AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Evaluating Oyster Reefs as Habitat: Comparing the Utility of Ecological Metrics to Assess Ecosystem Function - NERRS/NSC(NERRS Science Collaborative)

This multi-reserve catalyst project compared established and emerging methods for assessing intertidal oyster reef community structure and ecosystem function. With their partners, the project catalyzed a strong community of practice in the Southeastern U.S. to support management efforts related to oyster reef conservation and the advancement of monitoring protocol.

The Project
Intertidal oyster reefs provide key habitat for a diverse and productive community of estuarine fauna, yet have declined drastically due to overfishing and disease outbreaks. With increased conservation and restoration efforts for intertidal oyster reefs, there is a need for more efficient ways of assessing oyster reefs as well as more holistic understandings of how oyster reefs function as habitats for other estuarine animals. However, assessing the ecosystem benefits of intertidal oyster reefs is challenging because the reefs occupy a dynamic tidal environment characterized by highly turbid water. Established sampling techniques for assessing intertidal oyster reefs are labor intensive and therefore difficult to replicate at multiple sites, limiting the ecological information they can provide, especially at large scales. In contrast, emerging techniques prove promising for examining intertidal oyster reef community structure and ecosystem function.

Collaborating with four reserves and five universities, this project compared established sampling techniques for assessing intertidal oyster reefs with four emerging methods that each provide unique ecological information:

1. High-Resolution Acoustic Imaging
2. Stable Isotope Analysis
3. eDNA Metabarcoding
4. Oyster Disease Assays
The project team applied these methods alongside traditional methods for collection of free-swimming marine organisms via nets/traps at four reserves in the southeastern U.S. Afterwards, the team convened with their partners and intended users to examine the results and evaluate the potential utility and feasibility of incorporating the emerging methods into their research and monitoring programs. Users overwhelmingly expressed that expanded application of these emerging techniques could improve the assessment of the function of multiple different oyster reef types. The results of this Catalyst project, along with the collaborative network that project has built, bolsters technical capacity at reserves and state agencies to understand the function of critical habitats.

Tags: acoustic imaging, biosphere, disease assays, doc/noaa/nos/ocm, earth science, ecosystems, edna, fl, ga, guana tolomato matanzas nerr, isotopes, marine ecosystems, monitoring, national ocean service, nc, nekton, nerrs, noaa, north carolina nerr, north inlet-winyah bay nerr, office of coastal management, oyster reef, reef, sapelo island nerr, sc, stable isotopes, stable isotopes analysis, terrestrial hydrosphere, u.s. department of commerce, water quality/water chemistry
Organization: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce
Mangrove Coast Collaborative / Colaboracion en Mangles Costeros: Understanding Links between Degradation, Recovery, and Community Benefits - NERRS/NSC(NERRS Science Collaborative)

Shared impacts and needs following Hurricanes Irma and Maria brought together two reserves to assess mangrove recovery, leading to more holistic decision-making strategies for mangrove restoration and adaptive management.

The Project
Within the NERR system, Rookery Bay and Jobos Bay are unique in being the only reserves with coastlines historically dominated by mangrove habitats. These reserves also experience a higher frequency of Category 3-5 hurricanes. While mangrove forests are adapted to frequent hurricane disturbance, the resilience of mangrove ecosystems is challenged by the cumulative effects of climate change, urbanization, and water management. Against these background stressors, major hurricanes may serve as tipping points for rapid ecosystem transformation of mangrove forests.

The Mangrove Coast Collaborative project began in the aftermath of Hurricanes Maria and Irma as Jobos Bay and Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRs) jointly recognized the need to understand and enhance the resilience of their mangrove ecosystems and the surrounding communities in southeastern Puerto Rico and southwest Florida, respectively. The project's multi-disciplinary team achieved four main objectives, including:

Identifying the spatial extent of the post-hurricane loss and recovery of mangrove habitat using satellite imagery;
Assessing the relationships between hurricane impact and recovery in mangrove forests using field sampling;
Representing the socio-ecological mangrove system at both reserves by generating a conceptual model of ecosystem services (ES) and an associated ES evidence library; and,
Creating increased understanding of how managers make information-based decisions by conducting manager focus groups and semi-structured interviews.
Collaborative engagements were a cornerstone of the project, with over 70 engagements conducted. User input was integrated into the development of products and was critical to the improvement of mapping products, the design of the field sampling campaign, and the development of a conceptual model of ecosystem services. Not only is the science generated during this project being used to aid management decisions and continued recovery efforts for the two reserves, the relationships and trust built among project participants serves as a platform for continued collaboration.

