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Ghosts of the Coast

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Document the formation of ghost forests.

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  • Ongoing
Citizen ScienceOcean Water MarineEducationEcology & Environmenttidal inundationsomerset countycoastal ecologyseawatersoilchesapeake bayspartina patensdroughtkeryn gedanestuarystorymapghost forestsweet gumblackwater national refugenorth carolinablue crabkilling treesregenerationsalinecedarvirginiathe george washington universityecologycoastal educationtree stumpdying treesmarinerising seasgeologymaritime forestsalt water intrusionglobal warmingdelmarva peninsulasaltwaterchanging shorelinegeorgiapineblack needle rushsea level riseforestnew yorkland conversioncoastalnew jerseymullica river estuaryclimate changedelawaresapdying forestmarylandgroundwatermarshchanging landscapedead treescordgrasssaltprime hook national wildlife refugemarsh migrationdisturbancedelaware baygeographystormvirginia coast reservesalt tolerantghosts of the coastlow elevationfloodtree deathwetlandstributariessaltwater marshhurricanetidemid atlanticsaltwater marshescoastal marine ecologysalt watersalt stresscattus islandeast coastriverbankfloridaswampwoodsawgrasssalt tolerant plantseastern shorewildfiresbleached treesgedan labphragmitessouth carolinasurvey123floodingstumpshoreline
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The formation of ghost forests in response to sea level rise, land subsidence, and saltwater intrusion is a striking visual indicator of climate change. Ghost forests are characterized by lingering stands of dead trees that were recently killed by salt stress. Ghost forests can form in any type of forest, but the formation of ghost forests in the maritime forests of the Mid-Atlantic sea level rise hotspot has been rapid and conspicuous.

We are engaging citizen scientists to help document the formation of ghost forests at a larger scale. The goal of this initiative is to raise awareness about the pace of change in coastal landscapes, while also collecting data that can inform ghost forest research.

Help us document ghost forest formation! Your recorded observations will populate a public collaborative ghost forest map as part of a larger ghost forest website.

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Ticket Required: No

Minimum Age: 13

Languages: English

Provided to SNM by
SciStarter