Project Information

Project Completion: March 2020. This project has now been completed.
Principal Investigator(s): Michael Osland, USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
Implements Science Plan Theme: Impacts
Cooperator: Renee Collini, Mississippi State University & Northern Gulf of Mexico Sentinel Site Cooperative

Key Points

• Created  region specific communication products for 54 federal coastal refuges, parks, and reserves across the northern Gulf of Mexico
• Developed an understanding and communicated the impact of specific sea level rise scenarios in the Gulf of Mexico coastal region

“…[the project] will enhance the capacity to access, understand, and act on locally-relevant sea-level rise information.”

Overview

Many coastal lands are vulnerable to sea level rise. This includes low-lying public lands along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast. Coastal planners and resource managers in the region asked for research about potential impacts and changes. They would like to use this information to communicate local sea-level rise scenarios to citizens. They can also identify potential impacts to the missions of management agencies. 

In this project, we worked with the Northern Gulf of Mexico Sentinel Site Cooperative. We wrote fact sheets explaining potential sea-level rise scenarios for the region through 2100. This included their potential impact on the goals of federally managed lands. We drew from existing regional and global sea-level rise scenarios to develop custom fact sheets. We made a total of 54 sheets for lands in the region. These include National Wildlife Refuges, National Park Service lands, and National Estuarine Research Reserves.

This project provides information on the management of lands along the Gulf of Mexico. This supports the stewardship missions of the USFWS and NPS.