NASA Data Supports Everglades Restoration

NASA, March 14, 2025

At SRS-6, an eddy covariance tower measures carbon dioxide and methane flux among a dense grove of red, black, and white mangroves. (The term eddy covariance refers to the statistical technique used to calculate gaseous flux based on the meteorological and scalar atmospheric data collected by the flux towers.) Credits: NASA / Nathan Marder

Please Note: The following is an excerpt. To view the entire article by NASA, click the link at the end of this blog.

Along the southernmost rim of the Florida Peninsula, the arching prop roots of red mangroves line the coast. Where they dip below the water’s surface, fish lay their eggs, using the protection from predators that the trees provide. Among their branches, wading birds like the great blue heron and the roseate spoonbill find rookeries to rear their young. The tangled matrix of roots collects organic matter and ocean-bound sediments, adding little by little to the coastline and shielding inland biology from the erosive force of the sea.

In these ways, mangroves are equal parts products and engineers of their environment. But their ecological value extends far beyond the coastline. 

Tropical wetlands absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere with impressive efficiency. Current estimates suggest they sequester carbon dioxide 10 times faster and store up to five times more carbon than old-growth forests. But as part of the ever-changing line between land and sea, coastal wetlands are vulnerable to disturbances like sea level rise, hurricanes, and changes in ocean salinity. As these threats intensify, Florida’s wetlands — and their role as a critical sink for carbon dioxide — face an uncertain future.

A new data product developed by NASA-funded researchers will help monitor from space the changing relationship between coastal wetlands and atmospheric carbon. It will deliver daily measurements of gaseous flux — the rate at which gas is exchanged between the planet’s surface and atmosphere. The goal is to improve local and global estimates of carbon dioxide levels and help stakeholders evaluate wetland restoration efforts.

[Cont'd] ‘We need this reliable science’

Aerial view of an urbanized coastal wetland and mangrove forest in South Florida. Photo by The Everglades Foundation.

The Everglades today are roughly half their original size — primarily the result of a century’s worth of uninterrupted land development and wetland drainage projects. It’s difficult to quantify the impact of wetland losses at this scale. Florida’s tropical wetlands aren’t just an important reminder of the beauty and richness of the state’s natural history. They’re also a critical reservoir of atmospheric carbon and a source of drinking water for millions of South Florida residents.

“We know how valuable the wetlands are, but we need this reliable science to help translate their benefits into something that can reach people and policymakers,” said Steve Davis, chief science officer for the Everglades Foundation, a non-profit organization in Miami-Dade County that provides scientific research and advocacy in an effort to protect and restore the Everglades.

As new policies and infrastructure are designed to support Everglades restoration, researchers hope NASA’s daily flux product will help local officials evaluate their restoration efforts in real time — and adjust the course as needed.

The prototype of the product, called Daily Flux Predictions for South Florida, is slated for release this year and will be available through NASA's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).

Read NASA's full article here: https://science.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-data-supports-everglades-restoration/