The Ecological Effects of Sea Level Rise Program
Science to Guide Coastal Ecosystem, Community, and Infrastructure Protection
Rising sea level has worldwide consequences because of its potential to alter ecosystems and the vulnerability of coastal regions by increasing the prevalence of recurrent tidal flooding events and life-threatening storm surge events. Damages and economic losses due to sea level rise could be reduced if decision makers better understand the impacts of sea level rise and coastal inundation (storm surge, nuisance flooding, and/or wave run-up) and have access to science that provides insight on potential solutions. NOAA’s National Ocean Service program (NOS) provides data and tools that enable businesses and coastal communities to plan for an array of coastal hazards and events. The Ecological Effects of Sea Level Rise Program (EESLR) is a NOS program that specifically provides a suite of science products to inform coastal managers of local coastal vulnerability and solutions to mitigate flood risk.
The Ecological Effects of Sea Level Rise Program provides a suite of science products and tools useful to coastal managers that are capable of evaluating coastal vulnerability under multiple sea level rise, inundation, and coastal management scenarios. These tools allow coastal managers to prepare for or mitigate regional impacts of sea level rise in their specific region. EESLR projects principally, explore the vulnerability of natural ecosystems, evaluate the potential for natural structures (e.g., barrier islands, wetlands, etc.) to reduce coastal inundation, and develop best practices for the inclusion of ecosystems in coastal protection strategies. In many cases, fostering natural coastal features provides a cost effective alternative to rigid hardened structures that may not be as effective in reducing flood risk or maximizing the value of the coast to the local community.
Modest funding is now available through the EESLR Event Response Program. This program augments current or prior research to help offset costs of immediate mobilization of response and/or assessment efforts associated with events that are difficult to plan as part of a scientific study. Learn more details.
To learn more about the EESLR program, download this Printable Fact Sheet.
Current Projects
- Exploring Ecosystem and Community Vulnerability to Surface and Subsurface Flooding with Sea Level Rise and Adaptation Strategies in California
- Quantifying the Benefits of Natural and Nature-Based Features in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay Under Different Sea Level Rise Scenarios to Inform Conservation and Management Decisions
- Is an Old Dune a More Resilient Dune? Assessing How Dune Formation Affects Coastal Protection from Storms and Sea Level Rise in North Carolina
- Ecological Impacts of Sea Level Rise on Flood Protection and Blue Carbon Capture in Pacific Northwest Wetlands
- How to Increase the Ecosystem Services of Coastal Beaches and Dunes in the Pacific Northwest through Adaptation Planning
- How Natural and Nature-based Features Could Enhance Coastal Resilience of Urban and Natural Ecosystems in Southwest Florida
- The Coastal Recovery from Storms Tool (CReST): A Model for Assessing the Impact of Sea Level Rise on Natural and Managed Beaches and Dunes
- Marshes on the Margins: Developing Tidal Wetlands Adaptation Strategies in Southern California
- Dynamic Sea Level Rise Assessments of the Ability of Natural and Nature-based Features to Mitigate Surge and Nuisance Flooding in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
- Codevelopment of Modeling Tools to Manage Sediment for Sustainable and Resilient Coastal Lowland Habitat in Southern California
Prior Projects
- Predicting Impacts of Sea Level Rise in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
- Sea-level Rise Modeling as a Catalyst for Effective Ecological Management in West Hawai'i
- Understanding and Predicting Changes in Coastal Marsh Ecosystem Services: Realizing the Combined Effects of Sea Level Rise, Tides, and Storm Surge on Marshes and their Capacity to Protect Shorelines
- Refining Ecosystem Model Inputs for Sea Level Rise Vulnerability in the San Francisco Bay Estuary
- Ecological Effects of Sea level Rise in North Carolina: Maps, Marshes and Management Applications
Learn more about The Ecological Effects of Sea Level Rise Program
For more information, contact David Kidwell (Program Manager) or Christine Buckel (Geospatial Analytics and Products).
