The impact of climate change on coastal ecosystems

In this chapter we stress two other important features of coasts and coastal

ecosystems. First, these are dynamic systems that continually undergo adjustments,

especially through erosion and redeposition, in response to a range of processes.

Many coastal ecosystems adjust naturally at a range of timescales, and their

potential for response is examined partly by reconstructing how such systems

have coped with natural changes of climate and sea level in the geologic past.

Second, coasts have changed profoundly through the twentieth century due to the

impacts of human development (such as urbanization, port and industrial expan-

sion, shore protection, and the draining and conversion of coastal wetlands), with

these development-related drivers closely linked to a growing global population

and economy. It remains a challenge to isolate the impacts of climate change

and sea-level rise from either the natural trajectory of shoreline change, or the

accelerated pathway resulting from other human-related stressors. There exists a

danger of overstating the importance of climate change, or overlooking significant

interactions of climate change with other drivers.