SEA LEVEL &

GLOBAL MEAN ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE

Sea Ice• Sea ice may be supporting Santa’s workshop

on the North Pole, but if all 25 million square kilometers were to melt tomorrow, global coastlines wouldn’t rise a centimeter.

Sea ice is made of frozen seawater and floats on the ocean’s surface in the form of icebergs.

Melting of Glaciers, Continental Ice Caps

Continental ice, such as alpine glaciers and the ice sheets that cover Antarctica and Greenland, does have the potential to raise the sea level.

As ice melts, the amount of water in the oceanincreases

Thermal Expansion of Oceans

Thermal_Expansion_and_Contraction

When you heat gases or liquids, the particles move farther apart,

Yes, they EXPAND, increasing volume.

Melting of Antarctic Ice Shelves

Ice shelves are attached to continental ice and do not displace liquid water;If they break off, they will displace water and raise sea ice.

Estuarine Ecosystems

Mississippi Delta

Chesapeake Bay

San Francisco Bay

Fauna TidalMarshForestedWetlandSea-LevelFens SAV TidalFlatsEstuarineBeachesUnvegetatedCliffsFish (Juvenile) – – –Fish (Adult) – – –Crustaceans/Mollusks – – –Other invertebrates Turtles/Terrapins – –Other reptiles/Amphibians – – –Wading Birds – – – –Shorebirds – – – –Waterbirds – – –Songbirds – – – – Mammals – – – Notes:Symbols represent the degree of dependence that particular fauna have on habitat types, as described in thesections below. indicates that multiple species, or certain rare or endangered species, depend heavily on that habitat. indicates that the habitat provides substantial benefits to the fauna. indicates that some species of that fauna type may rely on the habitat, or that portions of their life cycle may becarried out there.– indicates that negligible activity by a type of fauna occurs in the habitat

Loss/Flooding/ Erosion of Estuary Habitat

• Loss of wetland, marshes, salt marshes, intertidal zone, riparian zone, mangroves

Loss/Flooding/ Erosion of Estuary Habitat

Inland migration of wetlands

Loss/Flooding/ Erosion of Estuary Habitat

May lead to changes in water depth, light levels, and temperature, causing migration or local extinction of species that have specific requirements

Vulnerable Species: the Effects of Sea-LevelRise on Coastal Habitats