Climate Change Threatens Coastal Wetland Biodiversity

Coastal wetlands—salt marshes, mangroves, seagrass meadows and tidal flats—are facing severe pressure from climate change, with projections suggesting 20% to 90% of current areas could be lost due to sea-level rise alone. These ecosystems act as transition zones supporting biodiversity and providing services such as storm protection, carbon storage, and nursery habitat for fisheries. The article warns that biodiversity in deltas and estuaries is at particular risk as rising seas, warmer temperatures and other human stressors accelerate degradation. Historically, wetland reclamation, pollution and altered hydrology drove losses, but the role of climate change is growing. Data cited from the WET Index shows a roughly 35% decline in marine and coastal wetlands from 1970 to 2015.