Data for a study on waterfront property owners’ shoreline preferences amid salt marsh to mangrove transitions

This dataset underpins the study "Waterfront Property Owners’ Shoreline Preferences amid Salt Marsh to Mangrove Transitions." The data were collected between fall 2021 and fall 2022 using mail-in and online surveys administered to waterfront property owners across four locations (Cedar Key, Panama City Beach, Galveston and Corpus Christi) of the northern Gulf of Mexico (USA). Data gathered included socio-demographic characteristics, perceptions on coastal health amid mangrove encroachment into traditional salt marsh areas, preferences for ecosystem services delivered by mangroves vs salt marshes, and management preferences in response to mangrove encroachment on residential shorelines and the wider landscape. The data collection employed stratified random sampling to ensure representation across different coastal communities (800 addresses from each study area). A total of 530 responses were received, representing a response rate of 20.9%.