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Fellow Project: Mapping Estuarine Vulnerability to Water Quality Change Under Future Climate and Land Use Conditions Completed

By Climate Adaptation Science Centers April 16, 2024

Learn about the research of Lise Montefiore, a 2020 Science to Action Fellow.

Science to Action Fellowship
Photo of Lise Montefiore
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

Fellow Information

Project Summary

Estuaries are bodies of water located where rivers meet the sea. These unique ecosystems are among the most productive systems on Earth and provide ecological (e.g., species habitat), cultural (e.g., recreation), and economic (e.g., fisheries, tourism) benefits. However, these systems are facing many adverse impacts. In particular, land use and climate change can alter the quantity and quality of riverine discharges to estuaries, thereby contributing to shifts in estuarine ecosystem health. For example, climate-driven shifts in precipitation patterns in agricultural watersheds can result in an abundance of fertilizer runoff being delivered to downstream estuaries, leading to eutrophication. Lise will develop a national-scale, interactive, web-based data visualization application displaying the vulnerability of U.S. estuarine systems to projected water quality change. The vulnerability map will produce critical information to identify estuarine systems at higher risk of degradation in the future. 

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Learn about the research of Lise Montefiore, a 2020 Science to Action Fellow.

Science to Action Fellowship
Photo of Lise Montefiore
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

Fellow Information

Project Summary

Estuaries are bodies of water located where rivers meet the sea. These unique ecosystems are among the most productive systems on Earth and provide ecological (e.g., species habitat), cultural (e.g., recreation), and economic (e.g., fisheries, tourism) benefits. However, these systems are facing many adverse impacts. In particular, land use and climate change can alter the quantity and quality of riverine discharges to estuaries, thereby contributing to shifts in estuarine ecosystem health. For example, climate-driven shifts in precipitation patterns in agricultural watersheds can result in an abundance of fertilizer runoff being delivered to downstream estuaries, leading to eutrophication. Lise will develop a national-scale, interactive, web-based data visualization application displaying the vulnerability of U.S. estuarine systems to projected water quality change. The vulnerability map will produce critical information to identify estuarine systems at higher risk of degradation in the future. 

Products