Date of Award

2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

Second Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Alcock, Frank

Area of Concentration

Environmental Studies

Abstract

Climate change has become one of the most prominent environmental issues in the last couple decades. There are numerous threats associated with climate change, including sea level rise, that must be addressed. Coastal ecosystems, such as wetlands, are at a high risk of loss from sea level rise, which may result in a loss in ecosystem services. The purpose of this study is to model some potential ecological and economic risks associated with wetlands loss in Sarasota County. Using GIS various sea level rise projections were used to identify wetlands that may be permanently inundated by 2050 and 2100. Data on wetlands loss were then used to inform several economic costs and losses in benefits to Sarasota County. The GIS data indicate that anywhere from 12 to 47 percent of wetlands are at risk of permanent inundation by 2100, which could potentially result in millions of dollars worth of ecosystem services lost. If Sarasota County wants to minimize the risk that sea level rise poses to wetlands, it must conduct further assessments on wetlands identified in this study so that adaptation strategies can be implemented.

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