The Next 30 Years of Sea Level Rise

Looking for a last minute stocking-stuffer? The 2022 Sea Level Rise Technical Report is packed with useful information that any coastal community could use. Twenty-three co-authors—including senior scientists and experts from academic institutions, NOAA and other federal agencies—helped create this authoritative report, which offers sea level rise projections to 2150.

According to the report, sea levels along the U.S. coastline are projected to rise between 10 and 12 inches on average over the next 30 years. That is as much rise as we’ve seen over the past 100 years. We are grateful to Reserves for working as a System and locally to help communities prepare for the coming change.

• With support from the National Estuarine Research Reserve System Coastal Training Program, the report comes with an application guide to help decision makers and coastal professionals connect science in the Report to meet local needs and adapt to future risks in ways that work for them.

• In New Jersey, a partnership between the Jacques Cousteau Reserve and the state’s Department of Environmental Protection works to raise awareness of tidal flooding risk by encouraging people to learn more about their local tides through this social media campaign.

• In New Hampshire, the Great Bay Reserve and a broad coalition of partners teamed up to create the New Hampshire Salt Marsh Plan, an integrated set of tools to support policy making, restoration, and conservation of state salt marshes as sea levels rise.

• And, on the Mexico-United States border, the Tijuana River Reserve is involved in the Flood Resilience Infrastructure and Sustainable Environments (FloodRISE) project, which promotes resilience to coastal flooding in Southern and Baja California by mapping hazards and making this information available to local communities.

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