Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Tool for Coastal Habitats

This report summarizes the findings of teams of experts representing multiple agencies who participated in a process to assess the vulnerabilities of intertidal marsh sites in North and South Carolina. This work was sponsered by the National Estuarine Research Reserve System Science Collaborative, which supports collaborative research that addresses coastal management problems important to the reserves. The Science Collaborative is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and managed by the University of Michigan Water Center (NAI4NOS4190145).

Chase Cover salt marsh is a component of the Touisset Marsh Wildlife Refuge, a 66 acre property protected and managed by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island. Located at the terminal end of Chase Cove on the Kickemuit River, it is bounded by managed upland fields and wooded habitat within a rural setting with limited access (via boat and hiking trail). Threats to the unique vegetation communities that comprise this habitat include: habitat shifting and alteration, invasive non-native /alien species, household sewage and urban waste water, housing and urban areas, and recreational activities (RI DEM 2015). The team assessed a time frame with an end period of 2050 to give an appropriate long-term view for making current and near-term management decisions regarding climate impact. 

Winnapaug Pond is a coastal salt pond subject to diurnal tidal fluctuation with tidal exchange occurring via a permanent breachway. The large (approximately 104 acre) salt marsh system at the southeast corner of the pond contains both high marsh zones (dominated by Spartina patens), and low marsh zones (dominated by Spartina alterniflora). Ditching and subsequent spoils from this activity form levees throughout the marsh that are responsible for significant degradation. The team assessed a time frame with an end period of 2050 to give an appropriate long-term view for making current and near-term management decisions regarding climate impact. 

Nag Marsh is a back-barrier salt marsh of the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, that has displayed an alarming shift in vegetation community over the past decade. Originally a mix of upper and lower marsh components, there has been a gradual displacement of Spartina patens by Spartina alterniflora in recent years. The team assessed a time frame with an end period of 2050 to give an appropriate long-term view for making current and near-term management decisions regarding climate impact.