Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Louisiana
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Louisiana Project

Occurrence and variation in submersed aquatic vegetation along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico

September 2012 - August 2020

Personnel

Participating Agencies

  • South Central Climate Center
  • FWS, Gulf Coast Joint Venture
  • SSP program
  • National Park Service
  • GCPO LCC
PhD Student Kristin DeMarco sampling SAV and staying hydrated.

Submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) communities are highly productive ecosystems that provide significant ecological benefits within coastal areas, including support for many important species of fish and wildlife. Despite their critical importance, and loss globally, we lack consistent baseline data on SAV resources across the coastal salinity gradient. This project will provide data on the occurrence and abundance of SAV resources (e.g., coverage, composition, seed resources) within the northern Gulf of Mexico, quantitatively assess environmental factors affecting its spatial and temporal variation and develop a conceptual model of factors influencing SAV resources. These data are critical in identifying empirical relationships between SAV resources and environmental variables, and will enable predictive modeling of SAV resources under different scenarios of landscape and climate change.

Research Publications Publication Date
DeMarco, K, E. Hillmann, M. Brasher, M. La Peyre. 2016. Brackish marsh zones as a waterfowl habitat resource in submerged aquatic vegetation beds in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 3:261-269. | Abstract | Publisher Website 2016-03-31
Hillmann, E., K.E. DeMarco and M La Peyre. 2016. Establishing a baseline of estuarine submerged aquatic vegetation resources across salinity zones within coastal areas of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. 3:25-32. | Abstract | Publisher Website 2016-08-31
La Peyre, MK. 2015. Final Summary to the South Central Climate Science Center for Occurrence and variation in submersed aquatic vegetation along the northern Gulf of Mexico: a hierarchical approach to assess impacts of environmental change on SAV resources. 2012-2015. 2015-12-31
De Marco, KD, Couvillion, B, Brown S., La Peyre, MK. 2018. Submerged aquatic vegetation mapping in coastal Louisiana through development of a spatial likelihood occurrence (SLOO) model. Aquatic Botany 151:87-97. 2018-09-30
Technical Publications Publication Date
DeMarco, K., Hillmann, E., and La Peyre, M., 2017, Seed biomass from shallow coastal water areas along a salinity gradient in Barataria Bay, Louisiana (2015): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7TH8K5J. 2017-05-31
DeMarco, K., Hillmann, E., and La Peyre, M., 2017, Seed biomass from shallow coastal water areas from Texas through Alabama, 2013-2015: U.S. Geological Survey data release,https://doi.org/10.5066/F7Z899WV. 2017-05-31
Hillmann, E., and La Peyre, M., 2017, Sediment carbon, submerged aquatic vegetation and environmental variables in deltaic southeast Louisiana (2015-2016): U.S. Geological Survey data release,https://doi.org/10.5066/F7QZ2853. 2017-05-31
Hillmann, E., DeMarco, K., and La Peyre, M., 2017, Submerged aquatic vegetation and environmental data along a salinity gradient in Barataria Bay, Louisiana (2015): U.S. Geological Survey Data Release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7M61HG4. 2017-05-31
La Peyre, M., DeMarco, K., and Hillmann, E., 2017, Submerged aquatic vegetation and environmental data for coastal areas from Texas through Alabama, 2013-2015: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7GH9G44. 2017-05-31
Presentations Presentation Date
DeMarco, K, Osland, M., Couvillion, B. M. La Peyre. 2015. Drawing the map of submerged aquatic vegetation in the northern Gulf of Mexico: distribution and patterns of abundance across salinity zones State of the Coast Abstract. June 2016 2016-06-01
DeMarco, K., Brown, S., Couvillion, B. and M La Peyre. 2017. How do you map what you can’t see? Submerged aquatic vegetation occurrence modeling in Louisiana. Coastal Estuarine Research Federation Meeting. November, Rhode Island 2017-11-12
DeMarco, K., Hillmann, E., Brasher MG, and MK La Peyre. 2016. Variation in submerged aquatic vegetation and waterfowl food resources across a coastal salinity gradient in the northern Gulf of Mexico - impacts on habitat value. SWS international Meeting, Corpus Christ, Texas 2016-06-03
