The U.S. Government is closed. This site will not be updated; however NOAA websites and social media channels necessary to protect lives and property will be maintained. To learn more, visit www.commerce.gov. For the latest forecast and critical weather information, visit www.weather.gov. 

The U.S. government is closed. This site will not be updated; however, NOAA websites and social media channels necessary to protect lives and property will be maintained. To learn more, visit commerce.gov. 

For the latest forecasts and critical weather information, visit weather.gov.

New Cloud-based Tidal Marsh Mapping Tool to Support Forecasting of Marsh Health

Tidal marshes are important natural infrastructure that serve as frontline defenses against coastal erosion, storm surge, and flooding, while supporting biodiversity and sustaining fisheries. Understanding how marshes respond to environmental changes is key to forecasting marsh health and performance, and informing land management strategies at the coast.

Views of the tool interface showing map of coastline, a view zoomed to land cover features, and a list of key features
The graphical user interface of the Cloud-based tidal marsh biomass mapping tool that highlights features and map outputs. Credit: USGS Western Geographic Science Center.

In a major advancement for coastal science and climate resilience, scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Western Geographic Science Center have developed a cutting-edge tool that maps tidal marsh plant biomass across the contiguous United States using Landsat satellite data and NOAA Coastal Change Analysis Program maps. Hosted on Amazon Web Services, this cloud-based platform features a user-friendly interface that gives researchers and policymakers unprecedented access to critical environmental insights.

Supported as part of the USGS/NOAA Coastal Ecosystem Prediction System (CEPS) project, the tool exemplifies the power of federal interagency collaboration to deliver science-driven solutions. By linking large-scale satellite datasets with real-time marsh conditions, the tool enables more accurate projections of how coastal marshes may change in the future. 

While not yet publicly available, the tool received the 2025 UCLA Department of Geography Outstanding Capstone Project Award. Selected from a competitive pool of 20 submissions, this award recognizes the most innovative and impactful capstone project within the Master of Applied Geospatial Information Systems and Technologies program. The advising committee highlighted the tool’s ability to seamlessly integrate cloud computing and remote sensing for tidal marsh biomass mapping and remarked that it is one of the most technically sophisticated and well-executed projects they have seen at the master’s level. 

The CEPS project is supported by the USGS Coastal/Marine Hazards and Resources Program, USGS Ecosystems Mission Area, USGS National Land Imaging Program, and NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS). 

This work is authorized under the Coastal Zone Management Act (16 U.S.C. §§ 1451-1452) and Public Law 102-567, §201(c).

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