Vulnerability of Wetlands Due to Projected Sea-Level Rise in the Coastal Plains of the South and Southeast United States

Authors

• Luis Lizcano-Sandoval, University of South Florida
• James Gibeaut, Texas A&M University
• Matthew J. McCarthy, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryFollow
• Tylar Murray, University of South Florida
• Digna T. Rueda-Roa, University of South FloridaFollow
• Frank E. Muller-Karger, University of South FloridaFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2024

Keywords

high-resolution satellite images, coastal wetlands, sea-level rise, land cover classification, digital elevation model, airborne lidar

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16122052

Abstract

Coastal wetlands are vulnerable to accelerated sea-level rise, yet knowledge about their extent and distribution is often limited. We developed a land cover classification of wetlands in the coastal plains of the southern United States along the Gulf of Mexico (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida) using 6161 very-high (2 m per pixel) resolution WorldView-2 and WorldView-3 satellite images from 2012 to 2015. Area extent estimations were obtained for the following vegetated classes: marsh, scrub, grass, forested upland, and forested wetland, located in elevation brackets between 0 and 10 m above sea level at 0.1 m intervals. Sea-level trends were estimated for each coastal state using tide gauge data collected over the period 1983–2021 and projected for 2100 using the trend estimated over that period. These trends were considered conservative, as sea level rise in the region accelerated between 2010 and 2021. Estimated losses in vegetation area due to sea level rise by 2100 are projected to be at least 12,587 km2, of which 3224 km2 would be coastal wetlands. Louisiana is expected to suffer the largest losses in vegetation (80%) and coastal wetlands (75%) by 2100. Such high-resolution coastal mapping products help to guide adaptation plans in the region, including planning for wetland conservation and coastal development.

Rights Information

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Was this content written or created while at USF?

Yes

Citation / Publisher Attribution

 Remote Sensing for Wetland Restoration, v. 16, issue 12, art. 2052

Scholar Commons Citation

Lizcano-Sandoval, Luis; Gibeaut, James; McCarthy, Matthew J.; Murray, Tylar; Rueda-Roa, Digna T.; and Muller-Karger, Frank E., "Vulnerability of Wetlands Due to Projected Sea-Level Rise in the Coastal Plains of the South and Southeast United States" (2024). Marine Science Faculty Publications. 2597.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/2597