Coastal Louisiana Research Articles

Rethinking our chemical legacy and reclaiming our planet

Rethinking our chemical legacy and reclaiming our planet

Estimating Future Residential Property Risk Associated with Wildfires in Louisiana, U.S.A.

Wildfire is an important but understudied natural hazard in some areas. This research examined historical and future wildfire property risk at the census-block level in Louisiana, a U.S.A. state with relatively dense population and substantial vulnerability to loss from wildfire, despite its wet climate. Here wildfire risk is defined as the product of exposure and vulnerability to the hazard, where exposure is a function of the historical and anticipated future wildfire frequency/extent, and vulnerability is a function of population, structure and content property value, damage probability, and percent of properties damaged. The results revealed a historical (1992–2015) average annual statewide property loss due to wildfire of almost USD 5.6 million (in 2010 USD), with the greatest risk in southwestern inland, east-central, extreme northwestern, and coastal southwestern Louisiana. The geographic distribution of wildfire risk by 2050 will remain similar to that today, but the magnitude of losses was projected to increase statewide to over USD 11 million by 2050 (in 2010 USD), an increase of more than 100% over 2010 values. These estimates are conservative, as they did not include crop, forestry, or indirect losses (e.g., cost of evacuation and missed time at work). Overall, results suggested that increased efforts are needed to contain wildfires, to reduce the future risk of this increasing and underestimated hazard.

Leveraging community science data for population assessments during a pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted field research programs, making conservation and management decision-making more challenging. However, it may be possible to conduct population assessments using integrated models that combine community science data with existing data from structured surveys. We developed a space-time integrated model to characterize spatial and temporal variability in population distribution. We fit our integrated model to 10 years of eBird (2010-2020) and 9 years of aerial survey (2010-2019) Mottled Duck count data to forecast 2020 population size along the western Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana. Estimates of Mottled Duck abundance were similar in magnitude to estimates calculated using previous methods but were more precise and showed evidence of a declining population. The spatial distribution for Mottled Ducks each year was characterized by several concentrations of relatively high abundance, although the location of these abundance "hotspots" varied over time. Expected abundance was higher for areas with a higher proportion of area covered by marsh habitat. By leveraging large-scale community science data, we were able to conduct a population assessment despite the disruption in structured surveys caused by the pandemic. As participation in community science platforms continues to increase, we anticipate modeling frameworks, like the integrated model we developed here, will become increasingly useful for informing conservation and management decision-making.

Water Circulation Driven by Cold Fronts in the Wax Lake Delta (Louisiana, USA)

Atmospheric cold fronts can periodically generate storm surges and affect sediment transport in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM). In this paper, we evaluate water circulation spatiotemporal patterns induced by six atmospheric cold front events in the Wax Lake Delta (WLD) in coastal Louisiana using the 3-D hydrodynamic model ECOM-si. Model simulations show that channelized and inter-distributary water flow is significantly impacted by cold fronts. Water volume transport throughout the deltaic channel network is not just constrained to the main channels but also occurs laterally across channels accounting for about a quarter of the total flow. Results show that a significant landward flow occurs across the delta prior to the frontal passage, resulting in a positive storm surge on the coast. The along-channel current velocity dominates while cross-channel water transport occurs at the southwest lobe during the post-frontal stage. Depending on local weather conditions, the cold-front-induced flushing event lasts for 1.7 to 7 days and can flush 32–76% of the total water mass out of the system, a greater range of variability than previous reports. The magnitude of water flushed out of the system is not necessarily dependent on the duration of the frontal events. An energy partitioning analysis shows that the relative importance of subtidal energy (10–45% of the total) and tidal energy (20–70%) varies substantially from station to station and is linked to the weather impact. It is important to note that within the WLD region, the weather-induced subtidal energy (46–66% of the total) is much greater than the diurnal tidal energy (13–25% of the total). The wind associated with cold fronts in winter is the main factor controlling water circulation in the WLD and is a major driver in the spatial configuration of the channel network and delta progradation rates.

