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Sea Level Rise

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Submitted By akhiravi
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Introduction

Climate change is increasingly becoming a local issue as cities and counties consider its affects and implement mitigation and adaptation strategies in an attempt to limit its potential damage. Florida is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The state has over 1,200 miles of coastline, almost 4,500 square miles of estuaries and bays, more than 6,700 square miles of other coastal waters, and a low-lying topography. In addition, most of the state’s 18 million residents live within 60 miles of the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico. Florida’s diverse and productive coastal and marine ecosystems are imperative to the state’s present and future. These ecosystems provide food and other products for its habitat as well as valuable and irreplaceable ecological functions. These systems also attract visitors from all over the world who wish to experience the beauty and recreational opportunities these locations offer. The state’s life-support system, economy, and quality of life depend on preserving and sustaining these resources over the long term .

Of prime interest to Florida is the climate changes impact on rising sea levels. Sea Level Rise (SLR) has been identified as a major global problem. SLR has two causes, the melting of mountain glaciers and polar ice sheets and thermal expansion of the oceans. At present, the mean global rate of sea level rise is approximately 3 mm per year. However, within a relatively broad band of certainty, projections for future sea level rise consistently indicate a non-linear increase in this rate. A rise of at least 1 meter before the end of the century is an increasingly likely possibility .

SLR is a serious problem for Florida because of its vast stretches of coast-line. A large portion of the state’s coastline and near-shore inland areas are less than 10 feet in elevation and are

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