Ghosts of the Coast

Engaging citizen scientists to help document the formation of ghost forests.

What is a Ghost Forest?

The submergence of low lying coastal land due to sea level rise results in the formation of ghost forests, a striking visual indicator of climate change. They are characterized by lingering stands of dead trees and marsh grasses that have spread into the understory.

Ghost forests can form in any type of forest. The formation of ghost forests in the maritime forests of the Mid-Atlantic sea level rise hotspot that runs from North Carolina to Massachusetts has been rapid and conspicuous.

While ghost forests serve as a reminder of what a landscape used to be, they are also a symbol of hope for the future of wetland ecosystems against advancing sea levels.

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Citizen Science

The conversion of forests to marshes is changing more than just our coastal ecosystems, as it is affecting land that has been inhabited by people for many generations.

We are engaging citizen scientists to help document the formation of ghost forests on a larger scale. Their observations will help us better understand where ghost forests are being observed and what these locations have in common.

Have you seen a ghost forest? Click here to contribute your observation to our map!

Photo Gallery

Explore ghost forest photos taken by our citizen scientists!

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Outreach News

Check out the latest ghost forest news from scientists, artists, and educators.

As Sea Levels Rise, So Do Ghost Forests (Published 2019)

Up and down the mid-Atlantic coast, sea levels are rising rapidly, creating stands of dead trees - often bleached, sometimes blackened - known as ghost forests. The water is gaining as much as 5 millimeters per year in some places, well above the global average of 3.1 millimeters, driven by profound environmental shifts that include climate change.

https://www.nytimes.com

Ghosts of the Coast - Coastal Education

Meet the Participating Artists and Scientists Find a Forest Near You Use the Map below to find a ghost forest near you on the Eastern Shore. If you visit one of these forests, please be sure to respect private property.

https://www.coastaleducation.virginia.edu

Ghosts of the Coast: Artists and Scientists Bring 'Ghost Forests' to Life

For a decade, Assistant Professor of Biology Keryn Gedan has told an ecological ghost story. The setting is the marshes and tidal wetlands of the Chesapeake Bay, where record sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion are altering the natural ecosystem.

https://columbian.gwu.edu

Sea-Level Rise and the Formation of Ghost Forests

the growing recognition that sea-level rise will mostly impact rural land-much of it privately owned

https://www.vims.edu

How do marshes migrate? " Botany One

Environments change and move, but how? Emily Kottler and Keryn Gedan have been looking at a migrating salt marsh by the Chesapeake Bay to see what the processes are that move a marsh. It might be helpful to start by asked what, exactly, we mean by marsh.

https://www.botany.one

Publications

Sea-level driven land conversion and the formation of ghost forests

Ghost forests created by the submergence of low-lying land are one of the most striking indicators of climate change along the Atlantic coast of North America.

https://www.nature.com

Seeds of change: characterizing the soil seed bank of a migrating salt marsh

The capacity for dispersal to promote or hinder species' responses to global change remains a major question in ecology. One ecosystem experiencing rapid change is the tidal marsh, which is migrating inland in response to accelerated sea level rise. Few studies to date have investigated the ecological dynamics that impact this large-scale migration.

https://academic.oup.com

The Invisible Flood: The Chemistry, Ecology, and Social Implications of Coastal Saltwater Intrusion

Saltwater intrusion is the leading edge of sea-level rise, preceding tidal inundation, but leaving its salty signature far inland.

https://academic.oup.com

Rapid deforestation of a coastal landscape driven by sea‐level rise and extreme events

Climate change is driving ecological shifts in coastal regions of the world, where low topographic relief makes ecosystems particularly vulnerable to sea‐level rise, salinization, storm surge, and other effects of global climate change.

https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Gedan Lab

Want to learn more about our work?

Gedan Lab Website

@gedanlabgwu on Instagram

Virginia Coast Reserve LTER