Name
Assessing Recent Habitat Change in Beach, Dune, and Intertidal Environments Along the Louisiana Gulf Shoreline
Date & Time
Tuesday, May 5, 2026, 4:00 PM - 4:15 PM
Description

Barrier islands are dynamic coastal landforms with changes that can be gradual — caused by relative sea-level rise, tides, and longshore currents — or rapid, from extreme tropical and extratropical storms. These systems provide valuable ecosystem services including storm protection for coastal communities, habitat for fish and wildlife, salinity regulation in estuaries, carbon sequestration, recreation, and tourism. Consequently, it is important that barrier islands are managed and monitored to ensure resiliency and to sustain ecosystem structure and function and services over time. The Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring (BICM) Program, developed by the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, collects long-term spatial and temporal data on sediment characterization, topography, bathymetry, shoreline position and assessment, and habitat coverage and change. BICM habitat maps are produced using high-resolution orthoimagery, best available elevation data, and relevant restoration information. BICM habitat maps have been developed periodically from 1996 to 2021. BICM habitat maps delineate habitat into 15 classes based on geomorphology and vegetation cover (e.g., beach, dune, mangrove, estuarine emergent marsh, intertidal, scrub/shrub). Collectively, habitat and change maps provide landscape data for resource managers to evaluate the outcome of past restoration actions and highlight the need for future restoration actions. This poster will include results from the 2021 habitat mapping effort along with change from the 2015/2016 historical maps. This presentation will include snapshots of multiple restoration efforts along the coast (i.e., the Louisiana Outer Coast Restoration project for Caillou Lake Headlands, Cheniere Ronquille, Shell Island, and North Breton Island) along with impacts of Hurricane Ida (2021) along the Louisiana shoreline.

Location Name
202B
Is presenter a student?
No