USGS National Wetlands Research Center: Wetlands Ecology Branch

Wetlands Ecology Branch

Chief: Thomas W. Doyle, Ph.D. (doylet@usgs.gov)
Phone: 337 266-8647
Fax: 337 266-8592

Mission

Conducts research related to sustainable management and restoration of the nation's coastal saltwater wetlands, coastal and inland freshwater wetlands, submerged aquatic ecosystems, and coastal prairie.

Capabilities

Issues

The coastal landscape of the South consists of a mosaic of wetland and upland habitats supporting a diverse array of plants and animals. Coastal freshwater and saltwater wetlands, coupled with submerged aquatic ecosystems, are critical for commercially important fish and shellfish; buffer coastal areas from storms; and function as feeding, roosting, and/or nesting habitat for many species of resident and migratory waterfowl. Coastal prairies, which once dominated much of the coastal landscape from central Louisiana to southern Texas, are also critical links in the landscape; coastal prairies provide habitat for many resident migratory Neotropical fauna. Loss and degradation of these coastal ecosystems have economic, cultural, and recreational effects on people and reduce the ability of this landscape to sustain healthy plant and animal populations. Research takes place coast to coast from Maryland to Florida to the Gulf of Mexico to California. Research ecologists also provide international technical assistance and collaboration with scientists in other countries such as India, Mexico, and England.

Research ecologists at NWRC study causes and loss of threatened coastal ecosystems, and investigate how to stabilize, restore, and manage the coastal landscape. Inland grass beds and seagrass beds (some of the most valuable of fish nursery grounds, waterfowl foods, and beach stabilizers) are being diminished worldwide; barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico will suffer if their seagrasses are lost. Coastal saltwater and freshwater marshes are particularly endangered in Louisiana with losses of 90-130 square kilometers (35-50 square miles) a year. Coastal prairies in Texas and Louisiana have had dramatic losses with only about 1% of the original vast acreage remaining.

Return to NWRC Organization and Programs.