FY2011 Annual Accomplishments Report for Inventories and Vital Signs Monitoring: Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network (NCBN)

Price, George; Karish, John; Stevens, Sara

NCBN parks represent some of the most ecologically similar collections of lands within the National Park Service. They consist of critical coastal habitat for many rare and endangered species, as well as migratory corridors for birds, sea turtles, and marine mammals. They also protect vital coastal wetlands, essential to water quality, fisheries, and the biological diversity of coastal, near shore, and terrestrial environments. All NCBN parks continue to be pressured by encroaching development, intense recreational activity, and the effects of rapid climate change. Sea level rise, increased storm intensity, amplified variability in surface and groundwater levels, and ocean acidification are expected to be among the most pressing natural resource management challenges in the near future. Climate change is rapidly adding to the vulnerability of these parks ecosystems and potential degradation. Coastal parks are being faced with substantial increases in the extent and frequency of flooding and are at increased risk of severe storm-related impacts. Sea-level rise is also projected to permanently inundate low-lying coastal areas and increase shoreline erosion and wetland loss. Areas most vulnerable to shoreline erosion in the Northeast include portions of Cape Cod, Long Island, and most of coastal New Jersey.Waves, currents, and tides constantly reshape shorelines, and as sea-level rise accelerates, these forces have the potential to dramatically alter the Northeast’s coast.