Conservation / Restoration

The Sea Level Rise Issue Characterization Workshop, held on March 12, was the first step towards the development of a Sea Level Rise Adaptation Strategy for the State of Delaware. The purpose of the Sea Level Rise Issue Characterization Workshop was to raise awareness regarding potential sea level rise impacts in Delaware and to initiate dialogue about sea level rise with an initial group of stakeholders. The workshop was also designed to develop a list of sea level rise issues of concern and to have participants develop an initial set of issue descriptions in a standard written format.

Coral reef managers everywhere seek to reduce vulnerability to climate change. In the most popular vulnerability assessment framework, vulnerability is a function of exposure to climate stress (e.g., the high sea temperatures that cause coral bleaching) and the resilience of the system to that stress (i.e., the system sensitivity and adaptive capacity, Turner et al. 2003). Reef resilience is defined as the ability of coral reefs to resist and recover from such disturbances while retaining essentially the same function and structure (Mumby et al. 2007).

Climate change has implications for both the effectiveness and hazard risk potential of many projects and activities undertaken or reviewed by natural resource management agencies. Failing to evaluate the potential vulnerability of a project or action prior to implementation or approval can lead to missed opportunities to improve design, optimize siting or otherwise reduce risk.

This tool is designed to help you determine if given climate change your project will continue to deliver intended benefits.

The Checklist supports your ability to:

In the 2011 report, The State of Marine and Coastal Adaptation in North America: A Synthesis of Emerging Ideas, we documented over 150 adaptation projects and initiatives from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The report concluded that the majority of activities underway were primarily focused on building awareness of how climate change may affect marine and coastal environments and adaptation planning, with some projects that had advanced into implementation.