorus frog population status across its distribution.

With the support of the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, USGS researchers will develop and optimize a CRISPR biosensor to detect C. galea eDNA in the field. The development of this tool could assist coral restoration managers and stakeholders to more effectively inform decisions on coral outplant site selection, based on coral predator presence.

USGS researchers will define the range of elevation targets supporting optimal plant performance and soil strength by identifying the lower and upper thresholds of marsh conversion, and characterize ecosystem development of restored marshes over time to identify the lifetime and sustainability of restored marsh during sea-level rise. This work addresses priority science needs to improve...