Piping Plover and Red Knot Foraging Habitat Assessment Tool for South Carolina

A project team at the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources developed a habitat assessment tool for the federally listed piping plover. The tool was derived from new data collections in high-activity areas, genetic prey analysis, and reanalysis of a decade of sampling data along the South Carolina coast. Information was also collected on red knot foraging areas, though more work is needed for a similar tool.

Use Cases

• Identify important shorebird foraging habitats based on benthic prey abundance data mentioned in the description
• Inform state and federal permitting decisions based on the habitat assessment tool's output
• Guide habitat management activities in intertidal areas based on quantified habitat characteristics
• Distinguish preferred prey species for shorebirds using genetic tools referenced in the description

Strengths

• Tool derived from a decade of sampling data collected along the South Carolina coast
• Incorporates new genetic tools for prey identification and new data from high foraging activity areas
• Project involved collaboration with multiple partners including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and conservation groups

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data is specific to South Carolina intertidal habitats, which may limit generalizability

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Data derived from new field collections, genetic analysis, and reanalysis of historical sampling data.

Time Range

Includes a decade of historical sampling data plus new collections.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03 13 22:16:49.910094; freshness should be verified

Geography

South Carolina coast, specifically intertidal habitats and beaches.