Jennifer L. Berlinghoff, M.S.

Education

2018  M.S., Environmental Sciences, University of Massachusetts Boston
2009  B.S., Environmental Studies, University at Buffalo

Project Experience

Shoreline Compilation and Change Assessment for Open-Coast Shorelines of South Louisiana

• As part of the Louisiana Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring (BICM) Program, historical shoreline positions between the 1850s and 2015 were provided in a database for the purpose of quantifying shoreline change, as well as producing shoreline change maps. Techniques employed for evaluating existing data and creating new datasets included georeferencing and digitizing historical USC&GS T-sheets, interpreting and digitizing shorelines from orthoimagery, and utilizing shoreline change analysis software to quantify changes between different time periods. Areas of focus include the Mississippi River Deltaic Plain, the Chenier Plain of southwest Louisiana, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, and the Acadiana Bays. These data will be used to aid in the planning, design, evaluation, and maintenance of current and future barrier island/coastal restoration projects.

Mapping Wetland Changes in South Louisiana Deltaic Habitat

• Historical and recent aerial imagery was used to map and document wetland changes using GIS tools. Wetland change was determined for various Louisiana deltaic areas, and marsh loss patterns were evaluated relative to natural hydrologic processes, subsidence and sea-level trends, and human activities that have been active in south Louisiana for the past century.

Operational Sediment Budget for the Outer Coast of Louisiana: Raccoon Point to Sandy Point

• Historical shoreline, topographic, and bathymetric surveys for the barrier island coastline of Louisiana were used to quantify net changes in sediment volume within the littoral zone for the period 1985/87 to 2015/16, and determine net patterns and rates of sediment transport. After compiling data and performing detailed QA/QC procedures on these survey data sets, topo/bathymetric surfaces were created for quantifying spatial and temporal change trends. Sediment transport magnitudes and pathways were determined to better evaluate and manage barrier island restoration projects.

Shoreline and Marsh Transect Surveys in Southeastern Louisiana

• Fifty-seven sites that were classified as having varying degrees of oiling were visited in Terrebonne and Barataria Bays. Using geodetic global positioning system (GPS) instrumentation, the precise location of marsh shoreline position and transect poles was collected. This information was later compiled in GIS and used to document changes in shoreline position and influence of oiling. In addition, assistance was provided for recording and documenting marsh vegetation impacts.

Restoration Projects in the Gulf of Mexico

• Case studies were evaluated for 11 habitat restoration projects throughout the Gulf of Mexico. Emphasis was placed on the application of regional sediment management (RSM) principles. By documenting lessons learned from past restoration projects, better sediment management decisions can be applied toward future projects. The report was written to be included in the Technical Framework for the Gulf Regional Sediment Management Master Plan (GRSMMP).

Sediment Budget Development for Mississippi Sound Barrier Islands

• Dredging data, including quantities and placement areas, were researched and compiled for Federal navigation channels within Mississippi Sound. This information was used to help track the movement of sand within the littoral system of the Mississippi Sound Barrier Islands and aid in the development of a comprehensive sediment budget. Support also was provided in the organization of source data and creation of figures using GIS.

Development of a Sediment Budget for Mobile Bay, Alabama

• Historical bathymetric and shoreline datasets were used to document the elevation and shoreline position changes that have taken place in Mobile Bay. Two new shoreline datasets were produced using GIS; a shoreline for 1847-50 was created by georeferencing and digitizing United States Coast and Geodetic Survey (USC&GS) T-Sheets and a shoreline for 2010-11 was interpreted and digitized from high-resolution orthoimagery. In addition, dredging data were researched to assemble a detailed history of the development of the Mobile Bay Ship Channel.

Selected Publications

Byrnes, M.R., J.L. Berlinghoff, R.J. Hollis, R. Johnson, and T. Miller, 2023. Stability of Reference Monuments for Documenting Elevation Changes in Consolidating Holocene Sediment in South Louisiana Coastal Environments. Final Report prepared for Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana, Baton Rouge, LA, 17 p. plus Appendices.

Byrnes, M.R., R.J. Hollis, L.D. Britsch, J.L. Berlinghoff, and R. Johnson, 2022. Recent Subsidence Trends for Coastal Louisiana: Phase 4 – Southwestern Louisiana Chenier Plain, Teche/Vermilion Basin, Atchafalaya Basin, Western Pontchartrain Basin, and the Mississippi River Delta Basin. Final Report prepared for Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Baton Rouge, LA, 80 p. plus appendices.

Byrnes, M.R., J.L. Berlinghoff, and B.S. Beasley, 2019. Louisiana Operational Sediment Budget: Raccoon Point to Sandy Point, 1985-89 to 2013-16. Final Report prepared for Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Baton Rouge, LA, 118 p. plus appendices.

Berlinghoff, J.L., M.R. Byrnes, and S.M. Khalil, 2019. Barrier island system deterioration in south Louisiana: Geomorphic change and implications for restoration. In: P. Wang, J.D. Rosati, and M. Vallee (eds.), Coastal Sediments 2019, World Scientific, Hackensack, NJ, 199-214.

Byrnes, M.R., L.D. Britsch, J.L. Berlinghoff, and R. Johnson, 2019. Recent subsidence rates for Barataria Basin, Louisiana. Geo-Marine Letters, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-019-00573-3.

Byrnes, M.R., J.L. Berlinghoff, S.F. Griffee, A.R. Fallon, and D.M. Lee, 2018. Louisiana Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring Program (BICM): Phase 2 – Updated Shoreline Compilation and Change Assessment, 1880s to 2015. Prepared for Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) by Applied Coastal Research and Engineering, Baton Rouge, LA and Mashpee, MA, 46 p. plus appendices.

Byrnes, M.R.; Rosati, J.D.; Griffee, S.F., and Berlinghoff, J.L., 2013. Historical Sediment Transport Pathways and Quantities for Determining an Operational Sediment Budget: Mississippi Sound Barrier Islands. In: Brock, J.C., Williams, S.J., and Barras, J. (eds.), Understanding and Predicting change in Coastal Ecosystems of the Northern Gulf of Mexico, Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, No. 63. West Palm Beach (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208, pp. 166-183.

Byrnes, M.R.; Berlinghoff, J.L., and Griffee, S.F., 2013. Sediment Dynamics in Mobile Bay, Alabama: Development of an Operational Sediment Budget. Mobile, Alabama: Technical Report to the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, 134 p.

Byrnes, M.R. and Berlinghoff, J.L., 2012. Gulf Regional Sediment Management Master Plan: Case Study Compilation. In: Khalil, S.M., Parson, L.E., and Waters, J.P. (eds.), Technical Framework for the Gulf Regional Sediment Management Master Plan (GRSMMP), Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, No. 60. West Palm Beach (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208, pp. 72-124.