Protecting coastal habitats even more important in the face of changing climate

living shoreline in Pine Knoll Shores — Living shoreline at Pine Knoll Shores (Trinity Center) before and after Hurricane Florence

Hurricanes and tropical storms have affected the North Carolina coast since before such events were recorded. The N.C. State Climatology Office, based on data from 1883 to 1996, estimated that a tropical cyclone makes landfall along the coastline of North Carolina once every four years. However, it is predicted that, as the waters continue to warm and sea level continues to rise due to climate change, storms will continue to increase in strength and intensity of and duration of rainfall with associated flooding (Figure 1). This has become apparent in recent years with hurricanes Florence and Dorian in 2018 and 2019 and a major flooding event from Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

The repeated impacts and losses associated with these severe weather and flooding events can be catastrophic to the communities and ecosystems of the coast but can also have far reaching effects. While we cannot eliminate the risk and hazards associated with these natural disasters, we can begin to lessen their effects by increasing coastal resilience. Coastal resilience can be broken down into two parts that are intertwined: 1) community resiliency – the ability of a community to prevent, withstand, respond to, and recover from a disruption, and 2) ecosystem resiliency – the ability of the natural environment to prevent, withstand, respond to, and recover from a disruption. These disruptions include natural disasters such as hurricanes, tropical storms, and flooding. Impacts can be minimized and coastal resilience can be increased by protecting and restoring natural habitats that provide valuable ecosystem services and using natural and nature based infrastructure such as living shorelines wherever possible (Figure 2).

On October 29, 2018 in the wake of Hurricane Florence, N.C. Governor Roy Cooper signed Executive Order 80 – N.C.’s Commitment to Address Climate Change and Transition to a Clean Energy Economy. As part of this executive order, the Climate Change Interagency Council was created including members from the Departments of Environmental Quality, Transportation, Administration, and Commerce. The council assists staff from these agencies in achieving the clean energy and climate change goals, initiatives, and plans of Executive Order 80. The Department of Environmental Quality was tasked to serve as the lead agency with Department Secretary Michael S. Regan serving as council chair.

N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries staff are active on the council and other working groups involved in completing the directives of Executive Order 80. Efforts include compiling scientific literature and research, assessing the risks associated with climate change to coastal habitats and infrastructure, and drafting goals and recommendations to increase carbon sequestration and resiliency of the coastal habitats and communities. These efforts will be incorporated into the N.C. Risk Assessment and Resiliency Plan.

The Coastal Habitat Protection Plan provided valuable information during this process., since it already includes recommendations for oyster restoration, improving water quality by reducing stormwater runoff, and promoting living shorelines. These actions are not only beneficial to the fishery habitats, but also increase coastal resilience.

Moving forward, the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan will be one of the primary tools the Division of Marine Fisheries uses to further the goals of the N.C. Risk and Assessment Resiliency Plan.

The Coastal Habitat Protection Plan, authorized by the General Assembly in 1997, was developed and is periodically updated through the joint efforts of several environmental agencies to identify and promote enhancement of coastal fish habitat. It is approved by the Environmental Management Commission, the Coastal Resources Commission, and the Marine Fisheries Commission.

The Department of Environmental Quality’s Coastal Habitat Protection Plan Team will capitalize on the momentum started by the initiatives of Executive Order 80 for its fourth review of the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan, which will be presented to the commissions for approval in 2021. The Coastal Habitat Protection Plan has and will continue to highlight the importance of the coastal habitats and the ecosystem services they provide. With more interest and urgency sparked by the storm events of the last several years and Governor Cooper’s executive order, the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan will play an even more important role in protecting the future of coastal fishery habitats for the benefit and resiliency of all North Carolinians.

N.C. Gov. Cooper’s Executive Order 80
N.C. Climate Change Interagency Council
NCDEQ Climate and Energy
NOAA Resilience
N.C. Institute for Climate Studies

Change in sea level graph — Figure 1. Global mean sea level (GMSL) change from 1800 to 2100. Projections include the six U.S. Interagency Sea Level Rise Task Force GMSL scenarios (navy blue, royal blue, cyan, green, orange, and red curves) relative to historical geological, tide gauge and satellite altimeter GMSL reconstructions from 1800–2015 (black and magenta lines) and the very likely ranges in 2100 under both lower and higher emissions futures (teal and dark red boxes). Global sea level rise projections range from 1 to 8 feet by 2100, with a likely range of 1 to 4 feet. Source: Adapted from Sweet et al. 2017.