William Royce Jones
William Jones is a Geographer at the Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.
Develops databases for coast landscapes and federal lands. Data are used for restoration and mitigation activities to protect and enhance coastal wetlands. Wetland projects include the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA - lacoast.gov) and the Coastwide Reference Monitoring System (CRMS). Licensed FAA Certified Unmanned Aerial Systems Pilot. Fly reconnaisance and data acquisitions to map, monitor and analyize landscape features for restoration and scientific research.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 18
Mapping habitats and shorelines pre-, during, and post-restoration on Caminada Headland and Whiskey Island, Louisiana, 2012–2020
Barrier islands and headlands provide ecological services that are integral to economic and environmental interests. Adaptive management may help in ensuring their resilience and the continued provision of ecosystems goods and services over time. The dynamic nature of these environments makes evaluating the impacts from restoration and extreme events an important part of adaptively...
Authors
Hana R. Thurman, Nicholas Enwright, Wyatt C Cheney, Jason Dugas, Darin M. Lee, William Jones
Extreme precipitation and flooding contribute to sudden vegetation dieback in a coastal salt marsh
Climate extremes are becoming more frequent with global climate change and have the potential to cause major ecological regime shifts. Along the northern Gulf of Mexico, a coastal wetland in Texas suffered sudden vegetation dieback following an extreme precipitation and flooding event associated with Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Historical salt marsh dieback events have been linked to...
Authors
Camille Stagg, Michael Osland, Jena A. Moon, Laura Feher, Claudia Laurenzano, Tiffany C. Lane, William Jones, Stephen Hartley
Quantifying hydrologic controls on local- and landscape-scale indicators of coastal wetland loss
Background and AimsCoastal wetlands have evolved to withstand stressful abiotic conditions through the maintenance of hydrologic feedbacks among vegetation production and flooding. However, disruption of these feedbacks can lead to ecosystem collapse, or a regime shift from vegetated wetland to open water. To prevent the loss of critical coastal wetland habitat, we must improve...
Authors
Camille Stagg, Michael Osland, Jena A. Moon, Courtney Hall, Laura Feher, William R. Jones, Brady Couvillion, Stephen B. Hartley, William Vervaeke
Using UAS capabilities to help identify hummock-hollow formation and fragmentation in critical marsh habitat (Spartina patens) for mottled ducks in southeast Texas
For many years, marshes in the coastal areas from Texas to Louisiana have served as critical habitat for Anas fulvigula, the mottled duck. Mottled ducks are a priority species in the Texas/Louisiana Gulf Coast area and have been affected by critical habitat reduction. In recent years, mottled duck habitats have been threatened by natural and anthropogenic changes including urbanization...
Authors
William R. Jones, Stephen B. Hartley, Camille L. Stagg, Michael J. Osland
Potential sea level rise for the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana
Situated in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain of the Gulf Coast Prairie Landscape Conservation Cooperative (GCP LCC), the Chitimacha Tribe is one of four federally recognized tribes in Louisiana. The Tribal seat, trust lands/ reservation, and adjacent Tribal owned lands are located near Charenton, Louisiana, totaling nearly 1,000 acres. The Chitimacha, with a population of approximately 1...
Authors
Kathryn A. Spear, William Jones, Kereen Griffith, Blair E. Tirpak, Kimberly Walden
Mississippi Delta: Chapter G in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010
The Mississippi River Delta, the tip of the longest river in North America, is located in the coastal plains of southeastern Louisiana. The study area included in the Mississippi River Delta vignette of southeastern Louisiana follows the Mississippi River southward from Port Sulphur within the modern Plaquemines-Balize Delta lobe (Figure 1). It extends eastward through Long Bay into...
Authors
Lawrence Handley, Kathryn A. Spear, Mirka Zapletal, Cindy A. Thatcher, William R. Jones, Scott A. Wilson
Barataria and Terrebonne Bays: Chapter F in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010
The study area included in the Barataria and Terrebonne Bays vignette of southeastern Louisiana spans eastward from Terrebonne Bay to Barataria Bay (Figure 1) and includes portions of Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Charles, Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard Parishes. This area falls between the Mississippi River on the east and northeast, extends down through the western shore...
