Effective conservation and restoration of estuarine wetlands require accurate maps of their historical and current extent, as well as estimated losses of these valued habitats. Existing coast-wide tidal wetland mapping does not explicitly map historical tidal wetlands that are now disconnected from the tides, which represent restoration opportunities; nor does it use water level models or high-resolution elevation data (e.g. lidar) to accurately identify current tidal wetlands. To better inform estuarine conservation and restoration, we generated new maps of current and historical tidal wetlands for the entire contiguous U.S. West Coast (Washington, Oregon, and California). The new maps are based on an Elevation-Based Estuary Extent Model (EBEEM) that combines lidar digital elevation models (DEMs) and water level models to establish the maximum historical extent of tidal wetlands, representing a major step forward in mapping accuracy for restoration planning and analysis of wetland loss. Building from this new base, we also developed an indirect method for mapping tidal wetland losses, and created maps of these losses for 55 estuaries on the West Coast (representing about 97% of historical West Coast vegetated tidal wetland area). Based on these new maps, we estimated that total historical estuary area for the West Coast is approximately 735,000 hectares (including vegetated and nonvegetated areas), and that about 85% of vegetated tidal wetlands have been lost from West Coast estuaries. Losses were highest for major river deltas. The new maps will help interested groups improve action plans for estuarine wetland habitat restoration and conservation, and will also provide a better baseline for understanding and predicting future changes with projected sea level rise.

Knowing user audiences for coastal web atlases is important for designing atlas capabilities that address different user skill levels. This chapter presents guidelines about how to better understand coastal web atlas users, how to undertake user-centered design and development, and how to avoid major pitfalls with web interfaces. User groups are formed based upon understanding user characteristics. User-centered design for different user groups can take advantage of a logic model; that is, a series of steps for scoping, designing, implementing and testing the capabilities. The end result of design and implementation should be a usable system, thus software usability is an important goal. Regardless of how well designers know users, web interface pitfalls inevitably arise during the development process, some of which are discussed based on personal experience of the chapter authors.

Coastal Web Atlas (CWA) design may be based around interactive maps that provide users with access to rich information about the geography of the coastal zone. There are few firm rules about what elements should make up a CWA, or how those elements should be developed. Developers seeking to build a successful product for their audience should begin with knowledge of the needs and capabilities of their users, and design the elements of their CWA accordingly. In general, principles of good web design and usability should be adhered to at all times.

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