Long-term assessments are critical to determining persistence and shoreline protection from oyster reef nature-based coastal defenses

Nature-based coastal defense using bivalve reefs provides a potentially self-sustaining approach for regions facing high coastal land loss, relative sea level rise and increasing frequency and intensity of storms. Success of such nature-based coastal defense depends on the reef-building species' life history, habitat requirements, and ability to thrive through short-term and longer-term environmental variation, yet few projects have reported on outcomes beyond the first few years. In coastal Louisiana, USA, Crassostrea virginica (oyster) is an ecosystem engineer, creating self-sustaining, vertically accreting reefs that also provide ecosystem services. Here, we examine the short (< 3 years) and medium (> 10 years) term outcomes of experimental reefs constructed in 2009 for nature-based coastal defense in a Louisiana, USA estuarine lake. Oyster reef density, demography, along with adjacent salt marsh, and shoreline movement were compared at six fringing shoreline reefs and paired reference sites over the first three years post-construction (2009–2011), and a decade later (2019–2020). Oyster density measured in 2019–2020 (< 60 ind m−2) was less than 10% of density measured during 2009–2011 (> 1000 ind m−2). This density difference largely reflected a lack of new recruits and small oysters (< 75 mm shell height) in later samples, with adult oyster densities similar between 2011, 2019 and 2020. Lack of smaller oysters in recent sampling likely reflected the impact of multiple extended low salinity events in this region in recent years, including the record-breaking low salinity in 2019. No differences in shoreline characteristics were detected in marsh vegetation, soil properties or nutrient concentrations between reef and reference sites during early and later years. Similarly, shoreline erosion at both reef and reference sites immediately post-construction, and 10 years later, was high (~1 m y−1) indicating a lack of shoreline protection from these reefs. These findings highlight the need to consider both current and future conditions, including the effect of extreme years, when implementing nature-based coastal defense. On the other hand, the persistence of reproductive-sized oysters on the reef 10 years post creation, indicate reef resilience and potential for reef development and shoreline benefits, should better site conditions return in future years. Determining restoration success within variable and dynamic environments requires frequent monitoring which is required to understand responses to short and longer-term environmental variation.

Relationship of Microplastics to Body Size for Two Estuarine Fishes

In the northern Gulf of Mexico, microplastics are reported in very high concentrations, which are thought to be partly sourced from the Mississippi River. This study sought to quantify microplastics across body size in two fish species, the hardhead catfish (Ariopsis felis) and southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma), common to Gulf of Mexico estuaries. We hypothesized that counts of ingested microplastics would be higher in smaller fishes than larger fishes. Fish were sampled in 2018 and 2019 across coastal Louisiana and represented a balanced range of length classes. Both species in our study ingested microplastics—25% of southern flounder and 15% of hardhead catfish. There was a significant positive effect of total length on microplastic loads in hardhead catfish. Due to the biological importance and management relevance of fish length, the study of microplastic loads and effects on fish may need to move beyond aggregating a species to considerations of individual size.

Economic Values of Potential Regulation Changes for the Southern Flounder Fishery in Louisiana

AbstractPopulation declines of Southern Flounder Paralichthys lethostigma have reached levels that present management concerns in Louisiana waters. As the need for regulatory change in this fishery approaches, we conducted a survey to better characterize the Southern Flounder fishery in Louisiana, with two primary goals: (1) determining a value for the economic welfare provided by the fishery and (2) evaluating how this value might change in response to hypothetical regulation scenarios. Based on total travel cost estimates, the aggregate economic value of the Southern Flounder fishery among coastal Louisiana anglers reached an estimated US$119.7 million; however, this value primarily stems from anglers targeting multiple species during their coastal angling trips, as the value of the Southern Flounder fishery while only accounting for anglers that solely targeted this species amounted to an estimated $8.4 million. Respondents revealed strong levels of supportiveness for all regulation scenarios that increased limitations on allowable harvest for Southern Flounder. None of the hypothetical regulation scenarios led to significant behavioral responses in the expected number of coastal angling trips taken, leaving the economic value of coastal Louisiana fisheries unchanged. The results of our study illustrate the relatively inconsequential nature of Southern Flounder regulations upon the behavior of coastal Louisiana anglers. The information gathered by this survey can be used to guide the decision‐making process in developing a sustainable management strategy that is supported by stakeholders and that keeps the strong economic values of coastal Louisiana fisheries intact.

