2022-Jun-07
Findings From the ECCC Assessment of Coastal Wetlands
Coastal wetlands can be found throughout the Great Lakes Basin along mainland, island and major channel shorelines. These wetlands are important ecological features that protect and improve water quality, provide habitats for fish and wildlife, protect us from flooding & drought, and help mitigate the effects of climate change. Georgian Bay has by far the most extensive and (globally) significant wetlands of all the Great Lakes.
Despite their importance, coastal wetlands continue to be lost due to disturbances from agriculture, shoreline development, pollution, invasive species, and the compounding impacts of climate change.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) recently wrapped up a 5-year coastal resiliency study and, through a recent webinar series, shared the findings of their assessment and what measures can be taken to enhance wetland resilience.
Recordings from the webinars and the presentations can be accessed here:
- Climate Change in the Great Lakes Basin and Coastal Wetland Response Modelling
- Assessing Coastal Wetland Sensitivity, Adaptive Capacity, and Climate Change Vulnerability
- Solutions to Enhance Coastal Wetland Resilience parts 1-3:
- Reducing Non-climatic Stressors, Enhancing Adaptive Capacity, and Protecting Littoral Cell Geodiversity and Barrier Landforms
- Coping with Lake Level Extremes, Managing Diked Wetlands, and Restoring Biodiversity
- Identifying Climate Refugia, and Advancing Wetland Conservation and Protection
The seven associated ECCC scientific studies are expected to be released by the end of the summer.