But the rate of growth is no longer keeping up with the accelerating pace of sea level rise and whole sections of marsh grasses in parts of Rhode Island are drowning in place. Marshes naturally grow higher as sediment gets trapped in them and as plants break down into peat. Officials gathered Friday morning at the edge of Ninigret Pond to celebrate the start of a project that aims to protect a portion of marshland on the west side of the Charlestown Breachway by literally raising it up out of the rising waters. Lately, they have focused their efforts on addressing what could be the greatest threat to the state’s marshes: sea level rise caused by a warming climate. And they act as buffers during coastal storms, protecting the communities behind them.įor all those reasons, state and federal agencies, as well as environmental groups, have long worked to restore the damaged and polluted marshes that lie along Rhode Island’s 400 miles of coastline. They also keep waterways clean by filtering out nitrogen and other nutrients. CHARLESTOWN - Salt marshes are not only among the most productive ecosystems in the world, serving as nurseries for fish and feeding grounds for birds.
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