Sea Level Rise Expert Spotlight: Christine Voss
UNC-CH Institute of Marine Sciences Research Associate discusses the inevitability of sea level rise, negative implications of politicizing the issue, and her hope for innovative solutions ______________________________________________________
Dr. Christine Voss is a ecosystems ecologist and Research Associate at UNC-CH Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City. She is one of SeaLevelRise.org’s experts in North Carolina, where she lends her expertise regarding scientific knowledge that informs and progresses environmental and natural resource management.
Dr. Voss’ research examines how sea level rise affects coastal habitats by mapping population and landscape information in order to determine how ecosystems can be optimized to benefit communities, as well as how to avoid or minimize conflicts between renewable energy development and both wildlife and existing human uses of the water surrounding our continent.
In her research, Dr. Voss uses scientific models to develop an understanding of how food-chain interactions and habitat alteration result in direct and indirect effects in estuarine and marine ecosystems. She recognizes that an increase of ecological relationships can be used to protect natural and social capital by sustaining ecosystems that benefit populations. For her, this includes understanding how coastal habitats benefit fish, wildlife, and people who live along the coast.
+ What initially sparked your interest in sea-level rise?
The inevitability of it. The sea has always beckoned me and continues to do so. Of course, I am not alone in my desire to live and work along Earth’s coasts. I would like to contribute to the challenge of how we Earthlings can live sustainably within coastal zones in a way that is wise and equitable to all.
+ What’s one thing that might surprise people about sea-level rise and coastal flooding?
The sheer number of forces that influence water levels — the interactions among global sea levels, astronomical tides, wind forcing, and the influence of broad-scale currents, such as the Gulf Stream that is surprisingly influential to sea levels along our North Carolina coast.
+ What challenges do you face when educating/advocating about the urgency of sea-level rise?
Sadly, perhaps the greatest challenge to our society’s understanding of and response to sea level rise is the politicization of the issue. There is no doubt that our planet is warming and that sea levels are rising. While there will always be some uncertainty about rising sea level predictions, the data are quite clear, and the evidence continues to mount. We have begun experiencing the impacts of increasing sea levels; for the sake of humankind, I hope that we soon get serious about using our ability to alter the Earth in ways that will allow future generations to thrive.
+ Can you share an example of how sea-level rise impacts (or will impact) your state?
The impacts of increasing water levels are readily seen along the coast as streets and neighborhoods repeatedly become inundated, salt infiltrates our wells and groundwater, groundwater elevation is near the soil surface, and salt water changes the landscape (altering vegetation and soils) as it migrates landward. The effects of rising seas, this increase in the hydraulic head of the oceans, reach far inland within our State’s gradually sloped coastal plain.
+ What adaptation measures, solutions, or initiatives to protect against sea level rise are you most excited or passionate about?
I am encouraged by the fact that the challenges of how to deal with climate change and sea level rise are being tackled on a wide variety of fronts; humans are masters of innovation. I am encouraged that many coastal communities have begun to deal with the initial impacts of sea level rise, such as managing stormwater and increasingly frequent flooding; some are now planning proactively for increasing sea levels, flash-precipitation events, and more-frequent strong storms.
The problem is not simply sea level rise alone. I see the challenge being how will we maximize (and enjoy):
- The viable use of our barrier islands
- The ecosystem services of our coastal habitats and natural resources
- Healthy lives and livelihoods within our coastal zone, as we respond to our dynamic coastlines moving landward.
Since we basically know what to expect, how can we not do our best to prepare for inevitable changes?
