Managers want tools that are flexible, user-friendly, and co-developed with their input. This research offers a roadmap for how science and coproduction can help restoration partners navigate changing futures with data-informed decision support tools.

The Florida Everglades is one of the world’s most unique wetland ecosystems and is threatened by sea level rise. Already, the Everglades has lost more than half of its original range due to extensive draining that facilitated development. In response, Congress authorized the multi-billion-dollar, multi-decade Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. This plan mobilized several federal, state, and Tribal agencies to work together and revive this valuable area of natural and ecological heritage. 

Part of that restoration work involves ensuring that the investment being made today won’t be undone by tomorrow’s sea level rise. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requires that project evaluations incorporate sea level rise projections, but in practice, current decision support tools commonly used by managers are not effectively incorporating sea level rise data into their models.  

“Even though sea level rise is impacting the Everglades, decision support tools meant to help with natural resource management and restoration typically exclude sea level rise projections,” says Laura D’Acunto, author of the study and ecologist for the U.S. Geological Survey.  “By working with restoration practitioners and natural resource managers, we can co-develop decision support tools that integrate sea level rise projections and ensure that Everglades restoration objectives are met efficiently and cost-effectively.”

To fix this mismatch, the research team first needed to document challenges managers have with incorporating sea level rise into current decision support tools. The team interviewed 26 professionals from federal, state, and Tribal organizations who are directly involved in Everglades restoration. Their insights revealed both enthusiasm and roadblocks for using decision-support tools that factor in sea level rise.

Managers specified that in order to do their work, they need;

• Tools that show how plant and animal communities will shift under rising seas.
• Models that can operate across broader spatial and temporal scales.
• Information on ecological “tipping points,” (i.e. when change becomes irreversible).
• Better visual tools, such as interactive maps and charts, to communicate scenarios clearly.

The surveys also identified challenges, like;

• Outdated or insufficient data – especially at fine scales.
• Models that rely too heavily on past conditions.
• Limited organizational capacity, funding, and time to learn new tools.
• Gaps in linking hydrological models with ecological outcomes.

By applying the “Diffusion of Innovations Theory,” researchers also explored how likely practitioners are to adopt new tools. They found that factors such as relative advantage, ease of use, compatibility with workflows, and opportunities for training will heavily influence uptake.

“This approach could be applied to any landscape-scale restoration, conservation, or management planning in areas vulnerable to changing sea levels,” says D’Acunto. “The findings emphasize the importance of aligning decision support tools with the needs of the users to ensure that natural resource managers achieve the best possible outcomes as they navigate changing environmental conditions.”

The paper, “Restoring the Florida Everglades: Insights on integrating sea level rise into decision-support tools” was published in Environmental Management in December, 2025.

The paper was also authored by Stephanie Castellano, Mysha Clarke, and Stephanie Cadaval of the University of Florida and Stephanie Romañach of the U.S. Geological Survey. The research was funded by Cooperative Agreement No. G22AC00433-00 from the U.S. Geological Survey Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center.