The sediment-based lifespan of salt marsh units in Assateague Island National Seashore (ASIS) and Chincoteague Bay is shown for conceptual marsh units defined by Defne and Ganju (2018). The lifespan represents the timescale by which the current sediment mass within a marsh parcel can no longer compensate for sediment export and deficits induced by sea-level rise. The lifespan calculation is based on vegetated cover, marsh elevation, sediment supply, and sea-level rise (SLR) predictions after Ganju and others (2020). Sea level rise scenarios are present day estimates corresponding to the 0.3, 0.5, and 1.0 meter increase in Global Mean Sea Level (GMSL) by 2100 from Sweet and others (2017). Through scientific efforts initiated with the Hurricane Sandy Science Plan, the U.S. Geological Survey has been expanding national assessment of coastal change hazards and forecast products to coastal wetlands, including the Assateague Island National Seashore and Chincoteague Bay salt marshes, with the intent of providing Federal, State, and local managers with tools to estimate the vulnerability and ecosystem service potential of these wetlands. For this purpose, the response and resilience of coastal wetlands to physical factors need to be assessed in terms of the ensuing change to their vulnerability and ecosystem services. References: Defne, Z., and Ganju, N.K., 2018, Conceptual marsh units for Assateague Island National Seashore and Chincoteague Bay, Maryland and Virginia: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P92ZW4D9. Ganju, N.K., Defne, Z., Fagherazzi, S., 2020, Are elevation and open-water conversion of salt marshes connected?, Geophysical Research Letters, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL086703. Sweet, W.V., Kopp, R.E., Weaver, C.P., Obeysekera, J., Horton, R.M., Thieler, E.R., and Zervas, C., 2017, Global and regional sea level rise scenarios for the United States (Tech. Rep. NOS CO-OPS 083). Silver Spring, MD: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. https://doi.org/10.7289/v5/tr-nos-coops-083.

The lifespans of salt marshes in Atlantic-facing Eastern Shore of Virginia are calculated based on estimated sediment supply and sea-level rise (SLR) predictions, following the methodology of Ganju and others (2020). The salt marsh delineations are from Ackerman and others (2023). The SLR predictions are local estimates corresponding to increases of 0.3, 0.5 and 1.0 meter in global mean sea level (GMSL) by 2100, as projected by Sweet and others (2022). This work has been a part of the USGS’s effort to expand the national assessment of coastal change hazards and forecast products to coastal wetlands. The aim is to equip federal, state and local managers with tools to estimate the vulnerability and ecosystem service potential of these wetlands. For this purpose, the response and resilience of coastal wetlands to physical factors need to be assessed in terms of the ensuing change to their vulnerability and ecosystem services. (The data release containing lifespan estimates for the Chesapeake Bay-facing portion of the Eastern Shore of Virginia is found here: https://doi.org/10.5066/P9FSPWSF.)

This data release contains the estimated lifespans of salt marshes in E.B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (EBFNWR) and Atlantic-facing New Jersey. The lifespans are calculated based on estimated sediment supply and sea-level rise (SLR) predictions, following the methodology of Ganju and others (2020). The salt marsh delineations are from Ackerman and others (2024) and Defne and Ganju (2016). The SLR predictions are local estimates corresponding to increases of 0.3, 0.5 and 1.0 meter in global mean sea level (GMSL) by 2100, as projected by Sweet and others (2022). This work has been a part of the USGS’s effort to expand the national assessment of coastal change hazards and forecast products to coastal wetlands. The aim is to equip federal, state and local managers with tools to estimate the vulnerability and ecosystem service potential of these wetlands. For this purpose, the response and resilience of coastal wetlands to physical factors need to be assessed in terms of the ensuing change to their vulnerability and ecosystem services. References: Ackerman, K.V., Defne, Z., and Ganju, N.K., 2024, Geospatial characterization of Atlantic-facing New Jersey salt marshes: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P1NN2QYM. Defne, Z., and Ganju, N.K. 2016, Conceptual salt marsh units for wetland synthesis: Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, New Jersey: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7QV3JPG. Ganju, N.K., Defne, Z., and Fagherazzi, S., 2020, Are elevation and open-water conversion of salt marshes connected?, Geophysical Research Letters, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL086703. Sweet, W.V., Hamlington, B.D., Kopp, R.E., Weaver, C.P., Barnard, P.L., Bekaert, D., Brooks, W., Craghan, M., Dusek, G., Frederikse, T., Garner, G., Genz, A.S., Krasting, J.P., Larour, E., Marcy, D., Marra, J.J., Obeysekera, J., Osler, M., Pendleton, M., Roman, D., Schmied, L., Veatch, W., White, K.D., and Zuzak, C., 2022, Global and Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States: Updated Mean Projections and Extreme Water Level Probabilities Along U.S. Coastlines. NOAA Technical Report NOS 01. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, Silver Spring, MD, 111 pp. https://sealevel.globalchange.gov/internal_resources/756/noaa-nos-techrpt01-global-regional-SLR-scenarios-US.pdf