Mixing Oil and Water: The Shrimp–Petroleum Nexus in Coastal Louisiana

AbstractThe Shrimp‐Petroleum Festival is an annual event in Morgan City, Louisiana, that celebrates the history of the two industries in this coastal city. The festival came under media scrutiny and public criticism in the wake of the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, in part because of the seeming incompatibility and incongruence of the two things being celebrated. From a local perspective, however, the convergence of the two industries is far from incompatible and the two resources in question, shrimp and oil, are categorically similar within local discourses of identity, well‐being, and economic prosperity. In that capacity, it offers an insight into how precarious and contingent the seemingly self‐evident dichotomies commonly invoked in normative environmentalism are. It also offers insight and into the range of assumptions and signification practices involved in assigning meaning to particular kinds of resources and particular kinds of human–nature relations.

Improving Channel Hydrological Connectivity in Coastal Hydrodynamic Models With Remotely Sensed Channel Networks

AbstractCoastal wetlands are nourished by rivers and periodical tidal flows through complex, interconnected channels. However, in hydrodynamic models, channel dimensions with respect to model grid size and uncertainties in topography preclude the correct propagation of tidal and riverine signals. It is therefore crucial to enhance channel geomorphic connectivity and simplify sub‐channel features based on remotely sensed networks for practical computational applications. Here, we utilize channel networks derived from diverse remote sensing imagery as a baseline to build a ∼10 m resolution hydrodynamic model that covers the Wax Lake Delta and adjacent wetlands (∼360 km2) in coastal Louisiana, USA. In this richly gauged system, intensive calibrations are conducted with 18 synchronous field‐observations of water levels taken in 2016, and discharge data taken in 2021. We modify channel geometry, targeting realism in channel connectivity. The results show that a minimum channel depth of 2 m and a width of four grid elements (approximatively 40 m) are required to enable a realistic tidal propagation in wetland channels. The optimal depth for tidal propagation can be determined by a simplified cost function method that evaluates the competition between flow travel time and alteration of the volume of the channels. The integration of high spatial‐resolution models and remote sensing imagery provides a general framework to improve models performance in salt marshes, mangroves, deltaic wetlands, and tidal flats.

Strategic approaches to sediment management for restoration of a deltaic plain

Sediment resources are essential to fulfill the State of Louisiana’s commitment to implement a Coastal Master Plan (CMP) to mitigate its chronic land loss, protect more than 2 million people who live in the coastal zone, and to save Louisiana’s rapidly disappearing complex and fragile ecosystem. With increasing rates of sea level rise and increased storm intensities along with continuing subsidence, the future quantity of sediment needed for ecosystem restoration will significantly increase, and at the same time, the accessibility to the sediment resources will become much more technologically challenging and cost prohibitive. These devastating environmental circumstances will compound the complexities of a sustainable ecosystem restoration in coastal Louisiana. Restoration projects must be robust enough (using adequate compatible sediment) to survive future environmental scenarios while the quantity of actively captured sediment resources available for critical restoration projects is likely to decrease, rendering the dredging and transporting of these sediment resources increasingly difficult and costly. These challenges will be an opportunity for Louisiana to utilize more sustainable, passively captured sediment (i.e. using large sediment diversions from the Mississippi River) to help offset limitations concerning actively harvesting sediment and to build and sustain wetlands in coastal Louisiana. Although any large-scale and meaningful restoration of the Louisiana coastal plain must involve sediments from the Mississippi River, the scope of this paper is restricted to offshore sediment resources. A strategic approach to optimize utilization of sediment resources includes minimizing handling and transport costs by first locating potential sediment sources and then identifying the most cost-effective way of using that sediment resource for restoration. The project cost and its success are defined by the sediment selection process. Thus, it is suggested that improvements in planning and management of multiple-use conflicts be based on regional understandings of sediment resources for an approach that maximizes benefits. The Louisiana Sediment Management Plan (LASMP) was conceptualized and formulated to improve planning and coordination of sediment utilization in Louisiana. This plan has evolved and has been adaptively managed in the absence of any prototype. Restoration activities are further complicated by competing interests and multiple uses of limited sediment resources. To maximize the availability of offshore sediment, the state is collaborating with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and engaging with other stakeholders in deciding the fate of decommissioned pipelines and to strategically plan the installation of new pipelines in offshore areas identified as significant sediment resources with the intent of protecting identified sediment resources for future use. Future offshore wind-farms may pose new challenges but simultaneously offer opportunities for conflict resolution via stakeholder engagement. For the past two decades the State of Louisiana/Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) of Louisiana has developed a considerable institutional knowledge base and expertise and improved the art and science of sediment management. A robust process has been adaptively developed with interagency collaboration and coordination to resolve conflicts/issues concerning obstacles to resource access. LASMP is not only a template for sediment management for coastal restoration, but also provides guidance for stakeholder engagement and conflict resolution for competing needs of seafloor resources especially in Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM).

