Saving the Great Marsh

Speaker:
Russ Hopping, The Trustees of the Reservations

The Great Marsh stretches across 20,000 acres from New Hampshire to Gloucester. Its ecological functions are crucial, as it provides habitat for hundreds of fish, shellfish, birds, and mammals. Additionally, it serves as a natural barrier against sea level rise and storm surges, while absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and filtering pollutants from coastal waters.

However, the Great Marsh is under threat due to the increasing intensity of storms and rising sea levels caused by climate change. As a result, the marshes erode and critical habitat is lost, which leads to declines in native species and the rise of invasive animals and plants that threaten the ecosystem.

The Trustees of Reservations' Saving the Great Marsh Project is an ambitious project aiming to restore the health of depleted salt marsh and strengthen its ability to serve as a buffer against climate change. Unfortunately, historical agricultural practices dating back to the colonial era have compromised marsh health, leaving it vulnerable to flooding. Without intervention, sea level rise will eventually cause the loss of marshland and its conversion to open water, which will have severe local and regional impacts on biodiversity and climate resiliency.