Earth’s Future REVIEW The dynamic effects of sea level rise on low-gradient coastal 10.1002/2015EF000298 landscapes: A review Special Section: Davina L. Passeri1, Scott C. Hagen2, Stephen C. Medeiros1, Matthew V. Bilskie3, Karim Alizad1,and Integrated field analysis & Dingbao Wang1 modeling of the coastal 1Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA, dynamics of sea level rise in 2Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering/Center for Computation & Technology, Louisiana State University, the northern Gulf of Mexico Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA, 3Louisiana State University, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA Key Points: • The dynamic effects of sea level rise (SLR) are interrelated Abstract Coastal responses to sea level rise (SLR) include inundation of wetlands, increased shore- • SLR research efforts are moving beyond the “bathtub” approach line erosion, and increased flooding during storm events. Hydrodynamic parameters such as tidal ranges, • Synergetic studies integrating tidal prisms, tidal asymmetries, increased flooding depths and inundation extents during storm events dynamic systems under SLR are respond nonadditively to SLR. Coastal morphology continually adapts toward equilibrium as sea lev- needed els rise, inducing changes in the landscape. Marshes may struggle to keep pace with SLR and rely on sediment accumulation and the availability of suitable uplands for migration. Whether hydrodynamic, Corresponding author: D. L. Passeri,
[email protected] morphologic, or ecologic, the impacts of SLR are interrelated. To plan for changes under future sea lev- els, coastal managers need information and data regarding the potential effects of SLR to make informed decisions for managing human and natural communities.