Integrating data for protecting Gulf of Mexico barrier islands

Fragile barrier islands are important nesting habitat for focal species of the Gulf Coast Prairie Landscape Conservation Cooperative, such as brown pelicans, sea turtles, and black skimmers. Assessing the vulnerability of coastal ecosystems at a Gulf of Mexico-wide scale has become even more important in the wake of several destructive storms (e.g. Katrina, Rita, and Ike) and the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Developing this science is a priority for the Gulf Coast Prairie Landscape Conservation Cooperative. The project, part of a broader effort called the Gulf Coast Vulnerability Assessment, involves identifying gaps in data and integrating datasets and corresponding metadata required for a Gulf of Mexico-wide assessment of conditions and variables affecting barrier island vulnerability. Morphologic and geospatial datasets will later be incorporated into the Conservation Planning Atlas, an emerging technology that makes a vast amount of geospatial data more easily accessible and available at no cost to conservation partners.