An assessment of marine, estuarine, and riverine habitat vulnerability to climate change in the Northeast U.S.

ABSTRACT: Climate change is impacting the function and distribution of habitats used by marine, coastal, and diadromous species. These impacts often exacerbate the anthropogenic stressors that habitats face, particularly in the coastal environment. We conducted a climate vulnerability assessment of 52 marine, estuarine, and riverine habitats in the Northeast U.S. to develop an ecosystem-scale understanding of the impact of climate change on these habitats. The trait-based assessment considers the overall vulnerability of a habitat to climate change to be a function of two main components, sensitivity and exposure, and relies on a process of expert elicitation. The climate vulnerability ranks ranged from low to very high, with living habitats identified as the most vulnerable. Over half of the habita

SUBMITTER: Farr ER 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8659346 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature