Extreme Natural Events
Extreme
natural events like hurricanes, coastal storms, floods, and droughts
are relatively short term changes that can wreak havoc on coastal
communities over just a matter of hours or days. They can cause long-lasting
harm to coastal ecosystems and their economies.
Strong winds and waves resulting from storms can degrade habitats by altering freshwater flow and nutrient concentrations. They can also lead to increased pollution. NCCOS is applying better forecasting and monitoring methods to help protect human health and save lives, thus lessening the trauma that coastal communities experience.
NCCOS scientists are working to understand how changing quantities of runoff, the timing of extreme events, and the nature and extent of resulting physical damages affect coastal ecosystems. Hurricane and severe storm forecasting capabilities have vastly improved in recent years, but coastal communities are still unsure how to best manage and reduce the damage that these storms can produce. To help fulfill this need, NCCOS is researching how to forecast expected coastal resource changes resulting from those events.
Weather-related events also may influence harmful algal blooms (HABs). HABs can damage the health of people and marine organisms, and affect local and regional economies. The toxins and low oxygen levels resulting from HABs can damage cells and even kill some organisms. HABs also impact economies. Over the last several decades, HABs have caused more than $1 billion in losses in the U.S. They have forced valuable shellfish beds and coastal fisheries to close, diverted scarce resources to monitoring programs, affected tourism and service industry revenues, and likely caused public illnesses.
HABs have occurred in almost every U.S. coastal state, and data suggest that they are increasing in frequency. Using a variety of sensing technologies and conducting research to determine environmental factors that trigger HABs, NCCOS is developing an early warning system to help coastal managers better plan for and reduce impacts of HABs.
For more information on NCCOS projects involving Climate Change and Long-Term Use, open the NCCOS Project Explorer (opens in a new window).
Feature Articles
- The Science of the NOAA Marine Biotoxins Program’s “ART”
- New NOAA Research Sheds Light On Pfiesteria Life Cycle
- Harmful Algae
- South Carolina Phytoplankton Monitoring Network: A Working Example of Coastal Stewardship
Related Topics
- NCCOS Human Dimensions Research
- NOAAWatch HABs information page
- Harmful Algal Blooms Factsheet (PDF)
- Worst New England Harmful Algal Bloom in 30 Years - from CSCOR website
- Harmful Algal Bloom Research at Hollings Marine Laboratory in Charleston, SC
- Marine Biotoxins Program (MBP) at the Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research in Charleston, SC
- Responding with Answers to Mass Marine Mammal Mortalities factsheet (PDF)
