Coastal Wetlands and Maritime Forests Summary

Coastal Wetlands and Maritime Forests Summary

Coastal wetland and maritime forests represent unique provinces of vegetation that are uniquely adapted to the harsh conditions of the coastal zone. They provide a range of different habitats for coastal animals and simultaneously provide an important coastal barrier to more inland-located environments, as well as people and infrastructure. There is, however, much concern for the future of our modern coastal vegetation as the different provinces of coastal vegetation face continued exposure to pollution and excess nutrient inputs, changes in the elevation of sea level, and repeat large-scale storm impacts.

Barren areas of salt marsh loss on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, U.S. In the midst of extreme storm events, the introduction of pollutants and nutrients from runoff, and the likelihood of future sea level rise, there exists a wide range of concern for the future of vegetated coastal environments.

Credit: Wikipedia: Salt Marsh Die-off