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Ghosts of the Coast

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Document the formation of ghost forests.

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Citizen ScienceOcean Water MarineEducationEcology & Environmentgeologyseawaterghost forestfloodgedan labsalt water intrusiondying treespinemid atlanticclimate changehurricanemarinesaltwatermarylandkeryn gedangroundwatermarshrising seastributariesdead treesghosts of the coaststormwildfiresecologydelawarechesapeake baystumpcattus islandsalt tolerantcoastal ecologyglobal warmingdroughtvirginia coast reservesweet gumdelaware baymarsh migrationeastern shorespartina patenssalinesaltdelmarva peninsulathe george washington universityswampbleached treesriverbankwetlandssouth carolinasalt stresscordgrasswoodmaritime forestcoastal marine ecologyestuaryfloodingsawgrasschanging shorelinesurvey123new yorkfloridastorymapshorelinenorth carolinadying forestsapchanging landscapemullica river estuaryblack needle rushsaltwater marshesphragmitestree stumpsomerset countysalt tolerant plantseast coastlow elevationvirginiasea level riseregenerationtidesalt waterblue crabgeorgialand conversiontidal inundationcedarforestblackwater national refugedisturbancesoilsaltwater marshcoastaltree deathcoastal educationkilling treesnew jerseygeographyprime hook national wildlife refuge
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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

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