The sea is rising! How do we know, why does it matter, and what can we do?

March 30, 2019
An interactive session led by Drs. Anamaria Bukvic and Sarah Karpanty

Anamaria Bukvic, Ph.D. is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at Virginia Tech and serves as a co-lead of the Coastal@VT initiative, also at VT. Her multidisciplinary educational training drives her dedication to study complex emerging issues with focus on interdisciplinary integration and holistic problem-solving. Dr. Bukvic received two M.S. degrees in biology and community planning from the University of Cincinnati, and finished her Ph.D. in Planning, Governance, and Globalization at Virginia Tech. Her research focuses on coastal adaptation, resilience, and vulnerability, as well as on hazard-induced displacement and relocation. Sarah Karpanty, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech and is affiliated with Coastal@VT. She earned her B.S. at Miami University in Zoology and her Ph.D. at Stony Brook University in Ecology and Evolution. Dr. Karpanty studies how changing climate impacts wildlife and the recovery of imperiled species, ranging from lemurs in the rainforests of Madagascar to shorebirds on the U.S. Atlantic Coast. She is interested in how human communities can make choices in the face of climate change that both help people and wildlife.

Our planet’s coasts are home to more than ½ of the world’s population, host important commercial and military ports, offer highly desired recreational opportunities, and support unique wildlife and plant communities. They are also on the front line of the climate change battle. Rising sea levels and increased storm strength and frequency are threatening people and communities, economic and recreational activities, and valuable natural resources. Scientists affiliated with the Coastal@VT initiative are working around the world to help human populations and wildlife to be able to respond and adapt to changing climate. This interactive session will explore the science behind the sea level rise and its impacts on our coasts, why it matters, and what we can do about it now and in the future.