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 & Environmentcoastal marine ecologynew jerseyforestchanging landscapeland conversionmid atlanticsawgrassmarylanddisturbancegedan labswampcoastal educationblue crabcordgrassfloodingmarinevirginiaspartina patenssoildroughtsweet gummarsh migrationfloridasaltstorymapstumpwoodgroundwatersalt water intrusionsapdead treesecologyclimate changechesapeake baytree stumpghosts of the coastsaltwatersea level risecoastal ecologyprime hook national wildlife refugekeryn gedancoastalthe george washington universityregenerationdelaware bayfloodmaritime foreststormwetlandsmarshnew yorkblackwater national refugetidegeologydying treeshurricanedelmarva peninsulableached treesvirginia coast reservegeorgiasouth carolinanorth carolinageographysalt tolerant plantseastern shorekilling treesestuaryrising seasphragmitessaltwater marshsomerset countycedarwildfiressalt stressghost forestsalinelow elevationshorelinesalt watertributariesdying forestglobal warmingsalt tolerantblack needle rushpinechanging shorelinedelawaretidal inundationseawatermullica river estuarysaltwater marshessurvey123east coastriverbanktree deathcattus island
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