Lifespan distribution in the Chesapeake Bay (CB) salt marsh complex is presented in terms of lifespan of conceptual marsh units defined by Ackerman and others (2022). The lifespan calculation is based on estimated sediment supply and sea-level rise (SLR) predictions after Ganju and others (2020). Sea level predictions are present day estimates at the prescribed rate of SLR, which correspond to the 0.3, 0.5, and 1.0 meter increase in Global Mean Sea Level (GMSL) scenarios by 2100 from Sweet and others (2022). Through scientific efforts initiated with the Hurricane Sandy Science Plan, the U.S. Geological Survey has been expanding national assessment of coastal change hazards and forecast products to coastal wetlands, including the Chesapeake Bay salt marshes, with the intent of providing Federal, State, and local managers with tools to estimate the vulnerability and ecosystem service potential of these wetlands. For this purpose, the response and resilience of coastal wetlands to physical factors need to be assessed in terms of the ensuing change to their vulnerability and ecosystem services. References: Ackerman, K.V., Defne, Z., and Ganju, N.K., 2022, Geospatial characterization of salt marshes in Chesapeake Bay: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P997EJYB. Ganju, N.K., Defne, Z., Fagherazzi, S., 2020, Are elevation and open-water conversion of salt marshes connected?, Geophysical Research Letters, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL086703. Sweet, W.V., Hamlington, B.D., Kopp, R.E., Weaver, C.P., Barnard, P.L., Bekaert, D., Brooks, W., Craghan, M., Dusek, G., Frederikse, T., Garner, G., Genz, A.S., Krasting, J.P., Larour, E., Marcy, D., Marra, J.J., Obeysekera, J., Osler, M., Pendleton, M., Roman, D., Schmied, L., Veatch, W., White, K.D., and Zuzak, C., 2022, Global and Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States: Updated Mean Projections and Extreme Water Level Probabilities Along U.S. Coastlines. NOAA Technical Report NOS 01. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, Silver Spring, MD, 111 pp.

Elevation distribution in the Assateague Island National Seashore (ASIS) salt marsh complex and Chincoteague Bay is given in terms of mean elevation of conceptual marsh units defined by Defne and Ganju (2018). The elevation data is based on the 1-meter resolution Coastal National Elevation Database (CoNED). Through scientific efforts initiated with the Hurricane Sandy Science Plan, the U.S. Geological Survey has been expanding national assessment of coastal change hazards and forecast products to coastal wetlands, including the Assateague Island National Seashore and Chincoteague Bay salt marshes, with the intent of providing Federal, State, and local managers with tools to estimate the vulnerability and ecosystem service potential of these wetlands. For this purpose, the response and resilience of coastal wetlands to physical factors need to be assessed in terms of the ensuing change to their vulnerability and ecosystem services. References: Defne, Z., and Ganju, N.K., 2018, Conceptual marsh units for Assateague Island National Seashore and Chincoteague Bay, Maryland and Virginia: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P92ZW4D9.

Lifespan of salt marshes in New York are calculated using conceptual marsh units defined by Defne and Ganju (2018) and Welk and others (2019, 2020a, 2020b, 2020c). The lifespan calculation is based on estimated sediment supply and sea-level rise (SLR) predictions after Ganju and others (2020). Sea level predictions are local estimates which correspond to the 0.3, 0.5, and 1.0 meter increase in Global Mean Sea Level (GMSL) scenarios by 2100 from Sweet and others (2022). The U.S. Geological Survey has been expanding national assessment of coastal change hazards and forecast products to coastal wetlands with the intent of providing Federal, State, and local managers with tools to estimate the vulnerability and ecosystem service potential of these wetlands. For this purpose, the response and resilience of coastal wetlands to physical factors need to be assessed in terms of the ensuing change to their vulnerability and ecosystem services.

