10 The Mississippi River Delta is an ever-changing landscape. Scientists must constantly work to collect data based on the changing land. From season to season, storms, hurricanes, and floods can rearrange the land so vastly that it is no longer recognizable. Collecting data allows scientists to figure out the best way to adapt their means of restoring, or building, the land. Consistent data collection is crucial for the survival of the wetlands, which benefits both humans and wildlife. This is where the Coastwide Reference Monitoring System, or CRMS, pronounced “crims,” comes in to help. WHAT IS CRMS? CRMS data is divided into four subdivisions: water, vegetation, soil, and spatial (relating to space or area) information. Types of data collected include biomass (the amount of organisms in an area), salinity (salt content), water temperature, nutrients (substances that provide nourishment for organisms), and land area. This data is public and can be seen by anyone. The CRMS project, under the direction and funding of CWPPRA, is one of the largest coastal habitat monitoring networks in the United States. The CRMS team effectively delivers data to a variety of audiences with roughly 50 scientists employed to go out into the field to collect data from CRMS sites. Additional analytical teams of scientists, computer programmers, and software engineers coordinate their efforts to publish large data sets. Today, about 390 CRMS sites are spread throughout coastal Louisiana, allowing scientists to broaden their reach, increase the frequency of data collection, and expand the tracking of wetland data. CRMS AND STORM PROTECTION The data collected by CRMS helps assess damage after a large weather event, such as a hurricane. For example, there were over 200 CRMS sites affected when Hurricane Ida hit. These particular sites helped determine storm surge, erosion, deposition, and overall land change. This data helps scientists figure out ways to protect the land in the event of another storm. If you visit the CRMS website, you can find the data collected from all the CRMS monitoring sites. This information is available for anyone to see, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can download data, generate reports that contain yearly statistics, and see data in charts. There is also a map viewer option that shows every individual CRMS site and the data from each site. In addition, you can visit the FAQ page if you have any questions, or you can click on the Factsheet. Visit the CRMS website by scanning the QR code above or going to https://www.lacoast.gov/CRMS/. CRMS site (CWPPRA) https://lacoast.gov/crms/ STUDYING THE DELTA WITH CRMS Investigation #2
