Coastal marsh within the Sandy Hook Bay estuary. Photo: NOAA Fisheries/Jessie Murray
A recent study assessing the vulnerability of coastal habitats to climate change in the northeast United States finds salt marshes, shellfish reefs, deep-sea corals, seagrasses, kelp, and intertidal habitats among the most vulnerable—these are also the habitats most at risk from degradation due to coastal development and pollution.
Marking a first-of-its-kind assessment, NOAA Fisheries and partners examined the impact of climate-driven changes on 52 marine, estuarine, and riverine habitats from the Maine-Canadian border south to Cape Hatteras, NC. It also considered non-climate factors, such as coastal development and pollution.
This assessment complements the 2016 Northeast Fish and Shellfish Climate Vulnerability Assessment, and other fish stock, protected species, and fishing community climate vulnerability assessments. The results are intended to guide research on possible climate impacts on habitats, and help decision-makers consider how to prepare for and respond to climate-related changes.
Winter flounder in eelgrass habitat (NOAA photo).
Winter Flounder
The 2016 Northeast assessment ranked winter flounder as very highly vulnerable to climate change. This is due to low stock status in the southern part of its range and declining population productivity associated with increased nearshore temperature. The new assessment highlights that habitats important to winter flounder, including submerged aquatic vegetation and tidal wetlands, are vulnerable to higher air and water temperature, sea level rise, and habitat fragmentation. The high climate vulnerability of these habitats, and high dependency of winter flounder on these habitats, suggests a potential critical nexus of climate vulnerability for this species.
Informing Decisions
The assessment highlights the importance of prioritizing habitat protection and restoration to support resilience and adaptability to climate change. Understanding how climate change will impact coastal and marine habitats is necessary to inform decisions about habitat conservation and restoration, fisheries management, and coastal and offshore planning. The publication includes detailed narratives describing the primary drivers of climate vulnerability for each of the habitats in the assessment.
The Study: Farr ER, Johnson MR, Nelson MW, Hare JA, Morrison WE, Lettrich MD, et al. (2021) An assessment of marine, estuarine, and riverine habitat vulnerability to climate change in the Northeast U.S. PLoS ONE 16(12): e0260654.