Salt Marsh Response & Resilience to Changing Conditions: Prospects for Management

There is compelling evidence that New England coastal ecosystems face mounting challenges from pervasive anthropogenic stressors. Sea level rise, in particular, degrades salt marsh by altering hydrology, salinity regime and erosive forces. Southern New England salt marshes are among the most vulnerable in the country; a review and assessment of ecological response and resilience mechanisms of these important ecosystems is timely and critical to their future. To build capacity for improved conservation and to guide more effective management and adaptation strategies for New England salt marshes, the New England National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRS) hosted a regional workshop in conjunction with the New England Estuarine Research Society¡s (NEERS) 2018 spring meeting. Participants discussed the impacts of sea level rise on salt marshes and explored steps to sustain their capacity to adapt and maintain resilience in the context of inevitable change.Workshop objectives included:

• Describe the effects of sea level rise and related stressors on New England salt marshes as documented through research and monitoring efforts
• Discuss management/adaptation/recovery/restoration practices and lessons learned from projects throughout the region
• Explore monitoring and assessment strategies of proposed and implemented actions
• Identify coordination, collaboration, and partnership opportunities

The workshop proceedings document and materials can be viewed via the following links:https://nbnerr.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Workshop-Proceedings.pdfhttps://nbnerr.org/ctp/programs/salt-marsh/