Assessing Climate Risks in a National Estuary

Along the Morro Bay, the wetlands, intertidal mudflats, salt and freshwater marshes, eelgrass beds host some of the most productive natural habitats in the world. To protect the ecological significance of estuaries, stakeholders of the Morro Bay National Estuary Program in California worked with resources from the EPA's Climate Ready Estuaries program to identify their climate risks. Based on the results of their climate vulnerability assessment, they identified 54 climate challenges and 27 high-priority risks, and selected 15 potential adaptation actions to implement – which encompasses floodplain restoration, protection of native species, and conservation-focused education for the public and landowners.