Wading birds feed at a study site in a Louisiana coastal salt marsh

To understand how changes in rainfall and temperature might affect coastal wetlands in the northern Gulf of Mexico, USGS researchers conducted field studies at 10 estuaries in five states (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida). The fieldwork took place in a variety of coastal wetland types, including mangroves, marshes, and salt flats. At this site in Port Fourchon, Louisiana, roseate spoonbills, white ibises and other wading birds feed near color-coded posts marking research plots.