Highlights

Since 1989, the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) has submitted annual reports to Congress called Our Changing Planet. The reports describe the status of USGCRP research activities, provide progress updates, and document recent accomplishments.

In particular, Our Changing Planet highlights progress and accomplishments in interagency activities. These highlights represent the broad spectrum of USGCRP activities that extend from Earth system observations, modeling, and fundamental research through synthesis and assessment, decision support, education, and public engagement. Highlights describe the state of science at the time of publication of each yearly report, and may not reflect more recent advances in understanding. The date of publication of the source report is noted on each highlight page.

Calm water snakes through a salt marsh surrounded by green vegetation on a sunny day.

Satellite data products are helping land managers quickly evaluate the health of vulnerable coastal wetlands.

Salt marshes protect communities and infrastructure from storms, filter pollution, and provide habitat for fish and shellfish. These coastal wetlands and the ecosystem services they provide are increasingly threatened by rising sea levels, erosion, and land use change, and land and resource managers need tools to track changes and trends in their health and extent. Satellite data products provide one method for quickly evaluating marsh vulnerability to environmental...

Partially collapsed Florida beach homes sit beside a crumbling road under blue skies, captured in the aftermath of a category four hurricane.

A modeling framework provides insight on future coastal flooding risks to guide resilience efforts.

Sea level rise and other climate-related changes are increasing risks from the impacts of storms on coastal communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems. To support efforts to build resilience to climate variability and change, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center-Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (ERDC-CHL) developed the Coastal Hazards System (CHS) as a...

An aerial view of the Chesapeake’s Swan Island spotted with new marsh and dune plant growth, and its coasts lined with restored sediment.

Nature-based restoration efforts on Swan Island aim to protect coastal communities from erosion and storm surge while restoring ecosystems.

Coastal islands and marshes in the Chesapeake Bay provide habitat for many species and protect coastal communities from wave energy. Within the last half century, the effects of shoreline erosion, land subsidence, and sea level rise have accelerated the rate of island submergence and degradation of ecosystems in the region. In one example, the Smith Island complex, of which Swan Island is a part, has eroded at rates of up to 2 meters per...

An image from a new pilot smartphone-based information tool that alerts users in Florida’s central Gulf Coast to potential respiratory hazards from toxic algal blooms.

In the Gulf of Mexico, toxic algal bloom outbreaks (or red tides) occur primarily during the late summer and early fall, and can be harmful to people and ecosystems. One of the most severe red tide outbreaks in a decade hit Florida’s Gulf Coast throughout the summer and early fall of 2018, with widespread adverse impacts that prompted the governor to declare a State of Emergency in mid-August.

In October 2018, a new pilot smartphone-based information resource developed by NASA, NOAA, and state and local partners began alerting users to red tide risks...

A king tide flooded parts of Imperial Beach, California in December 2018.

U.S. coastal communities are increasingly vulnerable to sea level rise, tidal flooding, higher storm surge, coastal erosion, and other climate-related impacts.^[1] To help communities in southern California plan for rising water levels, a NASA DEVELOP team collaborated with the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, in partnership with the California Coastal Commission, to create detailed projections of flooding from sea level rise and coastal storms along the...

Collaboration across regions and institutions in Alaska supports increased resilience to climate-related risks to lives and livelihoods.

In Alaska, changes in snow, ice, and weather have increased risks to human lives and threats to valuable natural resources, damaged infrastructure, and disrupted hunting, fishing, and livelihoods. The vast and largely undisturbed landscapes of Alaska and Northwest Canada support unique natural and cultural resources that are valued locally and globally. To help address these challenges, leaders...

A breach at Old Inlet, Fire Island National Seashore, caused by Hurricane Sandy. Interagency science is supporting efforts to build resilience to coastal storms and other stressors. Source: National Park Service.

A new Federal coastal adaptation resource highlights strategies to protect natural and cultural resources in coastal parks that can be applied in coastal landscapes across the country.

The “Coastal Adaptation Strategies Handbook” and “...

The educational guides are tailored to each region of the country shown above, as well as coasts and oceans. (Source: The Third National Climate Assessment, 2014)

Although global climate change can be challenging to grasp as a seemingly abstract concept, connecting it to concrete impacts that are recognizable within a familiar region can be an effective approach for understanding and learning. The Third National Climate Assessment offers a wealth of accessible information about climate effects, risks, and response strategies at the regional scale. Capitalizing on this, NOAA, the NCAnet Education Affinity Group, and members

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The Transboundary Flathead River Watershed, home to key trout and salmon species, extends from British Columbia into Montana. (Credit: G. Lenz, USGS)

Trout and salmon are economically and ecologically important stream-dwelling species. Researchers from USGS, NOAA, and the University of Montana are working together to assess the effects of current and future climate change on these species’ freshwater habitats throughout the Pacific Northwest, with the goal of providing tools to help managers predict and respond to potential climate impacts on habitats, populations, and the economy.

Research to date indicate that increasing stream water temperatures may lead to fragmentation of suitable habitat for

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Flooding in Jakarta in 2013. (Credit: U.S. Embassy in Indonesia)

Coastal zones are central to socioeconomic development and are estimated to provide more than half of all global ecosystem goods and services. These narrow, marginal, often low-lying areas are subject to intense population pressure—with over a billion inhabitants—and are highly vulnerable to extreme weather and natural hazards associated with climate change. USGCRP supports efforts to understand and prepare for climate impacts in coastal zones worldwide through its member agency activities in the United States and its funding for IHDP, IGBP, and

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Highlights

Assessing the health of coastal wetlands nationwide

Understanding coastal hazards

Building coastal resilience in the Chesapeake Bay

A new forecast tool helps the public avoid toxic algal blooms

Flood mapping helps planners visualize the future of California’s coast

Building coastal resilience in Alaska

Supporting adaptation in coastal communities

Teaching Climate Where We Live

Assessing Risks to Freshwater Fish

Supporting Sustainability and Resilience in Coastal Zones