Ecosystem and Community Resilience Research
EPA’s research is improving capabilities to manage existing and future water resource challenges related to building resilient ecosystems and communities. Research in this area will improve mapping and modeling of surface and subsurface waters and provide solutions for coastal ecosystems and communities.
Coastal Community Resilience
Coastal communities are increasingly facing interacting and complex challenges, including those associated with the impacts of climate change. These communities are looking for solutions that can help build and maintain resilience, specifically, the ability to respond to, withstand, and recover from adverse situations. EPA's coastal community resilience research is addressing high-priority needs, including the growing need to clarify the impacts on coastal communities from the complex and interacting challenges of climate change, including rising sea levels, storm surges, and a loss of coastal resources and habitats.
By using a solutions-driven research approach and working with community leaders and citizen scientists, we are developing solutions that can help build and maintain coastal community resilience. This includes resilience through blue carbon resources, such as wetlands, seagrasses, and tidal marshes; development and application of models, tools, and technologies for coastal communities; case studies in specific coastal communities and National Estuary Program estuaries; and innovative approaches to enhance resilience.
Research will provide a better understanding of the following:
- How multiple future stressors including climate change will affect coastal ecosystems related to complex and indirect interactions.
- Better approaches to monitoring the condition of estuarine systems, as well as monitoring improvements from restoration.
- The amount of carbon sequestered through various water quality and water habitat restoration projects.
- Best practices for increasing coastal resiliency.
Learn more about our solutions-driven, coastal community resilience research project
Related research:
- EPA scientists partner with Florida’s Escambia County to study tire-derived pollutants in stormwater
- EPA scientists use Environmental DNA methods to learn about aquatic species and habitats in Florida’s Pensacola & Perdido Bays
- EPA scientists evaluate community vulnerability and resilience in Florida watersheds
- EPA scientists use periodic counts to estimate coastal estuary recreational use
- Human Dimensions of Water Quality Research
Aquatic Mapping and Functional Analyses
Current mapping of aquatic resources on a national level is incomplete and inadequately represents important components of aquatic resources.
EPA researchers are addressing this need by advancing aquatic resource mapping capabilities and stream duration assessment methods in support of federal, regional, state, and Tribal programs. Research has been underway to improve mapping, water quantity and quality modeling of surface waters, and functional assessments of natural and constructed aquatic ecosystems. Researchers are also assessing the utility of emerging datasets depicting dynamic surface from EPA, other federal agency, and state collaboratives.
Research focuses on:
- Characterize surface water extent and dynamics locally and regionally through improved modeling, monitoring, and remote sensing.
- Support local determinations of stream dynamics via assessment methodologies, such as the regionally adjusted Streamflow Duration Assessment Methods.
- Investigate how regional and local surface waters may shift with changes in climate.
- Better quantify the role of aquatic resources, such as wetlands, in mitigating the effects of floods and drought under current and future conditions.
- Advance techniques and tools to visualize and communicate these important surface water dynamics for assessments, implementation, and public communication.
Related research:
- Research to Support and Implement Recreational Water Quality Criteria
- Village Blue Project
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Wildland Fire Research: Water Supply and Ecosystem Protection
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