LB 20-179 - Restoration of Islands and Beaches for Wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico: Reducing the Uncertainty

Beaches and island systems in the GoM are essential habitats that provide important ecosystem services, from storm damage reduction to functional habitats for species of conservation concern. Although many state and federal agencies and conservation groups are implementing island creation/beach restoration projects to benefit various natural resources, there is high uncertainty related to how management actions influence wildlife species and their habitats. The primary goal of this project was to identify key uncertainties related to island creation/beach restoration and ecological responses with respect to birds and sea turtles. The project team sought to define design and management criteria and create a conceptual model reflecting those uncertainties. We used the principles of structured decision-making in a co-production arena to conduct a series of facilitated in-person and virtual workshops and interviews with various stakeholders including natural resource managers, engineers, biologists and ecologists, and researchers with various expertise from universities, state and federal agencies, and conservation organizations. After a year-long co-production process, we collaboratively identified key management decisions, the influences of these decisions on animal populations, and important responses to monitor these effects. We also developed a conceptual model depicting relationships between engineering design criteria and management actions linked to natural resource responses and prioritized key uncertainties for future research. Ultimately, most stakeholders believed that uncertainties pertaining to beach geomorphology and sediment characteristics were of highest priority. The outcomes of this project, including a research and monitoring plan addressing these uncertainties, will enable those planning beach and island creation/restoration projects to better understand and consider various design criteria and management actions that benefit constituent habitat usages of birds and sea turtles.