Authors
Lawrence Handley, Kathryn A. Spear, Mirka Zapletal, Cindy A. Thatcher, William R. Jones, Scott A. Wilson
Mangrove expansion and contraction at a poleward range limit: Climate extremes and land-ocean temperature gradients
Within the context of climate change, there is a pressing need to better understand the ecological implications of changes in the frequency and intensity of climate extremes. Along subtropical coasts, less frequent and warmer freeze events are expected to permit freeze-sensitive mangrove forests to expand poleward and displace freeze-tolerant salt marshes. Here, our aim was to better...
Authors
Michael J. Osland, Richard H. Day, Courtney T. Hall, Marisa D Brumfield, Jason Dugas, William R. Jones
Analysis of the impact of spatial resolution on land/water classifications using high-resolution aerial imagery
Long-term monitoring efforts often use remote sensing to track trends in habitat or landscape conditions over time. To most appropriately compare observations over time, long-term monitoring efforts strive for consistency in methods. Thus, advances and changes in technology over time can present a challenge. For instance, modern camera technology has led to an increasing availability of...
Authors
Nicholas M. Enwright, William R. Jones, Adrienne L. Garber, Matthew J. Keller
Pictorial account and landscape evolution of the crevasses near Fort St. Philip, Louisiana
Quantifying the effects of active natural and constructed crevasses is critical to the planning and success of future ecosystem restoration activities. This document provides a historical overview of landscape changes within the vicinity of the natural crevasses near Fort St. Philip, Louisiana. A significant event influencing landscape change within the Fort St. Philip study area was the...
Authors
Glenn M. Suir, William R. Jones, Adrienne L. Garber, John A. Barras
Classifications for Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) site-specific projects: 2010
The Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) funds over 100 wetland restoration projects across Louisiana. Integral to the success of CWPPRA is its long-term monitoring program, which enables State and Federal agencies to determine the effectiveness of each restoration effort. One component of this monitoring program is the classification of high-resolution...
Authors
William R. Jones, Adrienne Garber
Classifications for Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act site-specific projects: 2008 and 2009
The Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) funds over 100 wetland restoration projects across Louisiana. Integral to the success of CWPPRA is its long-term monitoring program, which enables State and Federal agencies to determine the effectiveness of each restoration effort. One component of this monitoring program is the analysis of high-resolution, color...
Authors
William R. Jones, Adrienne Garber
Using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Capabilities to Help Identify Giant Salvinia (Salvinia molesta) and the effects of Salvinia weevil (Cyrtogagous salviniae)
USGS is collecting remotely sensed data to classify Salvinia molesta, a non-native aquatic species that reduces light and oxygen levels in water, making it unsuitable for fish and other aquatic plant life.
Identification of Hydrologic Controls on Coastal Spartina patens Marshes and Optimal Hydrological Conditions for Sustainable Mottled Duck Habitat
Mottled ducks rely on the coastal marshes of the Texas Chenier Plain, which are considered among the most critically endangered habitats in the United States. USGS scientists are evaluating what might be contributing to the degradation of high-quality mottled duck habitat to better understand the causes of habitat loss and subsequently mitigate those losses.
Using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Capabilities to Help Identify Hummock-Hollow Formation and Fragmentation in Critical Marsh Habitat for Mottled Ducks
For many years, coastal marshes in Texas and Louisiana have served as critical habitat for the mottled duck ( Anas fulvigula), which is considered a priority species in the Texas/Louisiana Gulf Coast area.
Mapping Fort A.P. Hill Military Training Center’s Vast Wetlands
Mapping of Fort A.P Hill utilizes 2-D interpretation of 2013, 1-foot Color Infrared orthorectified imagery, affording greater detail in wetland interpretation and classification.
Filter Total Items: 17
2023 TX_LowerRioGrande Orthoimagery
This TX_LowerRioGrande_D22 project called for the planning, acquisition, processing, and derivative products of lidar data to be collected at an aggregate nominal pulse spacing (ANPS) of 0.18 meters (30 ppsm) and 0.35 meters (8ppsm). Project specifications are based on the U.S. Geological Survey National Geospatial Program Base Lidar Specification 2022 Rev A. The data was developed based...