Biomass allocation of tidal freshwater marsh species in response to natural and manipulated hydroperiod in coastal deltaic floodplains

Deltaic floodplains are highly vulnerable to relative sea level rise (RSLR) depending on the sediment supply from river channels that provides elevation capital as adaptation mechanism. In river channels where levees have restricted sediment supply to coastal deltaic floodplains, river sediment diversions have been proposed as a restoration strategy to increase elevation allowing for marshes to establish and cope with RSLR. The response of coastal wetlands to surface elevation has been well-defined for estuarine marshes, but models for coastal deltaic floodplain marshes have not been resolved. Here we coupled field observations from biomass plots and a mesocosm experiment (‘marsh organ’) with remote sensing techniques to assess biomass allocation of tidal freshwater marsh species in response to gradients in hydroperiod in Wax Lake Delta (WLD), coastal Louisiana, U.S.A.. We found that, contrary to salt-tolerant species, Colocasia esculenta aboveground biomass (AGB) is strongly positively correlated with percent inundated time (R2 = 0.79, P < 0.001), increasing from (mean ± 1SE) 186 ± 69 g/m2 in the supratidal zone to 1422 ± 148 g/m2 beyond its natural occurrence range in the lower intertidal zone. Belowground biomass consistently exceeded AGB at 2363 ± 294 g/m2 on average across elevation treatments. We also found that C. esculenta expanded its surface coverage area by 31% in five years consistent with the growth and emergence of WLD's subaqueous platforms, reflecting this species ability to cope with higher inundation time. In contrast to earlier studies conducted in brackish and saline settings, where longer hydroperiods had negative effects on biomass accumulation, our data suggest that tidal freshwater marshes can cope with longer hydroperiods caused by river sediment diversions.

Migration tactics and connectivity of a Nearctic-Neotropical migratory shorebird.

During long-distance spring migrations, birds may rest and refuel at numerous stopover sites while minimizing the time to reach the breeding grounds. If habitat is limited along the migration route, pre-breeding birds optimize flight range by having longer stopovers at higher quality sites compared to poorer quality sites. Stopover duration also depends on distance remaining to breeding grounds, ecological barriers and individual characteristics. We assessed spring migration tactics and connectivity of a Nearctic-Neotropical migratory shorebird, the semipalmated sandpiper Calidris pusilla, at two sites with known relative habitat quality on the northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) coast, the first land encountered after crossing the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). We used automated radio telemetry (Motus) to estimate stopover duration and probability of departure. Migration speed was estimated for individuals detected at subsequent receivers on the Motus network. To measure migratory connectivity, we used morphometrics and the Motus network to assign general breeding regions. Additionally, feather stable isotope ratios of C and N provided coarse information about overwintering regions. Stopover duration declined with higher fuel loads at capture as expected under a time-minimizing strategy. After accounting for fuel load, stopover duration was approximately 40% longer at the higher quality site. We found no detectable effect of age, sex or breeding location on stopover behaviour. The probability of departure was strongly affected by humidity and also by tailwind and weather conditions. Birds stopping at the higher quality site had earlier apparent arrival to the breeding grounds. The Louisiana coast is an apparent stopover hub for this species, since the individuals were departing to range-wide breeding regions and isotope values suggested birds were also using widespread wintering regions. Our study shows how high-quality, coastal wetlands along the NGOM coast serve a critical role in the annual cycle of a migratory shorebird. Stopover behaviour indicated that high-quality habitat may be limited for this species during spring migration. As threats to the GOM coast increase, protection of these already limited wetlands is vitally important.