Biomass production is positively correlated with mean tidal range in salt marshes along the Atlantic coast of the United States of America. Recent studies support the idea that enhanced stability of the marshes can be attributed to increased vegetative growth due to increased tidal range. This dataset displays the spatial variation of mean tidal range (i.e. Mean Range of Tides, MN) in the Assateague Island National Seashore and Chincoteague Bay based on conceptual marsh units defined by Defne and Ganju (2018). MN was based on the calculated difference in height between mean high water (MHW) and mean low water (MLW) using the VDatum (v3.5) database ( http://vdatum.noaa.gov/ ). Through scientific efforts initiated with the Hurricane Sandy Science Plan, the U.S. Geological Survey has been expanding national assessment of coastal change hazards and forecast products to coastal wetlands, including the Assateague Island National Seashore and Chincoteague Bay salt marshes, with the intent of providing Federal, State, and local managers with tools to estimate the vulnerability and ecosystem service potential of these wetlands. For this purpose, the response and resilience of coastal wetlands to physical factors need to be assessed in terms of the ensuing change to their vulnerability and ecosystem services. Mean elevation of marsh units is planned to be an underlying parameter in the synthesis of these factors. References: Defne, Z., and Ganju, N.K., 2018, Conceptual marsh units for Assateague Island National Seashore and Chincoteague Bay, Maryland and Virginia: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P92ZW4D9.

Unvegetated to vegetated marsh ratio (UVVR) in the Assateague Island National Seashore and Chincoteague Bay is computed based on conceptual marsh units defined by Defne and Ganju (2018). UVVR was calculated based on U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) 1-meter resolution imagery. Through scientific efforts initiated with the Hurricane Sandy Science Plan, the U.S. Geological Survey has been expanding national assessment of coastal change hazards and forecast products to coastal wetlands, including the Assateague Island National Seashore and Chincoteague Bay salt marshes, with the intent of providing Federal, State, and local managers with tools to estimate the vulnerability and ecosystem service potential of these wetlands. For this purpose, the response and resilience of coastal wetlands to physical factors need to be assessed in terms of the ensuing change to their vulnerability and ecosystem services. References: Defne, Z., and Ganju, N.K., 2018, Conceptual marsh units for Assateague Island National Seashore and Chincoteague Bay, Maryland and Virginia: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P92ZW4D9

This data release contains coastal wetland synthesis products for the state of Maine. Metrics for resiliency, including the unvegetated to vegetated ratio (UVVR), marsh elevation, tidal range, and lifespan, are calculated for smaller units delineated from a digital elevation model, providing the spatial variability of physical factors that influence wetland health. The U.S. Geological Survey has been expanding national assessment of coastal change hazards and forecast products to coastal wetlands with the intent of providing federal, state, and local managers with tools to estimate the vulnerability and ecosystem service potential of these wetlands. For this purpose, the response and resilience of coastal wetlands to physical factors need to be assessed in terms of the ensuing change to their vulnerability and ecosystem services.

The lifespans of salt marshes in Connecticut are calculated based on estimated sediment supply and sea-level rise (SLR) predictions, following the methodology of Ganju and others (2020). The salt marsh delineations are from Ackerman and others (2023). The SLR predictions are local estimates corresponding to increases of 0.3, 0.5 and 1.0 meter in global mean sea level (GMSL) by 2100, as projected by Sweet and others (2022). This work has been a part of the USGS’s effort to expand the national assessment of coastal change hazards and forecast products to coastal wetlands. The aim is to equip federal, state and local managers with tools to estimate the vulnerability and ecosystem service potential of these wetlands. For this purpose, the response and resilience of coastal wetlands to physical factors need to be assessed in terms of the ensuing change to their vulnerability and ecosystem services. This project has been funded in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement DW-014-92531201-1 to N. Ganju.