Nesting habitat for the federally endangered loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) were designated as critical in 2014 for beaches along the Atlantic Coast and Gulf of Mexico. Nesting suitability is routinely determined based on site specific information. Given the expansive geographic location of the designated critical C. caretta nesting habitat and the highly dynamic coastal environment, understanding nesting suitability on a regional scale is essential for monitoring the changing status of the coast as a result of hydrodynamic forces and maintenance efforts. The increasing spatial resolution and temporal frequency of remote sensing data offers the opportunity to study this dynamic environment on a regional scale. Remote sensing data were used as input into the spatially-explicit, multi-criteria decision support model to determine nesting habitat suitability. Results from the study indicate that the morphological parameters used as input into the model are well suited to provide a regional level approach with the results from the optimized model having sensitivity and detection prevalence values greater than 80% and the detection rate being greater than 70%. The approach can be implemented in various geographic locations to better communicate priorities and evaluate management strategies as a result of changes to the dynamic coastal environment.

The Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise (JALBTCX) deployed to support regional-scale post-storm damage assessments following Hurricanes Irma (2017), Maria (2017), and Michael (2018) for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) following Hurricanes Matthew (2016) and Florence (2018). The JALBTCX has a long history of providing regional coastal surveys after storm impacts in the United States. These high-resolution, regional datasets extend beyond project boundaries, providing critical data to quantify large-scale impacts associated with storm events. These regional datasets directly support missions within the USACE, other federal agencies, academia, and the broader coastal community.

The impact of coastal regions to storm induced geomorphic and bathymetric change can be efficiently monitored using three-dimensional spatial data. Having multiple surveys of a coastal region, specifically when coastal projects are present, is invaluable for the assessment of the resiliency of the region to extreme storm events. Methods to identify geomorphic features and assess the navigable conditions through a maintained inlet have been developed to assist in the monitoring efforts. Spatial variation for the beach system, including the dune peak elevations, width from the shoreline to the dune peak, and volume, are monitored for several surveys for change detection. In addition, navigable channel conditions through the inlet are quantified by analyzing the morphological changes of the ebb shoal, which is vital to maintaining safe navigation.

Regional-scale shoreline and beach volume changes are quantified using the Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise’s digital elevation model products in a change detection framework following the passage of the two landfalling hurricanes, Hurricanes Sally and Zeta, along the northern Gulf Coast in late fall 2020. Results derived from this work include elevation change raster products and a standard set of beach volume and shoreline change metrics. The rapid turn-around and delivery of data products to include volume and shoreline change assessments provide valuable information about the status of the coastline and identification of areas of significant erosion or other impacts, such as breaching near Perdido Key, FL, from Hurricane Sally’s impact. These advanced change detection products help inform sediment budget development and support decisions related to regional sediment management and coastal storm risk management.

Shore protection projects are designed to improve the resiliency of the coastal area, particularly for areas that are vulnerable to extreme storm events. Having multiple surveys for the area allows for change detection of geomorphic features and the condition of the nourishment project to be identified. Methods to identify geomorphic features for change detection have been developed using three-dimensional spatial data to assist in the monitoring efforts of shore protection projects. The spatial variation for the beach system, including the dune peak elevations, beach width, and volume, are monitored for several surveys for change detection and to identify areas of vulnerability, since having dunes and a wide beach increases the resiliency of a coastal region.

The primary coastal outlet for the Mississippi River at the Gulf of Mexico, known as Southwest Pass (SWP), is one of the most highly utilized commercial deep-draft waterways in the United States. Disruptions in navigation due to hard-to-predict accumulation of sediments in SWP affect the access of deep-draft vessels to four of the nation's top 15 ports measured by tonnage that connect the U.S. Midwest with global markets, and handle around 500M tons of cargo annually. The SWP is maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) at a depth of 50 feet (15.2 meters). The USACE spends on the order of $100M annually on dredging operations to maintain a reliable shipping channel throughout SWP, and the unpredictability of rapid- onset shoaling has been known to drive annual costs to more than twice that amount (Hartman, et al., 2022). Presently, USACE New Orleans District project managers rely on rules of thumb with seasonal river stage trends and thresholds to get 10 to 14 days of lead time for shoaling conditions at SWP.