A partnership project

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A partnership project
www.branchproject.org
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The Coast is Home to a Range of Important Habitats
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Many Coastal Areas are Protected Under Natura 2000
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Climate Change and Sea level Rise Threaten Many
Coastal Areas
Many protected habitats are already at risk
Predicted sea level rise will threaten larger
areas
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The Branch Project
Aims to develop tools to test and demonstrate how
current policy and management mechanisms for
coastal and estuarine systems will stand up under
a changing climate
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Assessing Habitat Change
Branch is assessing possible changes to Europes
coastal habitats under future climate change
Predicted change in saltmarsh area Medium
Emissions Scenario 2100
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Assessing Coastal Vulnerability
Branch is creating a Coastal Vulnerability Index
for North West Europe
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Assessing Regional Impacts
Branch is assessing the impact of climate change
on coastal habitats at the regional level
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Assessing Individual Sites
Branch is assessing the impact of climate change
on coastal habitats at sites on the South Coast
of England, and Normandy, France
1. Studland 2. Hurst to Lymington 3. Isle of
Wight Undercliff
4. Newtown Estuary 5. Hamble Estuary 6. Langstone
Harbour
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At Studland important dune habitats are at risk
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Saltmarshes on the Hamble river estuary are
threatened by marina development
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The cliffs on the Isle of Wight are suffering
from rapid cliff erosion
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The freshwater habitats at Lymington Marshes are
at risk from rising sea levels
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Lymington Marshes Case Study
Branch has been using the Lymington Marshes study
site to develop GIS tools to assess whether
current policy and management mechanisms will
stand up under a changing climate
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Lymington Marshes Today
Current habitat
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Lymington Marshes in the Future
2080s High Sea Level Rise Scenario
2080s Low Sea Level Rise Scenario
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Lymington Marshes
The results suggest that Lymington Marshes are
under threat from future sea level rise
Adaptation in the form of managed realignment or
sediment recharge may be required
Alternatively, compensatory habitats may be
required elsewhere along the coast
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Communicating the Results
Branch is using Virtual Reality visualisations to
illustrate how climate change may affect each of
the study sites
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How Should the Site be Managed in the Future?
The Virtual Reality visualisation tools will be
used to facilitate discussions with spatial
planners and coastal stakeholders
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How Should the Site be Managed in the Future?
Work is underway to visualise the Lymington
Marshes study site and its possible future
management options
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How Should the Site be Managed in the Future?
Work is underway to visualise the Lymington
Marshes study site and its possible future
management options
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How Should the Site be Managed in the Future?
Work is underway to visualise the Lymington
Marshes study site and its possible future
management options
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Illustrating Adaptation Options
The research will illustrate the different ways
in which the sites could adapt to climate change,
for example, through the use of managed
realignment