Project Information

Project Timeline: May 2012-March 2015. This project has been completed.
Principal Investigator: Thomas W. Doyle, USGS National Wetlands Research Center
Implements Science Plan Theme: 4: Ecological research and modeling, 5: Impacts of climate change on coastal and nearshore marine environments

Key Points

• Researched sea level rise impacts through the lens of wetland ecosystem services
• Prioritized user communication and input by holding training sessions with federal coastal managers
• Created a user-friendly synthesis of existing SLR impact data and models

Overview

Coastal wetlands have many positive features, called ecosystem services. They purify water, limit storm surges, and provide habitat. But these services are changing because of sea-level rise (SLR). Scientists have a lot of information about how to predict SLR and how to make management decisions about SLR’s impacts. Coastal managers can use some of these resources, but others need more expert knowledge to use them. 

This project combined science and models about the effects of SLR on coastal wetlands. We did this in a format that resource managers could access and use more easily. We held training sessions with coastal managers at several federal agencies to understand their needs. We used this feedback to develop a handbook that summarizes current information and tools. This is a user-friendly guide that supports the management of coastal wetlands.