Home  >  Ghosts of the Coast

Ghosts of the Coast

Free Indoors and outdoors

Document the formation of ghost forests.

In a specific area

see on map
  • Ongoing
Citizen ScienceOcean Water MarineEducationEcology & Environmentland conversiondisturbancemarylandthe george washington universitydying treesgeorgiageographygedan labsalt tolerant plantsswampdelaware bayeastern shoresaltwater marshblack needle rushlow elevationseawatercordgrassblue crabcoastal educationsaltforestsalt tolerantsaltwater marshesdead treeshurricanespartina patensmarinecoastalcoastal ecologyvirginiawoodgeologykeryn gedanclimate changestumpfloodsouth carolinatree stumpkilling treesestuarynew jerseystorymapsea level riseblackwater national refugeghosts of the coastsomerset countyriverbankecologyshorelinedelawarephragmitesfloridasawgrasscedarstormchesapeake baymullica river estuarytidal inundationsweet gumdelmarva peninsulapinewildfireschanging shorelinemid atlanticchanging landscapemaritime forestnew yorkprime hook national wildlife refugemarshghost forestcoastal marine ecologyregenerationnorth carolinasapgroundwatertree deathdying forestdroughtwetlandssaltwatersalt stressvirginia coast reserveeast coasttidecattus islandbleached treesrising seasfloodingsoilsalinemarsh migrationtributariessalt watersurvey123global warmingsalt water intrusion
Save
for Later
Like
Share
Visit
Website
I Did
This

More Information

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.

read more

Ticket Required: No

Minimum Age: 13

Languages: English

Provided to SNM by
SciStarter