Ghost forests threaten New Jersey's Water ecosystem
by Ginger Zee, Lindsey Griswold, Daniel Manzo, and Ivan Pereira, Nov. 29th, 2023
Saltwater intrusion is killing the Atlantic white cedar trees throughout southern New Jersey. Through a combination of Superstorm Sandy, logging in the area, and the regional sea level rise of 4 inches in the last 30 years the soils lost their freshwater and could no longer support the white cedar trees, resulting in acres of 'ghost forests' throughout the area. These wetlands are important ecosystems providing many ecosystem services. Efforts are underway to replant trees and facilitate new growth of this vitally important cedar forest.
Saltwater intrusion is killing the Atlantic white cedar trees throughout southern New Jersey. Through a combination of Superstorm Sandy, logging in the area, and the regional sea level rise of 4 inches in the last 30 years the soils lost their freshwater and could no longer support the white cedar trees, resulting in acres of 'ghost forests' throughout the area. These wetlands are important ecosystems providing many ecosystem services. Efforts are underway to replant trees and facilitate new growth of this vitally important cedar forest.
New Orleans's Saltwater Intrusion Scare Is a Reminder of a Nationally Looming Threat
By Marlowe Starling, Emily Driehaus, Aarohi Sheth, Oct. 31st, 2023
Although New Orleans adverted the saltwater intrusion threat to drinking water, many low-lying coastal towns further downstream of New Orleans and throughout the country still face the burden of salty drinking water. Combined drought, sea level rise, and decreased groundwater have increased the threat of saltwater intrusion to low-lying areas. These threats aren't new, but the federal emergency for New Orleans's saltwater intrusion threat allows for more attention on the topic of SWISLR. This article explains the scope of the problem and the risks associated with SWISLR for low-lying coastal communities.
Although New Orleans adverted the saltwater intrusion threat to drinking water, many low-lying coastal towns further downstream of New Orleans and throughout the country still face the burden of salty drinking water. Combined drought, sea level rise, and decreased groundwater have increased the threat of saltwater intrusion to low-lying areas. These threats aren't new, but the federal emergency for New Orleans's saltwater intrusion threat allows for more attention on the topic of SWISLR. This article explains the scope of the problem and the risks associated with SWISLR for low-lying coastal communities.
Saltwater in the Mississippi Threatens Water Supply in New Orleans
by Colbi Edmonds, Sept. 23rd, 2023
New Orleans most recent threat is saltwater intrusion in their drinking water systems due to the drought conditions over the summer. Reduced water levels in the Mississippi river means that the salt wedge from the Gulf of Mexico is able to travel further north, potentially reaching water treatment plants near New Orleans in October. Back in July the Army Corps of Engineers built an underwater sill in the Mississippi aimed at stopping the slat wedge from moving north. Work will soon begin to make the sill higher to counteract the increased saltwater threat, but this is still just a band-aid for the problem and the progression of saltwater will continue if there isn't significant rainfall soon. Clean drinking water is being shipped to the threatened areas. The threat of SWISLR to drinking water is just one more issue many coastal communities are currently facing.
New Orleans most recent threat is saltwater intrusion in their drinking water systems due to the drought conditions over the summer. Reduced water levels in the Mississippi river means that the salt wedge from the Gulf of Mexico is able to travel further north, potentially reaching water treatment plants near New Orleans in October. Back in July the Army Corps of Engineers built an underwater sill in the Mississippi aimed at stopping the slat wedge from moving north. Work will soon begin to make the sill higher to counteract the increased saltwater threat, but this is still just a band-aid for the problem and the progression of saltwater will continue if there isn't significant rainfall soon. Clean drinking water is being shipped to the threatened areas. The threat of SWISLR to drinking water is just one more issue many coastal communities are currently facing.
Down East deserves the county's support
Carolina Coastal News, Sep 17th
Our partner network - Down East Resilience Network - hosted an event to look back at Hurricane Florence and talk about everything we have learned since then. This event had a goal to bring together a mix of researchers, media, elected officials and community members to learn more about the risks and realities of Down East Carteret County. The Carteret County News-Times has both an editorial and an article, suggesting that this event drew a lot of attention and community response. During the event a common question was - where are we now? and where do we need to be?