Spatial–Temporal Land Loss Modeling and Simulation in a Vulnerable Coast: A Case Study in Coastal Louisiana

Coastal areas serve as a vital interface between the land and sea or ocean and host about 40% of the world’s population, providing significant social, economic, and ecological functions. Meanwhile, the sea-level rise caused by climate change, along with coastal erosion and accretion, alters coastal landscapes profoundly, threatening coastal sustainability. For instance, the Mississippi River Delta in Louisiana is one of the most vulnerable coastal areas. It faces severe long-term land loss that has disrupted the regional ecosystem balance during the past few decades. There is an urgent need to understand the land loss mechanism in coastal Louisiana and identify areas prone to land loss in the future. This study modeled the current and predicted the future land loss and identified natural–human variables in the Louisiana Coastal Zone (LCZ) using remote sensing and machine-learning approaches. First, we analyzed the temporal and spatial land loss patterns from 2001 to 2016 in the study area. Second, logistic regression, extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and random forest models with 15 human and natural variables were carried out during each five-year and the fifteen-year period to delineate the short- and long-term land loss mechanisms. Finally, we simulated the land-loss probability in 2031 using the optimal model. The results indicate that land loss patterns in different parts change through time at an overall decelerating speed. The oil and gas well density and subsidence rate were the most significant land loss drivers during 2001–2016. The simulation shows that a total area of 180 km2 of land has over a 50% probability of turning to water from 2016 to 2031. This research offers valuable information for decision-makers and local communities to prepare for future land cover changes, reduce potential risks, and efficiently manage the land restoration in coastal Louisiana.

Rapid, risk‐based levee design framework for greater risk reduction at lower cost than standards‐based design

AbstractStandards‐based levee design aims to protect against events with specific probabilities, for example eliminating overtopping from a storm surge with a 1% annual exceedance probability (i.e., a “100‐year” event). This allows levee segments to be analyzed independently but ignores interior dynamics and overall risk. We present and implement a framework for calculating optimal risk‐informed design heights. Using this design paradigm and multi‐objective evolutionary algorithms, we identify levee and floodwall design heights that minimize the total system cost and expected flood losses over 50 years. With our model, decision makers may feasibly evaluate hundreds or thousands of alternative designs over a large ensemble of future states of the world. Comparing to the existing design elevations of the Larose to Golden Meadow Hurricane Protection Project in coastal Louisiana, over multiple climate change scenarios, we identify system configurations of similar cost that reduce the expected value of discounted residual risk of 26%–73% ($8–85 million). We also achieve the same residual risk at 90%–97% of the cost of the existing system (saving $19–73 million).

Alterations of endophytic microbial community function in Spartina alterniflora as a result of crude oil exposure.

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster remains one of the largest oil spills in history. This event caused significant damage to coastal ecosystems, the full extent of which has yet to be fully determined. Crude oil contains toxic heavy metals and substances such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that are detrimental to some microbial species and may be used as food and energy resources by others. As a result, oil spills have the potential to cause significant shifts in microbial communities. This study assessed the impact of oil contamination on the function of endophytic microbial communities associated with saltmarsh cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora). Soil samples were collected from two locations in coastal Louisiana, USA: one severely affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and one relatively unaffected location. Spartina alterniflora seedlings were grown in both soil samples in greenhouses, and GeoChip 5.0 was used to evaluate the endophytic microbial metatranscriptome shifts in response to host plant oil exposure. Oil exposure was associated with significant shifts in microbial gene expression in functional categories related to carbon cycling, virulence, metal homeostasis, organic remediation, and phosphorus utilization. Notably, significant increases in expression were observed in genes related to metal detoxification with the exception of chromium, and both significant increases and decreases in expression were observed in functional gene subcategories related to hydrocarbon metabolism. These findings show that host oil exposure elicits multiple changes in gene expression from their endophytic microbial communities, producing effects that may potentially impact host plant fitness.

