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| Monitoring Louisiana's barrier islands, beaches, and main shorelines: The Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring (BICM) baseline for assessing coastal change, protection, and restoration! |
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The Louisiana Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration, the University of New Orleans (Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences (PIES)) and the USGS are partnering in the long-term monitoring and baseline data collection. Included in the BICM program are barrier shoreline storm assessment (2005) and barrier and mainland shoreline change analysis (1880’s-2005), bathymetric data collection for the entire Chandeleur Island chain, Sandy Point to Raccoon Point, and Mermentau Outlet to Sabine Pass. The initial data collection is heavily field intensive and includes both marine and lidar surveying to produce a seamless topobathymetric product. The work will be completed during the two year period between June 2006 and June 2008. |
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| Research vessel G.K. Gilbert surveying an offshore area near the Caminada-Moreau headland, southwest of New Orleans. |
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| Estimated vertical sea-floor erosion, ranging from 1.0 to 4.5 m, along part of the Caminada-Moreau headland between 1989 and 2005 (pre-Hurricane Katrina), from USGS survey data. Warmer colors indicate greater erosion. Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite image, with 1980s shoreline overlay from the Louisiana Sedimentary. |
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The form of Louisiana’s coast is a function of the dynamic balance between the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. Barrier Islands, beaches, and mainland shorelines constantly change in response to river discharge, sea level, waves, and the actions of man. Hurricane protection, unique habitats, and large estuaries exist due to the presence of these important coastal landforms. Louisiana's barrier islands, beaches, and mainland shorelines define the boundary of program is designed to monitor Louisiana's dynamic coastline.
BICM will provide an important tool to plan and monitor the performance of coastal protection and resotration projects built to date and envisioned for the future. Important components monitored by BICM include bathymetry, topography, shoreline change, habitats, and storm assessment protocol.
BICM partners include the Louisiana Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration, with funding provided through the Louisiana Coastal Area Science & Technology Program, and the Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences (PIES).
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URL of this page is: http://ngom.usgs.gov/gomsc/bicm/index.html
