The ecology and population trends of secretive marsh birds are virtually unknown for the coastal marshes along the Gulf of Mexico Coast. Thus, in 2005, staff at the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve established a monitoring and research program to better understand the status, distribution, and habitat associations of these bird species. In 2004, 40 marsh bird sampling stations were randomly located across the Grand Bay NERR. Since the spring/summer of 2005, three replicate surveys have been conducted at each using the standardized National Marsh Bird Monitoring Protocol.

These spatial data represent seagrass/SAV beds within Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve during the 2005-2010 growing seasons. Data were collected from 4-band orthoimagery. Field personnel also visited areas of historical seagrass/SAV beds to document the presence and spatial extent of each bed. In addition, personnel visited sites where no seagrass/SAV had been found historically; these sites were believed to be potential seagrass/SAV habitat based on the physical conditions at the sites (e.g., substrate, water depth).

There are many biogeochemical processes operating within these unconsolidated sediments (ex. soil oxidation & plant decomposition) as well as regular depositional events on the surface (ex. tides & floods), that can affect the surface elevations of these coastal ecosystems over time; these changes are most accurately measured using SETs (Surface Elevation Tables). A total of 15 Sets are located along the coastal transition transect at Grand Bay.

To support the National Estuarine Research Reserve System's Systemwide Watershed Monitoring Program (SWMP), a minimum of four water quality data loggers are continuously deployed at four permanent locations across each reserve to record measurements of conductivity, salinity, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and water level at fifteen minute intervals.

This dataset shows nesting sites of sea turtle species in the Gulf Of Mexico. These data are a subset of the State of the World's Sea Turtles (SWoT) global database.

Modeling and mapping of coastal processes (e.g. tsunamis, hurricane storm-surge, and sea-level rise) requires digital representations of Earth's solid surface, referred to as digital elevation models (DEMs).

The Essential Fish Habitat for Coastal Migratory Pelagics in the Gulf of Mexico is represented by this dataset.

The Essential Fish Habitat for Coral in the Gulf of Mexico is represented by this dataset.

The Essential Fish Habitat for Red Drum in the Gulf of Mexico is represented by this dataset.

The Essential Fish Habitat for Reef Fish in the Gulf of Mexico is represented by this dataset.