The Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware is the site of a $40 million tidal marsh restoration project—one of the largest restoration projects ever in the eastern U.S. With this project, the U.S.
USGS Releases Nationwide Marsh Vulnerability Maps
Scientists developed high-resolution imagery of coastal wetlands to identify the most vulnerable marshes across the US
Scientists developed high-resolution imagery of coastal wetlands to identify the most vulnerable marshes across the US
By Communications and Publishing
May 26, 2021
Scientists developed high-resolution imagery of coastal wetlands to identify the most vulnerable marshes across the US
U.S. Geological Survey scientists have developed and made available a new mapping resource that can identify the most vulnerable marshes across the contiguous U.S. through a combination of remote-sensing and satellite technologies. These maps provide critical information to land managers and help inform marsh conservation and restoration strategies without costly site-specific or labor-intensive assessments.
The USGS has shown that marsh resilience can be evaluated by calculating the ratio of unvegetated area to vegetated area across an entire marsh system, covering marsh plains, channels, ponds and intertidal flats. The method, termed the UnVegetated-Vegetated marsh Ratio or UVVR. UVVR, uses data collected from 2014-2018 through remote sensing techniques, such as satellite imagery and aerial photography, to gauge how much of an individual marsh is open water and how much marsh plants cover it. By comparing the ratio of ponds, channels and tidal flats to marsh vegetation, land managers can determine which marshes stand the best chance of persisting in the face of changing conditions.
“The UVVR is a great metric for quickly identifying marshes that may have crossed a stability threshold,” said oceanographer Neil Ganju of the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center. “When combined with on-the-ground knowledge of an area, it will help managers objectively prioritize restoration.”
Salt marshes are among the most productive and valuable ecosystems in the world. The vegetation in these coastal systems acts as a natural buffer between land and sea, protecting coastline infrastructures under various conditions. Salt marshes also provide essential food, refuge and nursery habitat for commercially and recreationally important species, among other benefits. To continue providing these numerous services, salt marshes need to persist and expand to counteract the effects of sea-level rise and storms that physically erode them.
In the future, the USGS plans to regularly update UVVR assessments using aerial imagery, Landsat and newer satellites to support marsh restoration efforts by the U.S. National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and coastal state agencies.
The new data products complement detailed mapping by the USFWS’s National Wetland Inventory program by enabling comparison of vulnerability between wetland types differentiated by the NWI. The national map of UVVR can also be combined with the Coastal National Elevation Database to generate national estimates of marsh lifespan under varying sea-level rise scenarios.
The UVVR data can be accessed through the USGS Coastal Change Hazards Portal under the Sea Level Rise theme (salt marsh vulnerability) and includes regional and national assessments. The nationwide UVVR data is also available to download in Science Base.
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The Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware is the site of a $40 million tidal marsh restoration project—one of the largest restoration projects ever in the eastern U.S. With this project, the U.S.
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Mississippi River Birdfoot Delta UVVR
In the Mississippi River Birdfoot Delta, there is intense vegetation loss in marshes farthest away from the river, as indicated by high values of UVVR (shown in pink).
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Jamaica Bay UVVR
Within the busy boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, is Jamaica Bay—a complex urban ecosystem almost the size of Manhattan that consists of salt marsh islands, various waterways, meadowlands and two freshwater ponds.
Within the busy boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, is Jamaica Bay—a complex urban ecosystem almost the size of Manhattan that consists of salt marsh islands, various waterways, meadowlands and two freshwater ponds.
Everglades National Park UVVR
Everglades National Park in South Florida is the largest subtropical wetland ecosystem in North America, consisting of about 1.5 million acres of mangrove forests and other coastal wetlands. Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees that thrive amidst the harsh growing conditions of the coast.
Everglades National Park in South Florida is the largest subtropical wetland ecosystem in North America, consisting of about 1.5 million acres of mangrove forests and other coastal wetlands. Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees that thrive amidst the harsh growing conditions of the coast.
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