Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
More than half of the contiguous U.S. coastal wetlands can be found along the Gulf of Mexico coast. These highly-productive wetlands support a multitude of ecosystem goods and services and fish and wildlife habitat. Whether tracking animals to understand their distribution and habitat use, documenting and understanding wetland loss along its coastlines, analyzing how climate change affects coastal wetland communities, or exploring never-before-seen deep-sea coral reefs, our scientists conduct relevant and comprehensive science in the Gulf of Mexico.
Filter Total Items: 64
Understanding Ecosystem Response and Infrastructure Vulnerability to Sea-Level Rise for Gulf Islands National Seashore
USGS researchers will will survey elevation and vegetation in wetlands and vegetated dunes on Horn, Petite Bois, and Ship Islands; Correct the best available lidar-based digital elevation model; estimate inundation for the Gulf Islands National Seashore under various water levels and relative sea-level rise scenarios; and quantify and predict potential marsh migration for the Gulf Islands National...
Avifauna Surveys of the Northern Main Chandeleur Islands
USGS WARC ecologists are assisting partners in conducting avian surveys on Chandeleur Islands during the pre-restoration monitoring phase to document threatened and endangered species, species richness and diversity, species abundance, and habitat use.
Vertical Control of Rod Surface Elevation Table (RSET) Benchmarks to Assess Implications of Sea-Level Rise within Texas Coastal Refuges
The USGS will establish Rod Surface Elevation Tables at five National Wildlife Refuges on the Texas coast. This work will support climate adaptation and resilience planning by identifying areas susceptible to loss and degradation due to sea-level rise and extreme climatic events along the Texas Gulf Coast.
Sources of Recurring Outbreaks of Lythrum salicaria (Purple Loosestrife) Near the Mouth of the Mississippi River
USGS researchers are examining germination of Purple Loosestrife to determine if the seed bank can reestablish this invasive species in the Mississippi Delta.
Lower Trophic Level Monitoring to Support Restoration of Living Resources in Barataria Estuary, Louisiana
USGS researchers are collecting information about lower trophic levels in Barataria Estuary to develop a long-term monitoring plan.
Use of Portable Radar to Monitor Flying Animals in the Offshore Environment
USGS will deploy a small, portable radar aboard a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research vessel to measure the abundance, geographic distribution, and flight altitude of birds migrating across the continental shelf of the northern Gulf.
Ecology of the Diamondback Terrapin: Demographics, Movements, and Habitat Use
In response to declining populations, researchers at WARC are collecting data on demographics, movement patterns and habitat use, ecological niche and foraging ecology, and nesting ecology of diamondback terrapins.
Beach Compaction and the Impacts of Tilling on Nesting Sea Turtles and Foraging Shorebirds
Researchers are investigating beach compaction, the incubation environment for turtle nests, and shorebird nest abundance at beaches throughout the southeastern United States to better understand the impacts of beach compaction to nesting turtles and foraging seabirds.
Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Program-Louisiana Outer Coast Restoration: North Breton Island Component-Monitoring and Adaptive Management
In order to enhance habitat for nesting Brown Pelicans, terns, Black Skimmers, and gulls, the USFWS has contracted with USGS to conduct project monitoring on North Breton Island from FY23 to FY31. Monitoring conducted by USGS will facilitate evaluation of habitat characteristics and determine restoration success or need for adaptive management.
Developing General Coastal Vegetation Maps for Coastal Morphodynamic Models
The USGS is collaborating with researchers from other agencies, academia, and industry to predict coastal impacts from hurricanes. The results from this study will better inform coastal morphological change models, which will lead to improved hurricane impact projections.
Barriers and Opportunities for Landward Migration of Coastal Wetlands along Texas' Upper and Middle Coast
Researchers at WARC will use data and models to produce probabilistic maps of current and future wetland inundation, coastal wetland extent, and coastal and wetland trangression.
Purple Loosestrife in Louisiana: A Call for Citizen Scientists
Join USGS in helping to prevent the spread of the invasive purple loosestrife in Louisiana.