Our partner network - Down East Resilience Network - hosted an event to look back at Hurricane Florence and talk about everything we have learned since then. This event had a goal to bring together a mix of researchers, media, elected officials and community members to learn more about the risks and realities of Down East Carteret County. The Carteret County News-Times has both an editorial and an article, suggesting that this event drew a lot of attention and community response. During the event a common question was - where are we now? and where do we need to be?
Here’s a Look at the Water Crises That Might Be Coming to You Soon
By Somini Sengupta, June 25th 2023
This story is a look at Bangladesh - how climate change is shifting the landscape and water availability, and how communities in Bangladesh are coping with these threats. The low lying delta of Bangladesh is one of many places that is at the forefront of climate issues, facing threats that the rest of the world may face in the future.
Flooding is affecting coastal farm land and rice production. One story described within this article talks about flash floods affecting the timing of harvest and decreasing the yields of produce. To counteract flooding, the use of floating gardens is spreading across Bangladesh, where farmers are able to grow their crops on top of the water. However, this does not solve saltwater intrusion - and the increasing salinity is changing more than just the farms. The mangrove forest, that provides flood and storm protection, are dying and new mangrove species are taking over. The impact this shifting ecosystem will have on local communities is not yet known.
A more direct salinity impact on local communities is the drinking water supply. Many efforts are being made to counteract the increasing salinity to farm fields and drinking water like growing vegetables in pots or collecting rain water for a drinking supply. These reactions to climate hazards are not a long-term solution, and the United Nations estimates that at leas $160 billion a year is needed for adaptation efforts in developing nations globally. Although these are stories of successful adaptation to current changes, without support or global emission reduction, "Bangladesh can do little to stay above the surface... Whatever we do is not going to be enough" (Mr. Chowdhury, the lawmaker).
This story is a look at Bangladesh - how climate change is shifting the landscape and water availability, and how communities in Bangladesh are coping with these threats. The low lying delta of Bangladesh is one of many places that is at the forefront of climate issues, facing threats that the rest of the world may face in the future.
Flooding is affecting coastal farm land and rice production. One story described within this article talks about flash floods affecting the timing of harvest and decreasing the yields of produce. To counteract flooding, the use of floating gardens is spreading across Bangladesh, where farmers are able to grow their crops on top of the water. However, this does not solve saltwater intrusion - and the increasing salinity is changing more than just the farms. The mangrove forest, that provides flood and storm protection, are dying and new mangrove species are taking over. The impact this shifting ecosystem will have on local communities is not yet known.
A more direct salinity impact on local communities is the drinking water supply. Many efforts are being made to counteract the increasing salinity to farm fields and drinking water like growing vegetables in pots or collecting rain water for a drinking supply. These reactions to climate hazards are not a long-term solution, and the United Nations estimates that at leas $160 billion a year is needed for adaptation efforts in developing nations globally. Although these are stories of successful adaptation to current changes, without support or global emission reduction, "Bangladesh can do little to stay above the surface... Whatever we do is not going to be enough" (Mr. Chowdhury, the lawmaker).
