USGS-NOAA Studies Climate Change Impact on U.S. Coasts

USGS and NOAA have issued a new report that considers the impact that climate change continues to have on the health and vitality of U.S. coastal communities.  Authored by leading scientists and experts, the report emphasizes the need for increased coordination and planning to ensure U.S. coastal communities are resilient against the effects of climate change.

Margaret A. Davidson of NOAA's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management and co-lead author of the report states "Sandy showed us that coastal states and communities need effective strategies, tools and resources to conserve, protect, and restore coastal habitats and economies at risk from current environmental stresses and a changing climate...Easing the existing pressures on coastal environments to improve their resiliency is an essential method of coping with the adverse effects of climate change."

Read the entire report "Coastal Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerabilities: a technical input to the 2013 National Climate Assessment" here

Access to Wisconsin's Water Library's Water Research Guide "Climate Change" here

Algae Landscaping and Architecture

When you think of algae, landscaping or architecture likely aren't the first thoughts that come to mind. However, in a recent Algae Competition, innovative thinkers designed ways in which algae could be incorporated into urban landscaping and other kinds of planning. Many entries considered the possibility of algae biofuel production, such as floating farms along coastlines.

The entry pictured, below, for example, is a floating green park in Hong Kong which aims to capture the carbon dioxide from car exhaust and and use algae to turn it into fuel for the city.

Looking for more information about green planning?

• Click here to learn more about the Algae Competition and project entries
• Check out or request a resource from the Water Library's Coastal Community Planning and Development or Coastal Engineering book lists.
• Learn more about algae and other plants in your own garden from our Green Gardening resource list.

2009 NOAA State of the Climate Report Released

Our climate, defined as the long-term average of weather patterns, is changing. Data has been collected by more than 300 scientists reviewing key climate indicators which prove that the world has warmed. Coastal communities are one group threatened by climate warming. As water temperature increases, the water’s area expands, and an increased volume of melting ice sheets and glaciers are also accountable for rising sea levels. Written by an array of experts, the State of the Climate Report annually documents “the status of the climate system and our ability to observe it.” (p. 9) The concise Highlights report is available here, or you can view the full report here.

Arctic Sea Annual Ice Minimum (picture) from 2009 The State of the Climate Highlights.

Two new reports on climate

The Climate Ready Estuaries program has finalized a technical report entitled Synthesis of Adaptation Options for Coastal Areas. This guide provides an overview of adaptation options available to coastal managers to reduce their system's vulnerability to climate change impacts. To access the report, please visit the Climate Ready Estuaries Web site.

Also, EPA, USGS, and NOAA recently released a report, Coastal Sensitivity to Sea Level Rise: A Focus on the Mid-Atlantic Region. The study is one of 21 climate change studies being conducted by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP), and it discusses the possible impacts of sea-level rise and how governments and communities can respond to rising waters. The report can be found on US Environmental Protection Agency's Web site.

Publication Highlight: Protecting Coastal Investments

Protecting Coastal Investments: Examples of Regulations for Wisconsin's Coastal Communities

Primary Author: Brian W. Ohm, Land Use Law Specialist, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Wisconsin-Madison/Extension.

Contributions made by David Hart, Geographic Information Systems Specialist, and Gene Clark, Coastal Engineer, both of University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute.

"Understanding coastal hazards, the dynamic nature of Wisconsin's coasts, and some programs related to Wisconsin's coasts."

Also included, Coastal Ordinance Provisions that looks at "coastal hazard setback, alternative approaches to coastal hazard setback requirements, stormwater management and erosion control, site planning, and disclosure of coastal hazards" and an appendix with "an inventory of current coastal setback provisions found in local ordinances in Wisconsin."

View full publication at UW-Madison Aquatic Sciences Center.