Erosion threatens an estimated $2 billion worth of coastal parcels on Martha’s Vineyard and $2.6 billion on Nantucket, not including structures, FEMA data shows. What can Island communities do, to confront the challenges of climate change-drive sea level rise and storm surge? During this webinar, The Trustees presented findings from the second annual State of the Coast report, focused on Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and the Elizabeth Islands. Speakers shared innovative strategies to protect vulnerable infrastructure, including through adaptive design, and legislation.

Presenters:

Cecil Barron Jensen, Executive Director, ReMain Nantucket

Cynthia Dittbrenner, Director of Coast and Natural Resources, The Trustees

Linda Orel, Director of Policy, The Trustees

Beaches and coastal banks are some of the vulnerable coastal landscapes on the front lines of climate change, forecast to face accelerating impacts. As reported in the second annual State of the Coast—focused on Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and Gosnold—our island beaches experience some of the highest erosion rates, statewide. The expense and short-term nature of sand nourishment techniques, the vulnerable geology of the Islands, and the increasing fury of Mother Nature, means making hard choices: Which beaches can or should we protect? In this webinar, we explore some of the vulnerable habitats and places, and detail resilience projects underway.

Presenters:

Cynthia Dittbrenner, Director of Coast and Natural Resources, The Trustees

Tara Marden, Senior Coastal Geologist, Woods Hole Group

Shea Fee, Coastal Ecologist (Southeast), The Trustees

Salt marshes are one of the most productive ecosystems on the planet, and these beautiful landscapes also protect our shorelines, provide habitat, and help preserve water quality. But salt marshes depend on their ability to migrate with rising sea levels. Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and the Elizabeth Islands have nearly 1,800 acres of marsh that sea level rise threatens to outpace, the second annual State of the Coast report finds. Some marshes may have a chance to migrate landward and survive where the absence of built barriers and natural topography allow. In this webinar we discuss options for restoring salt marsh, and models for managed retreat to protect these natural systems, which, if healthy, can serve as natural buffers to storm surge and sea level rise.

Presenters:

Liz Durkee, Martha’s Vineyard Commission Climate Change Planner

Cynthia Dittbrenner, Director of Coast and Natural Resources, The Trustees

Russell Hopping, Lead Coastal Ecologist, The Trustees