New studies show 'unprecedented' sea-level rise along the North Carolina coastBy Gareth McGrath USA Today Network, April 25th 2023
Sea levels are rising faster than what most scientists had expected - the World Meteorological Organization found that "global sea levels are rising at more than double the pace they did during the first decade of measurements from 1993 to 2002, and hit a new record high last year." Recent work at Tulane University and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at William & Mary have shown the increase in SLR in these past few decades. |
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Photo by the National Parks Service
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Retreat in RodantheStory by Brady Dennis, March 13th 2023
The sea has taken yet another home along the coast of North Carolina. The outer banks community is home to some of the most rapid rates of erosion and regional SLR. More and more houses are at risk of collapse, and as their risk grows, fewer options are available to homeowners for these risky properties. Instead of solutions, homeowners are faced with just trying to by time until their property is eventually taken by the sea as well. There are disagreements on what can be done and who is responsible, some wanting to protect what they have with government support (e.g. beach nourishments) while others want to move away - which would be at their own cost. Both options come with repercussions that make the choice impossible. |
Worried about Sea Level Rise? Look for the Lichens.By Ian Rose February 28th, 2023
Knowing which coastal areas are at risk of SWISLR is a massive task that is at the top of many people's list. Lichen can potentially help identify areas that are at risk of increasing SWISLR. Roger Rosentreter and Ann DeBolt - botanists at Boise State University - have studied lichen communities at two state parks. The state park closer on a barrier island is subject to SWISLR, while the other is 500 meters inland. Rosentreter and DeBolt have started building a list of species that can withstand SWISLR and can be used as indicators for the presence of SWISLR. |
Left: the powdery medallion lichen is very sensitive to salt but is not a good indicator of whether a site has experienced the first effects of sea level rise. Photo by Vitaly Charny. Right: the ruffled blue jellyskin is also sensitive to salt, but its slow growth makes it a better indicator. Photo by David Bird
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Arthur Villator/Shutterstock
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Rising Sea Levels Are Threatening Affordable Housing. What Can Local Governments Do?By Nyla Holland January 18th, 2023
Sea Level Rise threatens coastal communities and ecosystems. Communities are already at risk to floods and storm inundation from the current sea level, with racial and economic legacies exacerbating the damages. Nyla Holland introduces 5 things that local governments can do to combat sea levels. 1) Determine the flood risk, 2) Develop resiliency with elevation, 3) Create gray and green infrastructure, 4) Implement zoning, buyout, and relocation programs, and 5) Engage community members. |
Rising sea levels could swamp the US coastline by 2050, NASA predictsBy Joe Phelan, November 30th 2022
A new study analyzing three decades of satellite data finds that sea level rise is accelerating. By 2050 sea levels could rise a foot above current waterlines. With new satellites gathering data our understanding of sea level rise is increasing. Some hope that findings like these will encourage decision-makers to focus on address the current climate crisis. |
Satellites such as the EUMETSAT/NASA-operated Sentinel 6 Michael Freilich carry advanced altimeters that allows it to make more precise measurements of global sea levels than its predecessors. (Image credit: ESA)
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Saltwater is moving up the Mississippi River. Here's what's being done to stop itby Debbie Elliott, October 27th 2022
Due to droughts in Louisiana, the salt wedge is moving further up the Mississippi river. The salt water is impacting municipal water and commercial water use. The US corps of engineers is planning to build an "underwater levee," aka. a berm of sand that will stop the saltwater from moving further upstream. |
'Ghost forests' are creeping across NC's coast at an alarming rate. Researchers are trying to stop them.by Jack Igelman, August 12th 2022
Ghost forests are spreading with climate change. The coastal area of North Carolina known as Down East is vulnerable to many climatic hazards. Duke doctoral candidate, Patrick Gray, has found that the evolution of ghost forest is "a slow-motion haunting, as the shifting ecological change occurs over months, years or decades." However, Down East residents don't see these shifts as a threat. Instead, "what people see as an existential threat are the problems of fish politics, development, getting priced our of their communities." This Carolina public press article goes on to state that the protection of vulnerable coasts needs to include the people who live and develop the landscape. |
“Lawns turning into marshes isn’t normal. We’re getting king tides more frequently, and now, when you don’t get a big storm, it seems rare. It used to be the other way around,” said Gloucester resident Barbara Garrity-Blake. Pictured here: A house with a stand of dead and living pines in the Down East community of Stacy, N.C. Jack Igelman / Carolina Public Press
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Photo from blog post. Sunset at Lake Mattamuskeet. Credit: Allie Stewart, US Fish & Wildlife Service
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Our Curious Coast: Adaptation and ResilienceBy Corey Davis and Sheila Saia, July 21st 2022
The last installment in a 5 part blog series. The blog series, created in partnership with NC State's Coastal Resilience and Sustainability Institute, shares the story of North Carolina's coastal plain. This installment closes out the series by looking at the changes eastern NC is facing and exploring the mitigation efforts already in place. |
Sand dunes experience significant erosion due to sea-level rise and extreme stormsBy Alan Williams, July 20th 2022
As sea levels rise sand dunes are moving landward. Due to coastal infrastructure, the migration of dunes is not possible in urban areas which may cause a loss of dune habitat. Researchers are surveying and modeling dune migration. A recent article found that Dunes have been retreating at an average rate of 0.5-1 m per year. |
Photo from phys org article. Researchers monitor the impact of Storm Lorenzo on the dunes at Crantock, North Cornwall, in 2019. Credit: Lloyd Russell, University of Plymouth
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Photo from WUNC article taken by Kristie Gianopulos. “Ghost forest” in Nags Head Woods, North Carolina, where saltwater intrusion puts low-lying freshwater ecosystems at risk. Access to photo and photo information here.
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As sea levels rise, coastal wetlands are expected to change dramaticallyBy Sophia Friesen, July 5th 2022
Researchers at the Wetland and Aquatic research center in Louisiana find that rising sea levels will cause widespread loss of coastal wetlands, especially in North Carolina. As sea levels rise, coastal wetlands will potentially move inland and take over freshwater wetlands as salt intrudes inland, while the original saltwater wetlands drown due to the higher sea levels. |
Research network to link environmental, social sciencesBy Jennifer Allen, June 15, 2022
An overview of our own SWISLR-RCN! The article explains that while a lot of the focus on coastal changes is on the wealthy fringe, this RCN instead focuses on the less empowered communities living in rural landscapes being impacted by SWISLR. The goal of this RCN is to "pull together researchers to study the problem of rural coastal climate change by linking environmental and social sciences." |
Photo from CoastalReview.org Article. A “ghost forest” in eastern North Carolina bears the signs of saltwater intrusion associated with rising sea levels. Photo: Mark Hibbs/Southwings
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Photo from Eurasia Review Article. Ghost forests—areas of trees recently killed by rising saltwater—are a clear sign of sea-level rise and marsh migration into rural land. CREDIT: Dr. Matt Kirwan/VIM
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Rural Areas Will Bear The Brunt Of US Sea-Level RiseBy Eurasia Review, June 15, 2022
A study by Grace Molino, a Ph.D. student at VIMS, Dr. Matt Kirwan at VIMS, U.S. Geological Survey researchers Joel Carr, and Neil Ganju of the Woods Hole Science Center finds that rural areas all along the U.S. coastline will suffer the highest impacts from sea level rise. |
Rising seas, salt water threaten coastal farms, so farmers adaptBy David Boraks and John Upton, June 13, 2022
Rural communities and coastal farmers are experiencing the issues caused by SWISLR in coastal North Carolina, causing new adaptation strategies to be implemented. |
Photo from the WFAE article. Barren areas of a field in Hyde County, where rising water levels and saltwater intrusion have made the land unproductive. Picture taken by David Boraks.
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Photo from the WUNC article taken by Kristie Gianopulos. Access to photo and photo information here.
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Rising tides and drainage ditches threaten North Carolina's coastal freshwater wetlandsBy Zachary Turner, June 9, 2022
Researchers are working hard to understand North Carolina's coastal wetlands and how the impacts of SWISLR are changing the coastline. |
Ghost forest: See ecological disaster hitting North Carolina shoreJun 5, 2022
CNN's Sara Sidner reports in North Carolina on the ecological disaster known as a "ghost forest" that is plaguing the state's shore. |
Still from CNN video
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Photos of ghost forests from the Washington Post article.
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The swift march of climate change in North Carolina’s ‘ghost forests’By Brady Dennis, May 12, 2022
As sea levels rise and storms become more intense, scientists are racing to study the rapid loss of trees and marshland along the Outer Banks |