Orthomosaic and Digital Terrain Model for CRMS sites 0224 and 3166
South Louisiana's continued land-loss due to erosion and subsidence is a constant process and demands attention thru restoration and mitigation efforts. Data is needed to determine elevation and vegetation related to subsidence, climate change and saltwater intrusion. This information is critical to our partners for continued monitoring of marsh in degrading landscape. Weather from...
San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge Texas: Using drone acquired 2019 imagery to classify sudden dieback vegetation in Coastal TX wetlands
Climatic extremes are becoming more frequent with climate change and have the potential to cause major ecological shifts and ecosystem collapse. With the ecosystem collapse these normally healthy marshes fragment and convert to open water. Along the northern Gulf of Mexico, a coastal wetland in the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge in Texas suffered significant and acute vegetation...
Potential Sea Turtle Nesting Areas for Cat and Ship Island, Mississippi for various years from 1998 to 2018 (ver. 3.0, March 2025)
The Mississippi Coastal Improvement Program (MsCIP) Monitoring and Adaptive Management Program (MAMP) notes that five sea turtle species are found in the northern Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico), including loggerhead, green, Kemp’s ridley, leatherback, and hawksbill. Green, loggerhead, and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are regularly documented in the waters surrounding the barrier islands...
The Oysters of Chicopit Bay, Florida, 2016-2018
This data set was generated to evaluate the status and response of oysters within Chicopit Bay, FL, in the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve during and following dredging completed by the Army Corps of Engineers for the Mile Point Project. It includes live oyster area estimates from aerial images collected in 2016-2018.
Whiskey Island Caillou Lake Headlands restoration area 2016–2019 shorelines, Louisiana Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring Program
This data package includes a high-water shoreline position map and a structures map for each year from 2016–2019 for the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Caillou Lake Headlands project area (TE-0100), also known as Whiskey Island. The project created 170 acres of marsh habitat and 917 acres of dune and beach habitat on Whiskey Island in Terrebonne Parish using material dredged...
Caminada Headland restoration area 2016-2019 shorelines, Louisiana Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring Program
This data package includes a high-water shoreline position map and a structures map for each year from 2016–2019 for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Caminada Headland Beach and Dune Restoration Incr2 project area (BA-0143). The project restored 489 acres of beach and dune habitat along more than seven miles of Caminada Headland in Jefferson and Lafourche Parishes through...
February 2020 National Wetlands Inventory, Mississippi Barrier Islands Habitat Classification: (Cat Island, Ship Island, Petit Bois Island and Horn Island)
This data set consists of digital data describing wetlands and uplands habitats for the Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program (MsCIP) area, consisting of Cat, Ship, Horn and Petit Bois Islands for the year 2020. Wetlands were classified using the Cowardin, et al., wetlands classification scheme to the level of freshwater and tidal, salinity modifiers. Uplands were classified using a...
Mississippi Barrier Islands imagery (Cat, East and West Ship, Horn and Petit Bois) acquired February 2020
To document current Mississippi barrier island conditions, imagery was acquired February 28, 2020 using Airborne GPs and field control ground markers. For ground control, markers were established and surveyed in using Real Time Kinematic (RTK) survey equipment. The imagery collected will be processed to produce a mosaic of all 4 islands (Cat, East and West Ship, Horn and Petit Bois) and...
Coastal wetland vegetation and elevation data characterizing a Sudden Vegetation Dieback event in San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge in 2019
Climatic extremes are becoming more frequent with climate change and have the potential to cause major ecological shifts and ecosystem collapse. Along the northern Gulf of Mexico, a coastal wetland in the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge in Texas suffered significant and acute vegetation dieback following Hurricane Harvey in 2017. We identified plant zonal boundaries along an...
December 2018 National Wetlands Inventory Mississippi Barrier Islands habitat classification: (Cat Island, Ship Island, Petit Bois Island and Horn Island)
The Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program (MsCIP) has developed a Comprehensive Barrier Island Restoration Plan containing options to ensure the integrity of the Mississippi barrier islands through restoration efforts. Any restoration activities implemented must have minimal adverse impacts to critical habitat for various marine, terrestrial and avian resources. Documenting the...
