Effects of Sea Level Rise and Saltwater Intrusion on Tidal Freshwater Marshes

Learn about the impacts of seawater intrusion on tidal freshwater marshes in this 18-minute conference presentation from the Georgia Water Resources Conference. Explore findings from a 3.5-year field experiment (SALTEx) that investigated how continuous and episodic brackish water exposure affects marsh ecosystems along the Altamaha River, GA. Discover how sustained saltwater exposure increases porewater salinity and various nutrients while decreasing plant productivity, species diversity, and soil elevation. Examine the significant impacts on carbon storage, with losses of 770 g/m2 observed, and understand how these changes affect microbial communities and ecosystem services. Compare these effects with episodic saltwater intrusion, which showed minimal long-term impacts on marsh ecosystems. Gain valuable insights into how climate change and rising sea levels threaten these important coastal ecosystems and their ability to maintain critical environmental services like water quality improvement, carbon storage, and biodiversity maintenance.