Tags: coarse woody debris, disturbance, doc/noaa/nos/ocm, field assessment, fine woody debris, fl nerr, habitat map, hurricane maria, jobos bay, land cover, mangrove forest, mangrove map, national ocean service, nerrs, noaa, office of coastal management, permanent plot sampling, pneumatophore, pr nerr, puerto rico, quadrat sampling, regeneration, rookery bay, southwest florida, transect sampling, u.s. department of commerce, worldview
Organization: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce
Using Advanced Mapping to Measure Changes in Mangrove and Seagrass Habitat over Time - NERRS/NSC(NERRS Science Collaborative)

This project evaluated ecosystem damage and recovery by developing a time series of habitat maps for the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Habitat maps were created based on WorldView-2 and Landsat-8 satellite imagery from 2010-2018 using an automated technique and validated with a field campaign. Landsat images were mapped using the Support Vector Machine machine learning method in ENVI, and WorldView images were mapped using a preliminary version of the SOALCHI decision tree algorithm. Habitats mapped include healthy mangrove, degraded mangrove, marsh, upland vegetation, soil, and water. Habitat change maps document the damage caused by Hurricane Irma in September of 2017 as it made landfall in the reserve as a Category 4 storm. Project outputs include field-survey results with GPS points, a baseline habitat map, annual habitat seasons for 2016-2018, and habitat change assessments. Outcomes include the development of new research collaborations, quantitative characterization of reserve habitat change, improved understanding of critical habitat change dynamics, and assessment of chronic and extreme-event disturbance and recovery.

Tags: biosphere, climate change, continent, doc/noaa/nos/ocm, earth science, ecosystems, estuary, fl, florida, habitat mapping, habitat restoration, mangrove, marine ecosystems, national ocean service, nerrs, noaa, north america, office of coastal management, rookery bay nerr, spatial analysis, u.s. department of commerce, united states of america
Organization: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce
NOAA Office for Coastal Management Coastal Inundation Digital Elevation Model: CNMI

These data were created as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management's efforts to create an online mapping viewer called the Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer. It depicts potential sea level rise and its associated impacts on the nation's coastal areas. The purpose of the mapping viewer is to provide coastal managers and scientists with a preliminary look at sea level rise and coastal flooding impacts. The viewer is a screening-level tool that uses nationally consistent data sets and analyses. Data and maps provided can be used at several scales to help gauge trends and prioritize actions for different scenarios. The Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer may be accessed at: https://coast.noaa.gov/slr.
      
      This metadata record describes the Commonweatlh of the Northern Marianas or CNMI digital elevation model (DEM), which is a part of a series of DEMs produced for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management's Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer described above. This DEM includes the best available lidar known to exist at the time of DEM creation that met project specifications. This DEM includes data for the islands of Saipan, Tinian, Aguijan and Rota.
      
      The DEM was produced from the following lidar data sets:
      1. 2019 - 2020 USGS/NOAA Lidar DEM (Hydro-Flattened): CNMI (Aguijan, Rota, Saipan, Tinian) 

      
      The DEM is referenced vertically to the Northern Marianas Vertical Datum of 2003 (NMVD03) with vertical units of meters and horizontally to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83). The resolution of the DEM is approximately 3 meters.

Tags: coastal elevation, coastal processes, continent, dem, digital elevation/terrain model (dem), doc/noaa/nos/ocm, earth science, flooding, inundation, land surface, lidar, light detection and ranging, national ocean service, noaa, north america, oceans, office of coastal management, sea level rise, terrain elevation, topography, u.s. department of commerce, united states of america, vertical location
Organization: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce
A Collaborative Process to Develop Solutions for Tidal Road Flooding in China Camp State Park - NERRS/NSC(NERRS Science Collaborative)

This project initiated an adaptation planning process to address tidal road flooding in China Camp State Park in the San Francisco Bay area. Using a facilitated process that blended technical expertise and active community participation, a wide range of stakeholders representing diverse local interests identified and evaluated adaptation options for the parkâs North San Pedro Road. New field research improved understanding of the extent to which sea level rise influences the shoreline, marsh, and road. A series of workshops generated a clearly defined set of adaptation options and their pros and cons, and created a strategy to move forward with planning and implementation. The project offers a potential model for other communities facing similar threats to coastal infrastructure.

