Ocean warming, sea-level rise and coastal flooding
Chesapeake Bay
Marsh and island loss. The current rate of a sea level rise is three times the historical rate and appears to be accelerating. Since 1938, about one-third of the marsh at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge has been submerged.
Reference: Irmler, U., and V. Wiese. 1997. Ecological impacts of climate change on national parks and protected areas of the world. World Wildlife Fund.
Stevenson, C. 1998. Horn Point Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences, personal communication.