Salvinia/weevil case study: Using drones to monitor weevil propagation in Salvinia aquatics (ver. 2.0, August 2023)
During summer months, coastal Louisiana is plagued with floating aquatics that fill and block canals and small waterways causing trouble for boaters. This floating aquatic starts growing in the spring and dies off in late summer and early winter months. One natural predator of the Salvinia sp is the weevil that forages on the Salvinia and causes premature die-off. These weevils do exist...
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 18
Mapping habitats and shorelines pre-, during, and post-restoration on Caminada Headland and Whiskey Island, Louisiana, 2012–2020
Barrier islands and headlands provide ecological services that are integral to economic and environmental interests. Adaptive management may help in ensuring their resilience and the continued provision of ecosystems goods and services over time. The dynamic nature of these environments makes evaluating the impacts from restoration and extreme events an important part of adaptively...
Authors
Hana R. Thurman, Nicholas Enwright, Wyatt C Cheney, Jason Dugas, Darin M. Lee, William Jones
Extreme precipitation and flooding contribute to sudden vegetation dieback in a coastal salt marsh
Climate extremes are becoming more frequent with global climate change and have the potential to cause major ecological regime shifts. Along the northern Gulf of Mexico, a coastal wetland in Texas suffered sudden vegetation dieback following an extreme precipitation and flooding event associated with Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Historical salt marsh dieback events have been linked to...
Authors
Camille Stagg, Michael Osland, Jena A. Moon, Laura Feher, Claudia Laurenzano, Tiffany C. Lane, William Jones, Stephen Hartley
Quantifying hydrologic controls on local- and landscape-scale indicators of coastal wetland loss
Background and AimsCoastal wetlands have evolved to withstand stressful abiotic conditions through the maintenance of hydrologic feedbacks among vegetation production and flooding. However, disruption of these feedbacks can lead to ecosystem collapse, or a regime shift from vegetated wetland to open water. To prevent the loss of critical coastal wetland habitat, we must improve...
Authors
Camille Stagg, Michael Osland, Jena A. Moon, Courtney Hall, Laura Feher, William R. Jones, Brady Couvillion, Stephen B. Hartley, William Vervaeke
Using UAS capabilities to help identify hummock-hollow formation and fragmentation in critical marsh habitat (Spartina patens) for mottled ducks in southeast Texas
For many years, marshes in the coastal areas from Texas to Louisiana have served as critical habitat for Anas fulvigula, the mottled duck. Mottled ducks are a priority species in the Texas/Louisiana Gulf Coast area and have been affected by critical habitat reduction. In recent years, mottled duck habitats have been threatened by natural and anthropogenic changes including urbanization...
Authors
William R. Jones, Stephen B. Hartley, Camille L. Stagg, Michael J. Osland
Potential sea level rise for the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana
Situated in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain of the Gulf Coast Prairie Landscape Conservation Cooperative (GCP LCC), the Chitimacha Tribe is one of four federally recognized tribes in Louisiana. The Tribal seat, trust lands/ reservation, and adjacent Tribal owned lands are located near Charenton, Louisiana, totaling nearly 1,000 acres. The Chitimacha, with a population of approximately 1...
Authors
Kathryn A. Spear, William Jones, Kereen Griffith, Blair E. Tirpak, Kimberly Walden
Mississippi Delta: Chapter G in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010
The Mississippi River Delta, the tip of the longest river in North America, is located in the coastal plains of southeastern Louisiana. The study area included in the Mississippi River Delta vignette of southeastern Louisiana follows the Mississippi River southward from Port Sulphur within the modern Plaquemines-Balize Delta lobe (Figure 1). It extends eastward through Long Bay into...
Authors
Lawrence Handley, Kathryn A. Spear, Mirka Zapletal, Cindy A. Thatcher, William R. Jones, Scott A. Wilson
Barataria and Terrebonne Bays: Chapter F in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010
The study area included in the Barataria and Terrebonne Bays vignette of southeastern Louisiana spans eastward from Terrebonne Bay to Barataria Bay (Figure 1) and includes portions of Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Charles, Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard Parishes. This area falls between the Mississippi River on the east and northeast, extends down through the western shore...
Authors
Lawrence Handley, Kathryn A. Spear, Mirka Zapletal, Cindy A. Thatcher, William R. Jones, Scott A. Wilson
Mangrove expansion and contraction at a poleward range limit: Climate extremes and land-ocean temperature gradients
Within the context of climate change, there is a pressing need to better understand the ecological implications of changes in the frequency and intensity of climate extremes. Along subtropical coasts, less frequent and warmer freeze events are expected to permit freeze-sensitive mangrove forests to expand poleward and displace freeze-tolerant salt marshes. Here, our aim was to better...