DeMarco, KE, Brown, S, Couvillion, B, La Peyre. MK. 2016. Drawing the map of submerged aquatic vegetation in the northern Gulf of Mexico: distribution patterns across salinity zones. Restore Americas Estuaries, New Orleans, LA Dec 12-16, 2016 2016-12-12
DeMarco, KE, Hillmann E, Brasher, M, La Peyre, M. 2015. Changes in coastal salinities will affect seed availability for waterfowl in submerged aquatic vegetation beds and coastal marshes in the northern Gulf of Mexico 6th Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. November 1-4, 2015 2015-11-04
DeMarco, KE, Hillmann, E and M La Peyre 2015. Changing coastal salinities will affect submerged aquatic vegetation resources in the northern Gulf of Mexico. CERF, Nov 8-12, 2015, Portland OR 2015-11-08
DeMarco, KE, Hillmann, E, Nyman JA, La Peyre MK. 2016. Changing coastal salinities will affect submerged aquatic vegetation resources in the northern Gulf of Mexico. LDWF Research Symposium. May 31, 2016. 2016-05-31
Hillmann, E, DeMarco, K, La Peyre, M. 2015. Predicted effects of climate change will change the spatial distribution of dominant SAV biomass resources in shallow, estuarine waters along the northern Gulf of Mexico. 6th Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, November 1-4, 2015 2015-11-04
Hillmann, E, DeMarco, K, La Peyre, M. 2015. Environmental drivers of seasonal variability in coastal marsh pond SAV communities along a salinity gradient in Barataria basin, Louisiana, U.S.A. State of the Coast, Louisiana. June 2016 2016-06-01
Hillmann, E., Rivera-Monroy, V., La Peyre. M. 2017. Submerged aquatic vegetation habitat sequesters organic carbon. Louisiana Agriculture Magazine. Winter 2017. 2017-10-01
Hillmann, E.R., V. Rivera Monroy, M.K. La Peyre. 2017. Estuarine submerged aquatic vegetation beds provide significant carbon storage in deltaic environments Coastal Estuarine Research Federation Meeting. Rhode Island. 2017-11-12
Hillmann, ER, Rivera-Monroy, VH, La Peyre MK. 2016. Carbon sotrage in submerged aquatic vegetation beds across salinity gradients within coastal Louisiana deltaic estuaries. RAE Dec. 12-16, 2016. New Orleans, LA 2016-12-12
Hillmann, ER, V. Rivera-Monroy, MK La Peyre. 2016. Long-term carbon storage of submerged aquatic vegetation beds across the salinity zone within deltaic estuaries of the northern Gulf of Mexico. State of the Coast, June 1-3, 2016, New Orleans, LA. 2016-06-01
Megan K La Peyre, E.R. Hillmann, K.E. DeMarco*, B. Couvillion, S. Brown, J.A. Nyman. 2016. Potential impacts of changing environmental conditions on overall submerged aquatic vegetation resources: food and habitat availability for dependent fish and wildlife. SEAFWA Meeting. Oct. 16-18, Baton Rouge, LA 2016-10-18
Carruthers, T., M. La Peyre, K. Darnell, M. Baustian. 2015. Understanding Gulf Coast estuarine and deltaic benthic ecology for restoration. Session Proposal, CERF Conference, Portland, OR. 2015-11-08
DeMarco, KE, Hillmann ER, MK La Peyre. 2018. Submerged aquatic vegetation in Barataria Bay, Louisiana: seasonal and spatial patterns. State of the Coast, New Orleans, LA. May 30-June 1, 2018. 2018-05-30
Hillmann, E., Rivera-Monroy, V., La Peyre. M. 2017. Submerged aquatic vegetation habitat sequesters organic carbon. Louisiana Agriculture Magazine. Winter 2017. 2017-10-01
Hillmann, E.R., V. Rivera Monroy, M.K. La Peyre. 2017. Estuarine submerged aquatic vegetation beds provide significant carbon storage in deltaic environments Coastal Estuarine Research Federation Meeting. Rhode Island. 2017-11-12
La Peyre, MK. 2016. Session Moderator. Abundance, distribution and ecosystem functions of submerged aquatic vegetation in coastal Louisiana. State of the Coast, June 2016, New Orleans, LA. 2016-06-01
Theses and Dissertations Publication Date
DeMarco, KD. 2018. Shifting ecological niche across coastal landscapes: spatial and temporal ecological patterns driving submerged aquatic vegetation habitat distribution across the northern Gulf of Mexico. PhD Dissertation. Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA. 2018-08-31
Hillmann, ER. 2018. Analysis of submerged aquatic vegetation across the northern Gulf of Mexico: Communities and Biomass. PhD Dissertation, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 2018-05-31