This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data release represents tabular and geospatial data for the Biological Objectives for the Gulf Coast Project’s Beach Mice Bayesian network model. The data release was produced in compliance with 'open data' requirements as a way to make the scientific products associated with USGS research efforts and publications available to the public. The release consists of six items: 1. Bayesian network model that predicts the annual probability of beach mouse presence at a 30-m resolution in Florida coastal habitat (Tabular datasets) 2. Bayesian network model beach mice casefile (Tabular dataset) 3. Bayesian network model detection casefile (Tabular dataset) 4. Bayesian network model output of the 2009 annual probability of beach mouse presence at a 30-m resolution in Florida coastal habitat (Raster datasets) 5. Bayesian network model output of the 2010 annual probability of beach mouse presence at a 30-m resolution in Florida coastal habitat (Raster datasets) 6. Bayesian network model output of the 2011 annual probability of beach mouse presence at a 30-m resolution in Florida coastal habitat (Raster datasets) The USGS partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and their conservation partners to develop a Bayesian Network model that predicts the annual probability of beach mouse presence at a local (30-m) scale. The model was used to predict the annual probability of presence across a portion of the USFWS's Central Gulf and Florida Panhandle Coast Biological Planning Unit. This spatial extent included critical habitat for three endangered subspecies of beach mice (Peromyscus polionotus ssp.). The annual probability of beach mouse presence is predicted from both local and neighborhood habitat characteristics that could be influenced by management actions. The model was created using a combination of expert elicitation, simplifying assumptions, literature-derived empirical values, and a beach mouse detection and nondetection survey. When coupled with established population objectives, this study can provide insight into how much habitat is available, how much more is needed, and where conservation or restoration efforts can most efficiently achieve established objectives. The results could be used to help guide strategic habitat conservation and adaptive management of beach mice.

This USGS data release represents tabular and geospatial data for the Gulf Sturgeon Bayesian Network Model. The Gulf Sturgeon is a federally listed, anadromous species, inhabiting Gulf Coast rivers, estuaries, and coastal waters from Louisiana to Florida. The data release was produced in compliance with 'open data' requirements as way to make the scientific products associated with USGS research efforts and publications available to the public. The dataset consists of 2 separate items: 1. Bayesian network model that predicts the probability of habitat availability (days) per winter month for age-0 Gulf Sturgeon at a 30-m pixel scale in Apalachicola Bay, FL (Tabular datasets) 2. Bayesian network model outputs of the probability of habitat availability (days) per winter month for age-0 Gulf Sturgeon at a 30-m pixel scale in Apalachicola Bay, FL for 35 physiological and habitat scenarios (Raster datasets)

Vector datasets of CWHR range maps are one component of California Wildlife Habitat Relationships (CWHR), a comprehensive information system and predictive model for Californias wildlife. The CWHR System was developed to support habitat conservation and management, land use planning, impact assessment, education, and research involving terrestrial vertebrates in California. CWHR contains information on life history, management status, geographic distribution, and habitat relationships for wildlife species known to occur regularly in California. Range maps represent the maximum, current geographic extent of each species within California. They were originally delineated at a scale of 1:5,000,000 by species-level experts and have gradually been revised at a scale of 1:1,000,000. For more information about CWHR, visit the CWHR webpage (https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Data/CWHR). The webpage provides links to download CWHR data and user documents such as a look up table of available range maps including species code, species name, and range map revision history; a full set of CWHR GIS data; .pdf files of each range map or species life history accounts; and a User Guide.

The Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring (BICM) program was developed by Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and is implemented as a component of the System Wide Assessment and Monitoring (SWAMP) program. The program uses both historical data and contemporary data collections to assess and monitor changes in the aerial and subaqueous extent of islands, habitat types, sediment texture and geotechnical properties, environmental processes, and vegetation composition. The U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center provides support to the BICM program through the development of habitat map products using aerial imagery and lidar elevation data and assessing change in habitats over time. These data provide a snapshot of barrier island habitats and can be combined with other past and/or future maps to monitor these valuable natural resources over time. The BICM program has developed two habitat classification schemes which include a detailed 15-class habitat scheme and a general eight-class habitat scheme. The detailed scheme was developed specifically for this habitat mapping effort and builds off the general scheme used in previous BICM habitat mapping efforts (Fearnley and others, 2009). The additional classes developed in the detailed scheme are primarily used to further delineate various dune habitats, separate marsh and mangrove, and distinguish between beach and unvegetated barrier flat habitats. To ensure comparability between this effort and previous BICM map products, we have crosswalked the detailed classes to general habitat classes previously used by Fearnley and others (2009). These products are both the general and detailed versions for the Pelican Island and Pass La Mer to Chaland Pass Restoration (BA-38). The Louisiana State Legislature created Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) in order to conserve, restore, create and enhance Louisiana's coastal wetlands. The wetland restoration plans developed pursuant to these acts specifically require an evaluation of the effectiveness of each coastal wetlands restoration project in achieving long-term solutions to arresting coastal wetlands loss. This data set includes mosaicked aerial photographs for the Pelican Island and Pass La Mer to Chaland Pass Restoration (BA-38) project for 2016. The original general or detailed BICM datasets were clipped to the updated boundary of the BA-38 CWPPRA project (Pelican Island and Pass La Mer to Chaland Pass) for both Pelican and Chaland Islands. This data is used as a basemap habitat classification. It also serves as a visual tool for project managers to help them identify any obvious problems or land loss within their project boundary.

The Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring (BICM) program was developed by Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and is implemented as a component of the System Wide Assessment and Monitoring Program (SWAMP). The program uses both historical data and contemporary data collections to assess and monitor changes in the aerial and subaqueous extent of islands, habitat types, sediment texture and geotechnical properties, environmental processes, and vegetation composition. Examples of BICM datasets include still and video aerial photography for documenting shoreline changes, shoreline positions, habitat mapping, land change analyses, light detection and ranging (lidar) surveys for topographic elevations, single-beam and swath bathymetry, and sediment grab samples. For more information about the BICM program, see Kindinger and others (2013). The U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center provides support to the BICM program through the development of habitat map products using aerial imagery and lidar elevation data and assessing change in habitats over time. These data provide a snapshot of barrier island habitats and can be combined with other past and/or future maps to monitor these valuable natural resources over time. The current effort of this habitat mapping program includes developing habitat maps for 2008 and 2015/16 for the following BICM regions: 1) West Chenier; 2) East Chenier; 3) Acadiana Bays (only Marsh Island); 4) Early Lafourche Delta; 5) Late Lafourche Delta; 6) Modern Delta (only Chaland Headland and Shell Island); and 7) Chandeleur Islands. The BICM program has developed two habitat classification schemes which include a detailed 15-class habitat scheme and a general eight-class habitat scheme. The detailed scheme was used for this habitat mapping effort and builds off the general scheme used in previous BICM habitat mapping efforts (Fearnley and others, 2009). The additional classes developed in the detailed scheme are primarily used to further delineate various dune habitats, separate marsh and mangrove, and distinguish between beach and unvegetated barrier flat habitats. The habitat change analyses in this product depict and summarize habitat change between 2008 and 2015-2016 per BICM reach. The results from these analyses are summarized in two habitat change products. The first product depicts change in land and water coverage and the second product highlights changes based on inundation zones (for example, water, intertidal-unvegetated, intertidal-vegetated, supratidal, and developed/shoreline protection). This product also includes recommended symbology for these data layers. Please see the Entity and Attribute Information section in this metadata file for the BICM barrier island habitat and change class descriptions and the Processing Steps section for information on methodology for map development.

The Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring (BICM) program was developed by Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and is implemented as a component of the System Wide Assessment and Monitoring Program (SWAMP). The program uses both historical data and contemporary data collections to assess and monitor changes in the aerial and subaqueous extent of islands, habitat types, sediment texture and geotechnical properties, environmental processes, and vegetation composition. Examples of BICM datasets include still and video aerial photography for documenting shoreline changes, shoreline positions, habitat mapping, land change analyses, light detection and ranging (lidar) surveys for topographic elevations, single-beam and swath bathymetry, and sediment grab samples. For more information about the BICM program, see Kindinger and others (2013). The U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center provides support to the BICM program through the development of habitat map products using aerial imagery and lidar elevation data and assessing change in habitats over time. These data provide a snapshot of barrier island habitats and can be combined with other past and/or future maps to monitor these valuable natural resources over time. The current effort of this habitat mapping program includes developing habitat maps for 2008 and 2015/2016 for the following BICM regions: 1) West Chenier; 2) East Chenier; 3) Acadiana Bays (only Marsh Island); 4) Early Lafourche Delta; 5) Late Lafourche Delta; 6) Modern Delta (only Chaland Headland and Shell Island); and 7) Chandeleur Islands. The BICM program has developed two habitat classification schemes which include a detailed 15-class habitat scheme and a general eight-class habitat scheme. The detailed scheme was used for this habitat mapping effort and builds off the general scheme used in previous BICM habitat mapping efforts (Fearnley and others, 2009). The additional classes developed in the detailed scheme are primarily used to further delineate various dune habitats, separate marsh and mangrove, and distinguish between beach and unvegetated barrier flat habitats. The habitat change analyses in this product depict and summarize habitat change between 2008 and 2015/2016 per BICM reach. The results from these analyses are summarized in two habitat change products. The first product depicts change in land and water coverage and the second product highlights changes based on inundation zones (for example, water, intertidal-unvegetated, intertidal-vegetated, supratidal, and developed/shoreline protection). This product also includes recommended symbology for these data layers. Please see the Entity and Attribute Information section in this metadata file for the BICM barrier island habitat and change class descriptions and the Processing Steps section for information on methodology for map development.

The Gulf Sturgeon is a federally listed, anadromous species, inhabiting Gulf Coast rivers, estuaries, and coastal waters from Louisiana to Florida. The U.S. Geological Survey partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, University of Georgia, and their conservation partners to support adaptive management of Gulf Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) by developing a quantitative, spatial model. The model is a Bayesian network that predicts the probability of habitat availability (days) per winter month for age-0 Gulf Sturgeon at a 30-m pixel scale in estuarine critical habitat. The model predicts habitat availability (days) for 75 alternative physiological and habitat scenarios, which were the unique combination of river discharge, winter month, and month of arrival to the estuary. The probability of habitat availability (days) is predicted from habitat characteristics that could be influenced by management actions. The model's structure was defined by empirical data, expert elicitation, and simplifying assumptions.

The Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring (BICM) program was developed by Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and is implemented as a component of the System Wide Assessment and Monitoring Program (SWAMP). The program uses both historical data and contemporary data collections to assess and monitor changes in the aerial and subaqueous extent of islands, habitat types, sediment texture and geotechnical properties, environmental processes, and vegetation composition. Examples of BICM datasets include still and video aerial photography for documenting shoreline changes, shoreline positions, habitat mapping, land change analyses, light detection and ranging (lidar) surveys for topographic elevations, single-beam and swath bathymetry, and sediment grab samples. For more information about the BICM program, see Kindinger and others (2013). The U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center provides support to the BICM program through the development of habitat map products using aerial imagery and lidar elevation data and assessing change in habitats over time. These data provide a snapshot of barrier island habitats and can be combined with other past and/or future maps to monitor these valuable natural resources over time. The current effort of this habitat mapping program includes developing habitat maps for 2008 and 2015-2016 for the following BICM regions: 1) West Chenier; 2) East Chenier; 3) Acadiana Bays (only Marsh Island); 4) Early Lafourche Delta; 5) Late Lafourche Delta; 6) Modern Delta (only Chaland Headland and Shell Island); and 7) Chandeleur Islands. The BICM program has developed two habitat classification schemes which include a detailed 15-class habitat scheme and a general eight-class habitat scheme. The detailed scheme was used for this habitat mapping effort and builds off the general scheme used in previous BICM habitat mapping efforts (Fearnley and others, 2009). The additional classes developed in the detailed scheme are primarily used to further delineate various dune habitats, separate marsh and mangrove, and distinguish between beach and unvegetated barrier flat habitats. The habitat change analyses in this product depict and summarize habitat change between 2008 and 2015-2016 per BICM reach. The results from these analyses are summarized in two habitat change products. The first product depicts change in land and water coverage and the second product highlights changes based on inundation zones (for example, water, intertidal-unvegetated, intertidal-vegetated, supratidal, and developed/shoreline protection). This product also includes recommended symbology for these data layers. Please see the Entity and Attribute Information section in this metadata file for the BICM barrier island habitat and change class descriptions and the Processing Steps section for information on methodology for map development. Kindinger, J.L., Buster, N.A., Flocks, J.G., Bernier, J.C., and Kulp, M.A., 2013, Louisiana Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring (BICM) program summary report: Data and analyses 2006 through 2010: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2013–1083, 86 p., accessed April 3, 2017, at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2013/1083/. Fearnley, S., Brien, L., Martinez, L., Miner, M., Kulp, M., and Penland, S., 2009, Louisiana Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring Program (BICM), Volume 5: Chenier Plain, South-Central Louisiana, and Chandeleur Islands, Habitat mapping and change analysis 1996 to 2005, Part 1: Methods for habitat mapping and change analysis 1996 to 2005: New Orleans, University of New Orleans, Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences.

The Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring (BICM) program was developed by Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) and is implemented as a component of the System Wide Assessment and Monitoring Program (SWAMP). The program uses both historical data and contemporary data collections to assess and monitor changes in the aerial and subaqueous extent of islands, habitat types, sediment texture and geotechnical properties, environmental processes, and vegetation composition. Examples of BICM datasets include still and video aerial photography for documenting shoreline changes, shoreline positions, habitat mapping, land change analyses, light detection and ranging (lidar) surveys for topographic elevations, single-beam and swath bathymetry, and sediment grab samples. For more information about the BICM program, see Kindinger and others (2013). The U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center provides support to the BICM program through the development of habitat map products using aerial imagery and lidar elevation data and assessing change in habitats over time. These data provide a snapshot of barrier island habitats and can be combined with other past and/or future maps to monitor these valuable natural resources over time. The current effort of this habitat mapping program includes developing habitat maps for 2008 and 2015/2016 for the following BICM regions: 1) West Chenier; 2) East Chenier; 3) Acadiana Bays (only Marsh Island); 4) Early Lafourche Delta; 5) Late Lafourche Delta; 6) Modern Delta (only Chaland Headland and Shell Island); and 7) Chandeleur Islands. The BICM program has developed two habitat classification schemes which include a detailed 15-class habitat scheme and a general eight-class habitat scheme. The detailed scheme was used for this habitat mapping effort and builds off the general scheme used in previous BICM habitat mapping efforts (Fearnley and others, 2009). The additional classes developed in the detailed scheme are primarily used to further delineate various dune habitats, separate marsh and mangrove, and distinguish between beach and unvegetated barrier flat habitats. The habitat change analyses in this product depict and summarize habitat change between 2008 and 2015/2016 per BICM reach. The results from these analyses are summarized in two habitat change products. The first product depicts change in land and water coverage and the second product highlights changes based on inundation zones (for example, water, intertidal-unvegetated, intertidal-vegetated, supratidal, and developed/shoreline protection). This product also includes recommended symbology for these data layers. Please see the Entity and Attribute Information section in this metadata file for the BICM barrier island habitat and change class descriptions and the Processing Steps section for information on methodology for map development.

Understanding how sea-level rise will affect coastal landforms and the species and habitats they support is critical for crafting approaches that balance the needs of humans and native species. Given this increasing need to forecast sea-level rise effects on barrier islands in the near and long terms, we are developing Bayesian networks to evaluate and to forecast the cascading effects of sea-level rise on shoreline change, barrier island state, and piping plover habitat availability. We use publicly available data products, such as lidar, orthophotography, and geomorphic feature sets derived from those, to extract metrics of barrier island characteristics at consistent sampling distances. The metrics are then incorporated into predictive models and the training data used to parameterize those models. This data release contains the extracted metrics of barrier island geomorphology and spatial data layers of habitat characteristics that are input to Bayesian networks for piping plover habitat availability and barrier island geomorphology. These datasets and models are being developed for sites along the northeastern coast of the United States. This work is one component of a larger research and management program that seeks to understand and sustain the ecological value, ecosystem services, and habitat suitability of beaches in the face of storm impacts, climate change, and sea-level rise.