Shoreline change at Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida and Mississippi: 2018–2021 data summary

Bracewell J. 2022. Shoreline change at Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida and Mississippi: 2018–2021 data summary. Natural Resource Data Series. NPS/GULN/NRDS—2022/1348. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.36967/nrr-2293103

In May and June 2018, and April 2021, the Gulf Coast Network (GULN) surveyed shoreline position at Gulf Islands National Seashore (GUIS) as a part of the NPS Vital Signs Monitoring Program. Monitoring was conducted following methods detailed in Monitoring Shoreline Position at Gulf Coast Network Parks: Protocol Implementation Plan (PIP; Bracewell 2017). Shoreline change was calculated using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System developed by USGS (Theiler et al. 2008). Key findings from this effort are as follows: In Florida, the mean shoreline change rate from 2018 to 2021 was -7.10 meters/year (-23.3 feet[ft]/year) with a standard deviation of 5.01 meters (16.4 ft) with approximately 95% of transects exhibiting landward retreat. In Mississippi, the mean change in island width from 2018 to 2021 was -7.46 meters/year (-24.5 ft/year) with a standard deviation of 12.49 meters (41.0 ft) with approximately 73% of transects exhibiting a loss in width. This project is in the early phases of implementation and will benefit from future surveys to better understand the influence of slight changes in survey timing and other environmental variations.

Type
Published Report
Authors
Bracewell, Jeff
Date of Issue
2022-03
Publisher
National Park Service
DOI
10.36967/nrr-2293103
Units
GUIS , GULN , NRSS
Keywords
Coastal Geomorphology, GULN, Shoreline Position
Subjects
Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Geomorphology | Coastal/Oceanographic Features and Processes

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