The dynamic coastlines of barrier islands provide diverse wildlife habitat and valuable cultural, recreational, and economic services to humans, including storm protection. Over the past century, the Gulf Island National Seashore (GNIS) – an area that comprises 10 barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico – has lost 24-64% of land in part because humans have obstructed the addition of sediment to the area. To identify and prioritize the research and data that are needed to make conservation decisions at GNIS, the Southeast CASC ran workshops in April and May 2023 with partners from NPS, USGS, and regional Federal, State, county and NGO staff. Through polls, workshop participants evaluated the importance and urgency of different conservation issues at GNIS and identified the development of regional sediment budgets and management plans as a top priority. Sediment budgets are critical for understanding coastal land loss because they describe how sediment is added to and removed from the coast. Like a sand bank account, a budget deficit (more sediment lost than gained) can lead to coastal recession. Outcomes from these workshops will guide future work by Southeast CASC researchers to describe where sediment comes from, where it goes, and the different factors that control those gains and losses. Eventually these data may contribute to more accurate sediment budgets that could be used in coastal management planning. 

This report is a product of the SE CASC project "Enhancing Coastal Adaptation Planning at Gulf Islands National Seashore."