Authors
Michael J. Osland, Richard H. Day, Courtney T. Hall, Marisa D Brumfield, Jason Dugas, William R. Jones
Analysis of the impact of spatial resolution on land/water classifications using high-resolution aerial imagery
Long-term monitoring efforts often use remote sensing to track trends in habitat or landscape conditions over time. To most appropriately compare observations over time, long-term monitoring efforts strive for consistency in methods. Thus, advances and changes in technology over time can present a challenge. For instance, modern camera technology has led to an increasing availability of...
Authors
Nicholas M. Enwright, William R. Jones, Adrienne L. Garber, Matthew J. Keller
Pictorial account and landscape evolution of the crevasses near Fort St. Philip, Louisiana
Quantifying the effects of active natural and constructed crevasses is critical to the planning and success of future ecosystem restoration activities. This document provides a historical overview of landscape changes within the vicinity of the natural crevasses near Fort St. Philip, Louisiana. A significant event influencing landscape change within the Fort St. Philip study area was the...
Authors
Glenn M. Suir, William R. Jones, Adrienne L. Garber, John A. Barras
Classifications for Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) site-specific projects: 2010
The Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) funds over 100 wetland restoration projects across Louisiana. Integral to the success of CWPPRA is its long-term monitoring program, which enables State and Federal agencies to determine the effectiveness of each restoration effort. One component of this monitoring program is the classification of high-resolution...
Authors
William R. Jones, Adrienne Garber
Classifications for Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act site-specific projects: 2008 and 2009
The Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) funds over 100 wetland restoration projects across Louisiana. Integral to the success of CWPPRA is its long-term monitoring program, which enables State and Federal agencies to determine the effectiveness of each restoration effort. One component of this monitoring program is the analysis of high-resolution, color...
Authors
William R. Jones, Adrienne Garber
Using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Capabilities to Help Identify Giant Salvinia (Salvinia molesta) and the effects of Salvinia weevil (Cyrtogagous salviniae)
USGS is collecting remotely sensed data to classify Salvinia molesta, a non-native aquatic species that reduces light and oxygen levels in water, making it unsuitable for fish and other aquatic plant life.
Identification of Hydrologic Controls on Coastal Spartina patens Marshes and Optimal Hydrological Conditions for Sustainable Mottled Duck Habitat
Mottled ducks rely on the coastal marshes of the Texas Chenier Plain, which are considered among the most critically endangered habitats in the United States. USGS scientists are evaluating what might be contributing to the degradation of high-quality mottled duck habitat to better understand the causes of habitat loss and subsequently mitigate those losses.
Using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Capabilities to Help Identify Hummock-Hollow Formation and Fragmentation in Critical Marsh Habitat for Mottled Ducks
For many years, coastal marshes in Texas and Louisiana have served as critical habitat for the mottled duck ( Anas fulvigula), which is considered a priority species in the Texas/Louisiana Gulf Coast area.
Mapping Fort A.P. Hill Military Training Center’s Vast Wetlands
Mapping of Fort A.P Hill utilizes 2-D interpretation of 2013, 1-foot Color Infrared orthorectified imagery, affording greater detail in wetland interpretation and classification.
Filter Total Items: 17
2023 TX_LowerRioGrande Orthoimagery
This TX_LowerRioGrande_D22 project called for the planning, acquisition, processing, and derivative products of lidar data to be collected at an aggregate nominal pulse spacing (ANPS) of 0.18 meters (30 ppsm) and 0.35 meters (8ppsm). Project specifications are based on the U.S. Geological Survey National Geospatial Program Base Lidar Specification 2022 Rev A. The data was developed based...
Orthomosaic and Digital Terrain Model for CRMS sites 0224 and 3166
South Louisiana's continued land-loss due to erosion and subsidence is a constant process and demands attention thru restoration and mitigation efforts. Data is needed to determine elevation and vegetation related to subsidence, climate change and saltwater intrusion. This information is critical to our partners for continued monitoring of marsh in degrading landscape. Weather from...
