Mapping benefits of coastal habitats: Coastal protection, blue carbon, and the effects of sea level rise
Coastal habitats’ ability to store carbon and protect natural and human communities from hazards makes them valuable assets in state and community efforts to enhance coastal resilience and support climate mitigation. However, sea level rise poses a major threat to coastal habitats and the benefits they provide. The Nicholas Institute collaborated with six eastern seaboard states (North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York) on a U.S. Climate Alliance-funded project to map coastal habitats' current coastal protection and carbon benefits, as well as how sea level rise may change the coastal zone habitats and their carbon balance over the next century.
Note: The state-level habitat and carbon projections in the "Blue carbon mapping for six mid-Atlantic states" dataset are updated versions of the projections in the "Coastal protection and blue carbon mapping for six mid-Atlantic states" dataset. Please use the more updated dataset for habitat and carbon information.... [Read More]