Source: U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA)
Figure 11.10 Projected changes in Atlantic hurricane frequency (2000–
2100) Coastal EcosystemsGlobal warming has the potential to completely alter the structure and function
of estuaries and coastal wetlands. Sea-level rise threatens to inundate many
coastal wetlands, seriously affecting the biota, with little room to move inland
because of coastal development. In the next 100 years, taking into account the
ongoing sinking of land in some coastal areas, net sea-level rise could exceed six
feet. Warmer water with potentially higher dissolved carbon dioxide levels,
accompanied by a lower pH, will alter the species composition in these
extremely sensitive areas by affecting the aquatic ecological tolerances and
interactions; altering nutrient cycles; reducing the dissolved oxygen content;
contributing to worsening dead zones; increasing algal blooms; increasing the
incidence of diseases; reducing nesting, egg-laying, and spawning areas (of
amphibians, birds, insects, and reptiles); and increasing the number and types of
invasive species. Increased flooding and saltwater intrusion, droughts,
hurricanes, and storms will alter water flows, leading to more polluted runoff,
thus lowering the water quality and threatening and damaging coastal
ecosystems.