Sea Level Rise Research Partnership
This project was conceived as an integrated team effort funded by the Gulf of Mexico Alliance and lead by The Nature Conservancy. It constitutes a partnership with several organizations, stakeholders, consulting firms and volunteers. These include, but are not limited to:
Gulf of Mexico Alliance:
http://www.gulfofmexicoalliance.org
The Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) is a partnership between the governors of the states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, with the goal of significantly increasing regional collaboration to enhance the ecological and economic health of the Gulf of Mexico. GOMA has identified priority issues that are regionally significant and can be effectively addressed through increased collaboration at local, state, and federal levels. As part of those proprieties, this sea level rise initiative was funded through the Alliance’s Habitat Restoration and Conservation (HCRT), and Coastal Community Resilience Implementation Teams (CCRT). The Alliance work has become a model for regional and international collaboration in the Gulf of Mexico region.
The Nature Conservancy:
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is the leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. We address the most pressing conservation threats at the largest scale. The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. This sea level rise initiative constitutes a contribution of the Coastal Resilience Strategy of TNC to build social-ecological resilience along the Gulf of Mexico. This project was managed and implemented by the Marine Program of the Texas Chapter and conducted in collaboration with the Global Marine Team and TNC’s state chapters in the Gulf of Mexico.
Gulf of Mexico Foundation:
The mission of the Gulf of Mexico Foundation (GMF) is to promote and facilitate conservation of the health and productivity of the Gulf of Mexico and its resources through education, public awareness, research and leadership programs. The goal of the GMF is to ensure a sustainable quality of life for residents and visitors of the Gulf coasts. The Foundation directs its efforts at all fronts – environmental quality, resource management, public health, economic and cultural development, education, and awareness. The GMF currently serves as the coordinator of the Habitat Conservation and Restoration Implementation Team of GOMA. Part of the funding for the initial phase of this initiative was managed through the foundation.
Mississippi Department of Marine Resources:
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MSDMR) is dedicated to enhancing, protecting and conserving marine interests of the state by managing all marine life, public trust wetlands, adjacent uplands and waterfront areas to provide for the optimal commercial, recreational, educational and economic uses of these resources consistent with environmental concerns and social changes. The MSDMR manages all marine life, public trust wetlands, adjacent uplands and waterfront areas for the long-term recreational, educational, commercial and economic benefit of everyone. The MSDMR currently serves as the coordinator of the Coastal Community Resilience Implementation Team of GOMA. Part of the funding for the initial phase of this initiative was managed through MSDMR.
Acknowledgements
Funding for this initiative was administered by Ryan Fikes with the Gulf of Mexico Foundation, Inc., to support the Habitat Conservation and Restoration Team, and Rhonda Price with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources to support the Coastal Community Resilience Team, a part of the Governor’s Gulf of Mexico Alliance. Funding to the Governor’s Gulf Alliance was provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Grant No. NOAA-GOMA-1001).
The managers of the project would like to acknowledge the support and contributions of Ben Gilmer and Shaw Margles with the Conservancy’s Global Marine Team who conducted the conservation and community resilience analyses for the following project sites: Galveston Bay area-Jefferson County in Texas, Grand Bay NERR in Mississippi, and Choctawhatchee and St. Andrews Bays in Florida, and published the data in TNC’s Coastal Resilience Decision Support Tool online, respectively.
Jonathan Clough and Dr. Amy Polaczyk with Warren Pinnacle Consulting Inc. developed the SLAMM sea level rise scenarios. Hugh Roberts and Dr. John Atkinson with ARCADIS US Inc., and Dr. Scott Hagen with the University of Southern Florida developed the ADCIRC storm surge scenarios. Dr. Jeff Ehman with Image Matters Inc. published the SLAMM scenarios in SLAMM View online tool. Volunteers Ananya Baruah who created the first online version of the data platform, and Sharon Aknin who helped create the SLAMM 1-page flyers.
