Coastal plant growth and CO2 enrichment: Can the productivity of black needle rush keep pace with sea level rise?

The rate of sea level change has varied considerably over geological time, with rapid increases (0.25 cm yr-1) at the end of the last ice age to more modest increases over the last 4,000 years (0.04 cm yr-1; Hendry 1993). Due to anthropogenic contributions to climate change, however, the rate of sea level rise is expected to increase between 0.10 and 0.25 cm year-1 for many coastal areas (Warrick et al. 1996). Notwithstanding, it has been predicted that over the next 100 years, sea levels along the northeastern coast of North Carolina may increase by an astonishing 0.8 m (0.8 cm yr-1); through a combination of sea-level rise and coastal subsidence (Titus and Richman 2001; Parham et al. 2006). As North Carolina ranks third in the United States with land at or just above sea level, any additional sea rise may promote further deterioration of vital coastal wetland systems. (PDF contains 4 pages)

Sediment flux at selected coastal sites: proposed time series measurment by particle traps

Particle flux in the ocean reflects ongoing biological and geological processes operating under the influence of the local environment. Estimation of this particle flux through sediment trap deployment is constrained by sampler accuracy, particle preservation, and swimmer distortion. Interpretation of specific particle flux is further constrained by indeterminate particle dispersion and the absence of a clear understanding of the sedimentary consequences of ecosystem activity. Nevertheless, the continuous and integrative properties of the particle trap measure, along with the logistic advantage of a long-term moored sampler, provide a set of strategic advantages that appear analogous to those underlying conventional oceanographic survey programs. Emboldened by this perception, several stations along the coast of Southern California and Mexico have been targeted as coastal ocean flux sites (COFS).