Coastal wetlands play a vital role in absorbing carbon from the atmosphere and reducing the impacts of storm surge.
Coastal wetlands play a vital role in absorbing carbon from the atmosphere and reducing the impacts of storm surge. Along the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf of Mexico, wetlands help prevent an estimated $39.54 billion annually in damages from inundation. However, these critical ecosystems are increasingly threatened by sea level rise, coastal development, pollution, and erosion. In fact, their rate of decline has increased by 50% since 2009. As these challenges mount, WHOI assistant scientist Julia Guimond, in collaboration with Dr. Meagan Eagle at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Woods Hole Science Center and Joseph Tamborski at Old Dominion University, has begun a three-year study in multiple wetlands along the Gulf of Maine to fill key gaps in our understanding, particularly winter contributions to carbon storage and coastal protection. This work will help scientists and policymakers better predict and manage the future of coastal wetlands, ensuring these ecosystems can continue to protect communites, support fisheries, and store carbon in a rapidly changing climate.
In the dead of winter, the wind rips across a flattened marsh and through leafless trees that offer little protection. The once-busy beaches of Southern Maine have only the occasional visit from herring gulls braving the winter months. The silence this time of year is often interrupted only by planes passing overhead, but at the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, you’ll hear the faint crunch of boots and the rhythmic beat of a portable water pump.
Read More at: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
WHOI assistant scientist Julia Guimond pulling a sled full of gear from her field research site at Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve. (Photo by Brady Clarke. © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.)
