Worldwide, coastal wetlands are recognized as a transition zone critical for buffering the coast from the effects of climate change; they are also one of the habitats most vulnerable to the effects of accelerated sea level rise. Recent research has shown that coastal wetlands in the U.S. Northeast are disappearing at an alarming rate. Largely, these wetlands are not being lost to coastal development, but to fragmentation and drowning, like wetlands in the Mississippi Delta region. This presentation will discuss processes and rates of coastal marsh drowning in the Northeast, review evidence that accelerated sea level rise is chiefly to blame, and describe the new paradigm emerging in coastal wetland conservation in response to sea level rise.

Learn about the exciting research being done by faculty in all departments of the College of Arts and Sciences! The CoAS Dean's Seminar Series is free and open to the Drexel community. Light refreshments will be served.