Ocean and Coastal Health
Coastal Health Dashboard
The ocean covers 70% of our planet and holds immense power over our present and future. How are Southern California's coastline and waters doing?
Click through the tabs to explore the maps.
Zoom into each map to see how the statistics change.
Hover over the flip boxes below to see whether the CAUSES and EFFECTS of sea level rise are reversible. And find out what we can do about them!
Read more about sea level rise at climate.gov--while it lasts.
Runoff
IRREVERSIBLE.
Focus on future prevention.
Urban runoff flows directly into the ocean, also washing trash and toxins into the oceans. This cannot be taken back. But we can PREVENT more urban runoff by absorbing it before it happens, which benefits groundwater and ecosystems in urban areas.
Heat
REVERSIBLE!
Ocean water expands as it absorbs heat, contributing to sea level rise. This is called "thermal expansion." By cooling the planet, we can also reduce thermal expansion. Lowering carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions by shifting to renewable energy will make the most difference for land and ocean alike.
Inundation
IRREVERSIBLE.
BUT PREVENTABLE!
Inundation is when a dry area becomes permanently wet or submerged. With inundation, seawater can enter local aquifers, causing permanently contamination, making the water unable to support ecosystems and unsuitable for human consumption. This cannot be reversed. Tackling carbon emissions and heat that contribute to sea level rise will prevent inundation.
Sinking
IRREVERSIBLE.
BUT PREVENTABLE!
Sometimes land begins to sink--called subsidence. Causes of subsidences we can control include water overdraft, mining, oil drilling, & fracking. In combination with sea level rise, land subsidence may take out entire coastal communities. Coastal subsidence is closely monitored by groups like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Melting
IRREVERSIBLE.
Needs URGENT Prevention.
Melting glaciers, icebergs, and permafrost* contribute to sea level rise. Once melted, the water that enters the ocean cannot be taken back; glaciers, icebergs, and permafrost cannot be refrozen. Cutting global greenhouse gas emissions and using nature-based solutions to climate challenges will help prevent further damage.
Flooding
REVERSIBLE.
Coastal areas are flooding with increased frequency. The damage they do is usually temporary. We can prevent flooding through better water management, smarter urban planning, aquatic ecosystem habitat restoration, and halting additional planet-warming GHGs.
Erosion
IRREVERSIBLE.
Eroding shorelines can't be reversed. As sea levels rise, storms that combine with high tides--called storm surges--will flood coastal areas with increased frequency. Scientists are predicting a global decrease in beaches and sand by 2050. How old will you be by then? Let's make change now so this doesn't happen.
Storm Surge
REVERSIBLE!
When a high tide combines with a storm, look out. Storm surges create the temporary flooding of coastal areas, destroying roads, and sometimes costing lives. Sea level rise, ocean warming, and climate change are causing storm surges to happen more frequently. Wetlands restoration, growing seagrass, or nurturing mangrove barriers slow water, protect infrastructure, cool things down, and provide habitat for critters!
Sea level rise is more than just simple water displacement. Sea levels vary with coastline conditions, tidal patterns, temperature, weather, and topography.
Ocean Health: Story Maps
Game: The Ocean is Rising!
From the Los Angeles Times based on consultation with scientists.
Games sometimes take things only so far. What would you do next?
From Seaweed to Sequestration: Taking Ocean-Based Solutions with a Grain of Salt
Mass consumption, runoff, pollution, and climate effects must be managed in order to preserve our beautiful, unique ocean biome. Rising temperatures, acidification, overfishing, and pollution are compounding threats to the health of our oceans. Plus, we have some particular challenges in Southern California--from global shipping to "upwelling," a geographical feature that gives us twice the rate of acidification as other places.
These challenges endanger marine biodiversity, coastal resilience, and the many livelihoods dependent on marine resources. The Blue-Green Economy can be part of a Marine Just Transition. See the blue green incubator ALTASEA for inspiration and ideas.
Marine Carbon Capture, Kelp Restoration, Seaweed Farming, Blue Carbon Credits, Wave Energy Generation...energy, scale, and science all work together to create a range of ocean-based climate solutions that work with the ocean instead of compromising it further. But are all these solutions created equal? Stay tuned!
Maritime Transition: Energy and Beyond
The Ports of LA and Long Beach, and our local colleges and universities, are key resources for energy innovation, and sustainable aquatic futures.
Science Education Business
Wave Energy
Wind Energy
Blue Economy Climate Action Pathways
