Model to Simulate Sea Level Rise in the Gulf

Experts at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announce that the organization will be supporting a team of researchers in developing computer models capable of predicting the effects and impact of sea level rise in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Knowing how the elevated water levels may affect the region is essential for being able to prepare measures aimed at combating these nefarious effects. One of the most important objectives of the new studies will be understanding the erosion patterns that may occur in coastal habitats and communities.

“We intend to build upon our individual and collective experiences to develop an integrated modeling approach for assessing the ecological impacts of sea level rise. Our modeling effort will be improved by close coordination between NOAA-funded scientists and local coastal resource managers,” says University of Central Florida (UCF) professor Scott Hagen, PhD. He is the designated leader of the science team that benefits from the new NOAA funding.

Hagen's group will receive about $3 million over the next few years. The NSF has already approved the release of $750,000 for the UCF group, which will start work on its sea level rise computer models as soon as possible. The planned simulations are a critical part of the effort to augment the information and tools that authorities need for planning against sea level rise. Future conservation efforts and other such endeavors could also benefit from the new knowledge, scientists say. The direct target of the research is a swath of 300 miles. Located along the northern Gulf of Mexico’s shoreline.

“This advanced warning tool is just one example of NOAA’s growing portfolio of climate services so that local authorities can take steps to protect valuable resources and coastal economies in a proactive manner,” explains the acting director of the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Russell Callender. This organization provides the competitive funding for the new investigation. The UCF team says that the target area stretches from coastal Mississippi to the Florida Panhandle, and that it includes three sites from the NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserve System.