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. This photo shows a piping plover nest with eggs - the landscape characteristics immediately surrounding this nest was recorded in the data collection app iPlover. Data associated with this nest and hundreds of others was used to parameterize models of habitat availability.