Date of Award
2020
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Natural Sciences
First Advisor
Saarinen, Emily
Area of Concentration
Environmental Studies and Humanities
Abstract
Global sea levels are rising, and affecting coastal communities across time, space, and species. The popularly held perspective on climate change and rising sea levels are of negative and extreme thought, and embody the attitude that nothing can be done. The climate always has, and always will be dynamic, as should our attitudes and actions regarding the issue of Sea level rise. An interdisciplinary approach based on fundamentals from ecology, landscape archaeology, and the physical and metaphysical properties of water guide this thesis. Three communities of study along the Gulf Coast of Florida, specifically Sarasota Bay, offer insight into how the stressors of sea level rise affect community dynamics and structure. These communities are resilient and employ a host of diverse coping mechanisms and adaptations. Despite the community’s internal resilience and persistence, external human impact determines the community’s fate. Humans are the deciding factor for how climate change and sea level rise will affect the world, not the climate itself.
Recommended Citation
Siegel, Olivia, "A PHILOSOPHY OF CHANGE: COMMUNITY RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF RISING SEA LEVELS" (2020). Theses & ETDs. 5999.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/5999