Visualizing the DPSIR Index for Florida’s Coastal Dune Lakes

Keywords: Water Quality, Management, GIS
Session Type: Virtual Poster Abstract
Day: Sunday
Session Start / End Time: 2/27/2022 03:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/27/2022 05:00 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 27

Abstract

While coastal tourism has become the top tourist industry globally, coastal community populations continue to grow. Despite this increase in residential and tourist traffic, there is a gap of knowledge on what pressures could be affecting coastal regions. For Florida’s panhandle, some unique structures are often overlooked. These structures are called Coastal Dune Lakes (CDLs). These nursery-like structures are home to an abundance of biodiversity are located right along the Gulf of Mexico. Due to the variety of recreational uses, these CDLs have to offer, CDLs experience a tourism draw. CDLs are found in 5 countries around the world and Florida’s Panhandle is home to 18 CDLs. Due to the rarity of CDL formation, at least 5 CDLs in Northwest Florida have been ranked globally as G2 (imperiled globally because of rarity) and S1 (critically imperiled in Florida because of extreme rarity or extreme vulnerability to extinction due to natural or man-made factors) at the state level as defined by the 2010 Florida Natural Areas Inventory. This research focuses on the adverse impacts of anthropogenic use of the CDLs through some of the determined drivers of the DPSIR index. Utilizing GIS and aerial imagery, the driving parameters of the DPSIR index is then visualized. A comparative analysis of the CDLs has brought to light the state of health of both state-protected and commercial surrounded lakes.