Tags: adaptation, biosphere, ca, climate change, doc/noaa/nos/ocm, earth science, ecosystems, estuary, marine ecosystems, national ocean service, nerrs, noaa, office of coastal management, planning, san francisco bay, sea level rise, u.s. department of commerce
Organization: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce
2019 NOAA OCM Unmanned Aerial System Lidar DEM: Great Bay NERR

In April 2019, Quantum Spatial (QSI) was contracted by The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office for Coastal Management (OCM) in partnership with the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GBNERR) to collect high resolution Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data in the spring of 2019 for four research sites within the GBNERR in New Hampshire. These four sites are âSentinel Sitesâ within the GBNERR where vegetation and elevation parameters have previously been continuously monitored and surveyed using traditional methods that require extensive person hours and manual labor. 

The bare earth digital elevation model (DEM) represents the earth's surface with all vegetation and anthropogenic features removed. It is derived from NIR LiDAR data using TIN processing of the ground point returns. Some elevation values have been interpolated across areas in the ground model where there is no elevation data (e.g. over water, under dense vegetation). Air Shark collected the NOAA Great Bay UAS LiDAR data, on behalf of Quantum Spatial, for the NOAA Office for Coastal Management between 05/01/2019 and 05/09/2019.

In addition to these bare earth Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data, the lidar point data that these DEM data were created from, are also available. A link to the lidar point data metadata record is provided in the Related Items section of this metadata record.

Tags: airplane, beach, coastal elevation, coastal processes, continent, dem, dems, doc/noaa/nos/ocm, earth science, erosion, estuarine, land surface, lidar, light detection and ranging, national, national ocean service, nerr, new hampshire, noaa, north america, oceans, office of coastal management, research, reserve, terrain elevation, topography, u.s. department of commerce, uas, uav, united states of america, vertical location
Organization: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce
People of the Apalachicola System: Exploring Cultural Heritage to Support Ecosystem Planning, Management, and Adaptation - NERRS/NSC(NERRS Science Collaborative)

By integrating predictive modeling, heritage sites recording, and community engagement, this project advanced a more representative perspective of local cultural resources within a coastal landscape.

The Apalachicola River and Bay system is a landscape rich in natural and cultural heritage. Over 12,000 years of human history are embedded in the Apalachicola system's archaeological record, demonstrating the profound connections that many communities of people have had to the landscape. To better understand the interconnected human and natural histories of the area, this project sought to identify the ecosystem services that people, past and present, use and value in the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve (ANERR).

Community conversations, hosted as "Community Conversations on Heritage at Risk" revealed that many residents feel a deep connection to the region's fisheries, historic structures, and waterfront traditions, but see them as threatened by changing economic realities and climate impacts. Archaeological site monitoring in the ANERR likewise established that coastal cultural heritage sites, in particular, face active risks from storm surges and sea level rise. Further, predictive modeling using a Sea Levels Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM) suggested that a majority of these culturally significant places may transition into regularly flooded marshes by 2050 under moderate sea level rise scenarios, underscoring the urgent need for proactive documentation of local heritage.

Considered together, these findings illuminate how cultural practices like oystering, beekeeping, or gathering in historic neighborhoods are integral to local identity and economic well-being. Much of this heritage remains under-documented in the face of ongoing environmental and demographic shifts in the Apalachicola area. Leveraging project data, land managers can prioritize at-risk heritage sites based on specific climate projections, implement monitoring strategies that address both tangible and intangible heritage, and ensure that residents voices guide the next steps in preserving their cultural landscape. This integrated approach will strengthen decision-making for both environmental stewardship and the safeguarding of cultural traditions that define the Apalachicola system.

Tags: anerr, apalachicola bay, archaeological sites, archaeology, assessment, climate change, coastal processes, community engagement, cultural ecosystem services, cultural resources, doc/noaa/nos/ocm, dsas, earth science, fl nerr, heritage at risk, hms florida, monitoring, national ocean service, nerrs, noaa, oceans, office of coastal management, qualitative data, sea level rise, shoreline analysis, slamm, survey, u.s. department of commerce
Organization: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce
Promoting Resilient Groundwater Resources and Holistic Watershed Management in the Southern Kenai Lowlands - NERRS/NSC(NERRS Science Collaborative)

This project takes existing spatial data sets, modeling frameworks, and local expertise, and integrates them with new science aimed at developing a comprehensive conceptual model and validated geospatial layer that can be used to predict specific locations where groundwater discharge and recharge occur. Working collaboratively with key end users who participated in the climate adaptation project, and with additional end users identified through the Kachemak Bay Reserveâs Community Council, the project team will interpret the groundwater model for use in land use planning, permitting, policy decisions, and habitat protection.

