gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:76705 eng UTF8 dataset Office for Coastal Management resourceProvider Cothran, Jeremy jeremy.cothran@gmail.com pointOfContact 2026-03-04T19:17:17 ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata Part 2 Extensions for imagery and gridded data ISO 19115-2:2009(E) Adapting Salt Marsh Vulnerability Assessment Methodologies to Southeastern Salt Marshes - NERRS/NSC(NERRS Science Collaborative) 2024-09 publication NOAA/NMFS/EDM 76705 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/76705 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Full Metadata Record View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. information https://nerrssciencecollaborative.org/project/Sanger23 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Sanger23 Online Resource download The Project Home to roughly one third of the Southeast's estuarine salt marsh acreage, South Carolina faces escalating local and state concerns over marsh vulnerability due to rising sea levels. In 2021, the ACE Basin and North Inlet – Winyah Bay (NI-WB) NERRs used capacity building funds to convene a community of managers, regulators, and scientists interested in identifying appropriate methods to assess salt marsh health in South Carolina. As part of this effort, participants expressed interest in exploring appropriate marsh vulnerability metrics – and the associated thresholds that inform decision making – as a possible first step toward understanding the impacts of increasing rates of sea level rise on marshes and developing appropriate restoration strategies. While a variety of marsh vulnerability metrics have been developed nationally, their direct applicability to Southeastern marshes posed a knowledge gap, potentially due to the sparse vegetation densities that are common across the region. Knowing that several informative metrics could be derived from remotely sensed data, the team’s approach utilized satellite and aerial imagery, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and in situ observation to assess existing marsh vulnerability metrics at multiple spatial scales at the two South Carolina reserves. In exploring the applicability of the existing metrics and thresholds, the team found that the unique nature of South Carolina’s salt marshes – largely Spartina alterniflora monocultures that vary spatially and temporally in terms of how sparsely vegetated or covered in water they are – result in higher Unvegetated to Vegetated Ratio (UVVR) thresholds, variability in Marsh Resilience to SLR (MARS), and variability in Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) calculations. These findings have major implications for marsh management recommendations as decision makers use these metrics to estimate whether marshes are keeping pace with rates of sea level rise. In particular, the imagery and analyses produced through this project have demonstrated the unique nature of southeastern salt marshes which needs to be considered when evaluating South Carolina marshes. The Impact Identified inconsistencies among the various vulnerability metrics the team explored and set the stage for future research to better understand how and why these metrics vary, and whether there are appropriate thresholds for the region. Created new and strengthened existing collaborations between the South Carolina NERRs and regional intended users. Enhanced potential to support local communities’ decision making and management of salt marshes in the face of increased vulnerability resulting from sea level rise. completed Office for Coastal Management 2234 South Hobson Avenue Charleston SC 29405-2413 https://www.coast.noaa.gov/ WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Office for Coastal Management Website Website listed for Office for Coastal Management information custodian asNeeded EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > COASTAL > SALT MARSH theme Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords 17.0 habitat mapping habitat restoration remote sensing salt marsh theme ACE Basin NERR, SC North Inlet-Winyah Bay NERR, SC place DOC/NOAA/NOS/OCM > Office of Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce dataCentre Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords 2017-04-24 publication 8.5 Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords GCMD Keyword Forum Page Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 22. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords information custodian NERRS project InPort otherRestrictions Cite As: Office for Coastal Management, [Date of Access]: Adapting Salt Marsh Vulnerability Assessment Methodologies to Southeastern Salt Marshes - NERRS/NSC(NERRS Science Collaborative) [Data Date Range], https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/76705. NOAA provides no warranty, nor accepts any liability occurring from any incomplete, incorrect, or misleading data, or from any incorrect, incomplete, or misleading use of the data. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether or not the data is suitable for the intended purpose. otherRestrictions Access Constraints: None otherRestrictions Use Constraints: Cite this dataset when used as a source: NOAA retains the right to analyze, synthesize and publish summaries of the NERRS/NSC data. The NERRS/NSC retains the right to be fully credited for having collected and process the data. Following academic courtesy standards, the NERR site where the data were collected should be contacted and fully acknowledged in any subsequent publications in which any part of the data are used. The data enclosed within this package/transmission are only as accurate as the quality assurance and quality control procedures that are described in the associated metadata reporting statement allow. The user bears all responsibility for its subsequent use/misuse in any further analyses or comparisons. The Federal government does not assume liability to the Recipient or third persons, nor will the Federal government reimburse or indemnify the Recipient for its liability due to any losses resulting in any way from the use of this data. Requested citation format: NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Science Collaborative(NSC). otherRestrictions Distribution Liability: The distributor does not assume liability. unclassified NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP) NOAA/NMFS/EDM 76705 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nos/ocm/dmp/pdf/76705.pdf WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP) NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. information crossReference eng; US oceans -80.3299 -80.320638 32.498227 32.507265 ACE NERRs Wetlands and Water Levels (WWL) monitoring site - Edisto Island, SC -79.201798 -79.189179 33.336296 33.351292 North Inlet-Winyah Bay NERR Wetlands and Water Levels(WWL) monitoring site - Georgetown, SC | Currentness: Ground Condition 2023-10-01 2024-09-01 Project Lead: Denise Sanger, ACE NERR, sangerd@dnr.sc.gov Collaborative Lead: Pamela Marcum, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, marcump@dnr.sc.gov Technical Lead: Erik Smith, North Inlet-Winyah Bay NERR, erik@baruch.sc.edu Partners: ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve; ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve; South Carolina Department of Natural Resources false eng false Other N/A 2025-07-18 publication Multiple formats Office for Coastal Management 2234 South Hobson Avenue Charleston SC 29405-2413 https://www.coast.noaa.gov/ WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Office for Coastal Management Website Website listed for Office for Coastal Management information distributor https://www.nerrssciencecollaborative.org/project/Sanger23 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Sanger23 download dataset Representativeness N/A This information is detailed within the project links. N/A Office for Coastal Management processor N/A