Coastal vulnerability assessments are increasing in California, and local government staff who lead them now have access to standardized approaches for ranking built assets (e.g., roads, infrastructure) based on likelihood of exposure to flooding and potential for adverse consequences to human health and safety. However, the impact of climate change on natural systems and lost ecosystem services is more difficult to quantify, causing them to be underrepresented in vulnerability assessments. This project will quantify the projected changes in San Mateo County tidal marsh functions and services under different sea level rise/storm scenarios. In partnership with San Mateo County and the California Coastal Conservancy, the results will be integrated into coastal adaptation and climate action planning processes at the county-level and in the broader San Francisco Bay region, and disseminated as a case study approach more broadly statewide.
Maya Hayden