Seagrass beds are habitat for many commercially and recreationally important finfish and shellfish during some stage of their life. In the northern Gulf of Mexico, turtlegrass, a type of seagrass, is a critical foundation species that provides energy for food webs and shelter and foraging grounds for many species.

Changes in coastal morphology have broad consequences for the sustainability of coastal communities, structures and ecosystems. Although coasts are monitored locally in many places, understanding long-term changes at a global scale remains a challenge. Here we present a global and consistent evaluation of coastal morphodynamics over 32 years (1984-2015) based on satellite observations.

Seagrasses are grass-like flowering plants that live completely submerged in marine and estuarine waters. Although seagrasses occur throughout the coastal areas of Florida, they are most abundant in Florida Bay and from Tarpon Springs northward to Apalachee Bay in the Gulf of Mexico, which are two of the most extensive seagrass beds in continental North America.

Flooding can occur almost anywhere in our country, and people are affected every year by flood damage to their homes and communities. It is important to know about the types and causes of flooding and how to make the right choices when building or purchasing a home. In this activity children will become aware of the importance of elevation to prevent flood damage through hands-on activity.

These images provide habitat data in the Lower Barataria-Terrebonne Estuarine Basins for 1956, 1978, 1988, and 2000.

Coastal ecosystems are dynamic and productive areas that are vulnerable to effects of global climate change. Despite their potentially limited spatial extent, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) beds function in coastal ecosystems as foundation species, and perform important ecological services. However, limited understanding of the factors controlling SAV distribution and abundance across multiple salinity zones (fresh, intermediate, brackish, and saline) in the northern Gulf of Mexico restricts the ability of models to accurately predict resource availability

Before EPA approved a decision by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to reduce the required dissolved oxygen level of the stream segments to 2.3 milligrams per liter from March through November, all of the affected waters were supposed to have oxygen levels no lower than 5 milligrams per liter for freshwater segments and no lower than 4 milligrams per liter for estuarine rivers and streams year-round in areas where freshwater and saltwater systems mix.

Abrahm Lustgarten's work, The Great Climate Migration, uses both individual human stories and data modeling tell the story of how climate change has already begun forcing people to flee their homes, and how it is likely to cause unprecedented levels of human migration... 'If you look at any issue through the lens of climate change, you can start to see its fingerprint,' he said. 'A larger takeaway is that this is the kind of issue that starts to show the real human impact of climate change, rather than looking at the science and debating facts and figures.'

During the past 50 years, coastal Louisiana has suffered catastrophic land loss due to both natural and human causes. This loss has increased storm vulnerability and amplified risks to lives, property, and economies--a fact underscored by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Drawing Louisiana's New Map reviews a restoration plan proposed by the U.S.

Changes in coastal morphology have broad consequences for the sustainability of coastal communities, structures and ecosystems. Although coasts are monitored locally in many places, understanding long-term changes at a global scale remains a challenge. Here we present a global and consistent evaluation of coastal morphodynamics over 32 years (1984-2015) based on satellite observations.