San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge Texas: Using drone acquired 2019 imagery to classify sudden dieback vegetation in Coastal TX wetlands
Climatic extremes are becoming more frequent with climate change and have the potential to cause major ecological shifts and ecosystem collapse. With the ecosystem collapse these normally healthy marshes fragment and convert to open water. Along the northern Gulf of Mexico, a coastal wetland in the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge in Texas suffered significant and acute vegetation...
Potential Sea Turtle Nesting Areas for Cat and Ship Island, Mississippi for various years from 1998 to 2018 (ver. 3.0, March 2025)
The Mississippi Coastal Improvement Program (MsCIP) Monitoring and Adaptive Management Program (MAMP) notes that five sea turtle species are found in the northern Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico), including loggerhead, green, Kemp’s ridley, leatherback, and hawksbill. Green, loggerhead, and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are regularly documented in the waters surrounding the barrier islands...
The Oysters of Chicopit Bay, Florida, 2016-2018
This data set was generated to evaluate the status and response of oysters within Chicopit Bay, FL, in the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve during and following dredging completed by the Army Corps of Engineers for the Mile Point Project. It includes live oyster area estimates from aerial images collected in 2016-2018.
Whiskey Island Caillou Lake Headlands restoration area 2016–2019 shorelines, Louisiana Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring Program
This data package includes a high-water shoreline position map and a structures map for each year from 2016–2019 for the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Caillou Lake Headlands project area (TE-0100), also known as Whiskey Island. The project created 170 acres of marsh habitat and 917 acres of dune and beach habitat on Whiskey Island in Terrebonne Parish using material dredged...
Caminada Headland restoration area 2016-2019 shorelines, Louisiana Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring Program
This data package includes a high-water shoreline position map and a structures map for each year from 2016–2019 for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Caminada Headland Beach and Dune Restoration Incr2 project area (BA-0143). The project restored 489 acres of beach and dune habitat along more than seven miles of Caminada Headland in Jefferson and Lafourche Parishes through...
February 2020 National Wetlands Inventory, Mississippi Barrier Islands Habitat Classification: (Cat Island, Ship Island, Petit Bois Island and Horn Island)
This data set consists of digital data describing wetlands and uplands habitats for the Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program (MsCIP) area, consisting of Cat, Ship, Horn and Petit Bois Islands for the year 2020. Wetlands were classified using the Cowardin, et al., wetlands classification scheme to the level of freshwater and tidal, salinity modifiers. Uplands were classified using a...
Mississippi Barrier Islands imagery (Cat, East and West Ship, Horn and Petit Bois) acquired February 2020
To document current Mississippi barrier island conditions, imagery was acquired February 28, 2020 using Airborne GPs and field control ground markers. For ground control, markers were established and surveyed in using Real Time Kinematic (RTK) survey equipment. The imagery collected will be processed to produce a mosaic of all 4 islands (Cat, East and West Ship, Horn and Petit Bois) and...
Coastal wetland vegetation and elevation data characterizing a Sudden Vegetation Dieback event in San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge in 2019
Climatic extremes are becoming more frequent with climate change and have the potential to cause major ecological shifts and ecosystem collapse. Along the northern Gulf of Mexico, a coastal wetland in the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge in Texas suffered significant and acute vegetation dieback following Hurricane Harvey in 2017. We identified plant zonal boundaries along an...
December 2018 National Wetlands Inventory Mississippi Barrier Islands habitat classification: (Cat Island, Ship Island, Petit Bois Island and Horn Island)
The Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program (MsCIP) has developed a Comprehensive Barrier Island Restoration Plan containing options to ensure the integrity of the Mississippi barrier islands through restoration efforts. Any restoration activities implemented must have minimal adverse impacts to critical habitat for various marine, terrestrial and avian resources. Documenting the...
Salvinia/weevil case study: Using drones to monitor weevil propagation in Salvinia aquatics (ver. 2.0, August 2023)
During summer months, coastal Louisiana is plagued with floating aquatics that fill and block canals and small waterways causing trouble for boaters. This floating aquatic starts growing in the spring and dies off in late summer and early winter months. One natural predator of the Salvinia sp is the weevil that forages on the Salvinia and causes premature die-off. These weevils do exist...
USGS Location