Modeling wave climates and wave energy attenuation in marsh terrace environments in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Marsh terracing is a coastal restoration technique that has been implemented in Louisiana and Texas for almost 30 years. Marsh terraces are segmented ridges of soil built in inland coastal ponds for the objectives of creating new marsh, disrupting fetch, and dissipating wind-driven wave energy, which causes marsh erosion. Despite widespread implementation, no numerical modeling studies have been conducted to understand the effect of terraces on wave climate in marsh environments. The objectives of this study were to: 1) simulate wave climates in marsh terrace fields using the Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN) model and evaluate the agreement between modeled and observed wave conditions and 2) assess the effectiveness of marsh terraces at reducing significant wave height by comparing wave climates in terraced sites with hypothetical unterraced sites. The SWAN model was used to simulate wind-waves at two terrace fields in coastal Louisiana. Model validation was performed using data collected with in situ wave instruments and wind data measured by NOAA stations located 25 km to the east and 62 km to the northeast of the study area. Results from this study modeled and measured small (0.03–0.14 m) and high–frequency waves (0.80–1.29 s) in the marsh terrace fields. Model validation revealed agreement between modeled and observed data, particularly for significant wave height and direction. Additionally, a comparison of wave climates in terraced and unterraced marsh environments indicated an average significant wave height reduction of 45% (min:18%, max: 84%) when terraces were present. Overall, the model was able to evaluate wave climates in marsh terrace fields and assess the effectiveness of this restoration technique in reducing significant wave height. The model's performance in this low energy and complex environment (shallow water, nonlinear shoreline, marsh fragmentated) is encouraging given the lack of research assessing wave parameters in marsh terrace environments.

Resilience-Oriented Practices in Sea-Level-Rise-Induced Human Migration in Coastal Bangladesh and Louisiana

Resilience-Oriented Practices in Sea-Level-Rise-Induced Human Migration in Coastal Bangladesh and Louisiana

Sedimentary records of microplastic pollution from coastal Louisiana and their environmental implications

Sedimentary records of microplastic pollution from coastal Louisiana and their environmental implications

Organic Matter Accretion, Shallow Subsidence, and River Delta Sustainability

AbstractGlobally, mineral sediment supply to deltaic wetlands has generally decreased so these wetlands increasingly rely on accretion of organic matter to keep pace with relative sea‐level rise (RSLR). Because organic‐rich sediments tend to be more compressible than mineral‐dominated sediments, deltaic wetland strata are vulnerable to compaction and drowning. Using an unprecedented data set of almost 3,000 discrete bulk density and organic‐matter measurements, we examine organic‐rich facies from coastal Louisiana to quantify the thickness lost to compaction and investigate whether sediments are able to maintain sufficient volume for the associated wetlands to keep pace with RSLR. We find that organic content as well as overburden thickness and density (which together determine effective stress) strongly control sediment compaction. Most compaction occurs in the top 1–3 m and within the first 100–500 years after deposition. In settings with thick peat beds, successions up to 14 m thick have been compacted by up to ∼50%. We apply geotechnical modeling to examine the balance between elevation gained from accretion and elevation lost to compaction due to renewed sediment deposition over a 100‐year timescale. Wetlands overlying mineral‐dominated lithologies may support the weight of deposition and allow net elevation gain. Model results show that reintroduction of sediment to a representative Mississippi Delta wetland site will likely cause another ∼0.35–1.14 m of compaction but leave a net elevation gain of ∼0.01–1.75 m, depending on the sediment delivery rate and stiffness of underlying strata.

Spatiotemporal Variability of Fishery‐Dependent Indices for the Declining Louisiana Southern Flounder Fishery

AbstractIn recent years, management agencies across the Gulf of Mexico and southern U.S. Atlantic have recognized Southern Flounder Paralichthys lethostigma as a declining fish stock. Population declines in coastal Louisiana are exhibited by indices of recruitment and biomass, which have reached levels that present management concerns. To develop a better understanding of this declining fishery, we examined fishery‐dependent data collected by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ recreational angler harvest survey (referred to as “LA Creel”). Data were modeled using generalized additive models to estimate temporal components of recreational Southern Flounder landings in both seasonality and trend. Over the study period (2014–2019), recreational landings exhibited a declining trend statewide. Strong seasonal peaks in the fall occurred statewide and regionally in every coastal management zone (i.e., estuary). Understanding the current fishery with the fine‐scale resolution provided by the LA Creel survey can be used to help guide future management decisions in the pursuit of a sustainable management strategy inclusive of fishery‐dependent information.