A global standard for monitoring coastal wetland vulnerability to accelerated sea-level rise

Nature Climate Change
By: , and 

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Abstract

Sea-level rise threatens coastal salt-marshes and mangrove forests around the world, and a key determinant of coastal wetland vulnerability is whether its surface elevation can keep pace with rising sea level. Globally, a large data gap exists because wetland surface and shallow subsurface processes remain unaccounted for by traditional vulnerability assessments using tide gauges. Moreover, those processes vary substantially across wetlands, so modelling platforms require relevant local data. The low-cost, simple, high-precision rod surface-elevation table–marker horizon (RSET-MH) method fills this critical data gap, can be paired with spatial data sets and modelling and is financially and technically accessible to every country with coastal wetlands. Yet, RSET deployment has been limited to a few regions and purposes. A coordinated expansion of monitoring efforts, including development of regional networks that could support data sharing and collaboration, is crucial to adequately inform coastal climate change adaptation policy at several scales.
Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title A global standard for monitoring coastal wetland vulnerability to accelerated sea-level rise
Series title Nature Climate Change
DOI 10.1038/nclimate1756
Volume 3
Issue 5
Year Published 2013
Language English
Publisher Nature Publishing Group
Contributing office(s) National Wetlands Research Center
Description 8 p.
Larger Work Type Article
Larger Work Subtype Journal Article
Larger Work Title Nature Climate Change
First page 458
Last page 465
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