Rapid headward erosion of marsh creeks in response to relative sea level rise

Rapid shoreward encroachment of salt marsh cordgrass in response to accelerated sea-level rise.

The distribution of New England salt marsh communities is intrinsically linked to the magnitude, frequency, and duration of tidal inundation. Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) exclusively inhabits the frequently flooded lower elevations, whereas a mosaic of marsh hay (Spartina patens), spike grass (Distichlis spicata), and black rush (Juncus gerardi) typically dominate higher elevations. Monito...

Rapid Communication Contribution of relative sea-level rise to historical hurricane flooding in New York City

Flooding during hurricanes is a hazard for New York City. Flood height is determined by storm surge characteristics, timing (high or low tide) and relative sea-level (RSL) change. The contribution from these factors is estimated for seven historical hurricanes (1788–2012) that caused flooding in New York City. Measurements from The Battery tide gauge and historical accounts are supplemented wit...

Elevated CO2 stimulates marsh elevation gain, counterbalancing sea-level rise.

Tidal wetlands experiencing increased rates of sea-level rise (SLR) must increase rates of soil elevation gain to avoid permanent conversion to open water. The maximal rate of SLR that these ecosystems can tolerate depends partly on mineral sediment deposition, but the accumulation of organic matter is equally important for many wetlands. Plant productivity drives organic matter dynamics and is...

Tidal marsh plant responses to elevated CO2 , nitrogen fertilization, and sea level rise.

Elevated CO2 and nitrogen (N) addition directly affect plant productivity and the mechanisms that allow tidal marshes to maintain a constant elevation relative to sea level, but it remains unknown how these global change drivers modify marsh plant response to sea level rise. Here we manipulated factorial combinations of CO2 concentration (two levels), N availability (two levels) and relative se...

Overwash Deposition Increases Backbarrier Marsh Resiliency to Sea Level Rise: Insights from a Coupled Barrier Island-marsh Model