Ecology and Vulnerability

Coastal

The Northeastern U.S. has over six thousand miles of coastline dominated by a mosaic of upland and wetland habitats. They act as important transition areas between marine and inland areas, providing crucial habitat for plants and wildlife, and filtering pollutants and excess nutrients among other ecosystem services. 

Coastal uplands are dynamic ecosystems in elevated, dry areas along the coast that sit above the high tide line. These include dunes, coastal banks, sea cliffs, and coastal heathlands and shrublands. In addition to supporting diverse flora and fauna, coastal uplands provide significant protection to inland areas, including human development, from storms, flooding, and sea level rise. 

Coastal wetlands are low-lying, water-saturated areas along the coast and include salt marshes, estuaries and embayments, rocky intertidal shores, and the ocean. These are often called blue carbon ecosystems due to their ability to sequester carbon dioxide in their vegetation and soils at higher rates than in tropical rainforests. Coastal wetlands are also critical habitat for marine life, including many commercial species. Like their upland counterparts, coastal wetlands are also essential buffers for the shore, acting as sponges by absorbing and temporarily holding water from storm surges and flooding events.

Coastal habitat is being lost at a high rate, both due to human development on the coast and from sea level rise, creating a phenomenon known as “coastal squeeze”. As sea levels rise, habitats try to retreat inland, but are blocked by impervious surfaces like buildings and parking lots. Understanding sea level rise estimates and the other ways climate change is affecting coastal habitats is essential for protecting their critical ecosystem functions.