Brown Bag Science: Modeling sea-level rise vulnerability for South Bay tidal wetlands

The Restoration Project launches its 2024-25 Brown Bag Science Speaker Series with a Sept. 10, 2024 presentation on the latest research by Kevin Buffington of USGS on the potential sea level rise threat to South Bay tidal marshes and restoration sites. Sea-level rise threatens tidal wetland ecosystems if sediment accretion in these areas is unable to keep pace with rising water. The future vulnerability of South Bay tidal wetlands to these threats has been understudied. To remedy this, Kevin Buffington at the U.S. Geological Survey and his team have focused their research and modeling efforts on marshes across the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, which spans the South Bay from Fremont along San Jose to Menlo Park. Buffington discusses his preliminary modeling projections regarding sediment accretion and elevation change, soil organic carbon stocks, and future research directions. His work will help the Restoration Project understand sea level rise and how it is affecting South Bay tidal marsh and our restoring marsh sites, and help inform the public on potential sea level rise impacts more widely across the South Bay.

Event Page – link to presentation slides, chat discussion and links, background on event