Tags: ak, alaska, biosphere, continent, doc/noaa/nos/ocm, earth science, ecosystems, estuary, kachemak bay nerr, marine ecosystems, national ocean service, nerrs, noaa, north america, office of coastal management, u.s. department of commerce, united states of america
Organization: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce
2024 USACE SAM Topographic Lidar DEM: Lake Seminole (AL, FL, GA)

Original Data: These files contain rasterized topographic lidar elevations generated from data collected using a Teledyne ALTM Galaxy PRIME sensor. Native lidar data is not generally in a format accessible to most Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Specialized in-house and commercial software packages are used to process the native lidar data into 3-dimensional positions that can be imported into GIS software for visualization and further analysis. Horizontal positions are referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 Universal Transverse Mercator Zone 16 North (NAD83 UTM Zone 16N). Vertical positions are referenced to the NAD83 (2011) ellipsoid and provided in meters. The National Geodetic Survey's (NGS) GEOID18 model is used to transform the vertical positions from ellipsoid to orthometric heights referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88). The 3-D position data are sub-divided into a series of LAS files, which are tiled into 1-km by 1-km boxes defined by the Military Grid Reference System.

The data were provided to the NOAA Office for Coastal Management (OCM) by the USACE Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise (JALBTCX) to make the data publicly available for bulk and custom downloads from the NOAA Digital Data Access Viewer (DAV).

Tags: airplane, alabama, coastal elevation, coastal landforms, coastal processes, continent, dems, digital elevation/terrain model (dem), doc/noaa/nos/ocm, dod/usarmy/usace/sam/mobile/opj/jalbtcx, earth science, florida, geomorphic landforms/processes, georgia, joint airborne lidar bathymetry technical center of expertise, joint airborne lidar bathymetry technical center of expertise (jalbtcx), land surface, lidar, light detection and ranging, mobile district, national coastal mapping program (ncmp), national ocean service, noaa, north america, oceans, office of coastal management, south atlantic division, teledyne altm galaxy prime (galaxy), terrain elevation, topography, u.s. army, u.s. army corps of engineers, u.s. department of commerce, u.s. department of defense, united states of america, vertical location
Organization: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce
NOAA Office for Coastal Management Coastal Inundation Digital Elevation Model: Florida, West 2

These data were created as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management's efforts to create an online mapping viewer called the Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer. It depicts potential sea level rise and its associated impacts on the nation's coastal areas. The purpose of the mapping viewer is to provide coastal managers and scientists with a preliminary look at sea level rise and coastal flooding impacts. The viewer is a screening-level tool that uses nationally consistent data sets and analyses. Data and maps provided can be used at several scales to help gauge trends and prioritize actions for different scenarios. The Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer may be accessed at: https://coast.noaa.gov/slr.
      
      This metadata record describes the Florida, West 2 digital elevation model (DEM), which is a part of a series of DEMs produced for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management's Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer described above. This DEM includes the best available lidar known to exist at the time of DEM creation that met project specifications. This DEM includes data for Citrus, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hernando, Levy, Marion, and Pasco Counties.
      
      The DEM was produced from the following lidar data sets:
      1. 2018 Florida Peninsular - Citrus
      2. 2018 Florida Peninsular FDEM - Dixie
      3. 2018 Florida Peninsular FDEM - Gilchrist
      4. 2019 Florida Peninsular - Hernando
      5. 2018 Florida Peninsular - Levy
      6. 2018 Florida Peninsular - Marion
      7. 2018 Pasco County Florida Lidar

      
      The DEM is referenced vertically to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88) with vertical units of meters and horizontally to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83). The resolution of the DEM is approximately 3 meters.

Tags: airplane, bathymetry/topography, citrus county, coastal elevation, coastal processes, continent, dem, digital elevation model, dixie county, doc/noaa/nos/ocm, earth science, elevation, flooding, florida, gilchrist county, hernando county, inundation, land surface, levy county, lidar, light detection and ranging, marion county, national ocean service, noaa, north america, oceans, office of coastal management, pasco county, sea level rise, terrain elevation, topography, u.s. department of commerce, united states of america, us, vertical location
Organization: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce