5.12 Climate Change
F IGURE 5.1
National Ocean Service Tides & Currents Stations (North Carolina) Source : http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/products.html
A report by the NC Coastal Resources Commission’s Science Panel on Coastal Hazards (NCDCM 2015) notes both geological and tide gauge data provide evidence there is more land subsidence to the north of Cape Lookout than to the south. Tis contributes to higher mea- sured rates of sea level rise along the state’s northeastern coast (NCDCM 2015) . Te Science Panel’s report compares the range of estimated sea level rise over a 30-year period based on three projection scenarios. Te results show that the highest and lowest potential increase in mean sea level varies from 2.7 inches at Duck (northernmost area) to 4.5 inches at Southpoint (southernmost area) (NCDCM 2015) . Tis variability is evidence of the uncertainty in predictions, especially at longer time scales, and the spatial diferences along the state’s coast. Two of the greatest threats posed by sea level rise to fsh and wildlife in North Carolina are loss of marsh and wetland habitats because of erosion and fooding, and the expected increase in salinity of coastal aquifers, freshwater drainage basins, and estuarine systems because of saltwater intrusion (Neumann and Hearty 1996) . DeWan et al. (2010) notes that coastal habitats, such as maritime forests and shrub communities, estuarine communities, tidal swamp forests and wetlands, and beach and dune habitats, will be the most susceptible habitats to the efects of sea level rise.
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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