Over the last 12,000 years, sea level has risen almost 400 feet. Mangroves have adjusted to that quite well, so I think another foot or two shouldn't be a problem for mangroves. Steve Allexan Vero Beach, Fla. Author Allison Whitten responds: Great point, but mangroves and their ecosystems have actually been strongly impacted by sea-level rise in the last 12,000 years. That's why the researchers in the Science study analyzed mangrove survival between 10,000 and 7,000years ago, when sea levels were rising even faster than today due to melting glaciers. They found that about a quarter of an inch of rise per year was the limit for mangroves before the forests were forced to move inland or risked drowning.
展开▼
