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Rising Sea Levels Could Threaten Summit On Rising Sea Levels

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Low-lying coastal areas of south Florida are bracing for annual spring tides during the first week of May, which also bring the threat of flooding due, in part, to rising sea levels associated with climate change. Ironically, or perhaps conveniently, a summit on addressing sea level rise will be taking place at the same time in one such low-lying coastal area in Fort Lauderdale.

Florida Atlantic University's (FAU) third sea-level rise summit is set for May 3 - 5 at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66, coinciding with predicted spring tides starting May 5. Some are warning of the potential for so-called exceptionally high "king tides" like those that caused floods in south Florida and South Carolina last fall.

King tides are a regular occurrence, but in recent years the floods they cause have become more severe, putting them on par with the storm surges seen from hurricanes in the past.

Last November, following the fall king tide flooding, the city of Fort Lauderdale warned residents to be mindful of the upcoming 2016 spring tides.

About the time the latest round of those high tides hits, a number of scientists, politicians and other professionals will be in hotel conference rooms on a barrier island that is practically surrounded by those rising waters (and the prognosis for barrier islands in the near future is not so great).

“South Florida is one of the world’s most vulnerable areas to climate change, especially sea-level rise,” said Colin Polsky, Ph.D., director of the Florida Center for Environmental Studies at FAU. “In Florida, potential adaptation to sea-level rise is complicated by the porous limestone geology of the region, permitting salt water intrusion into important aquifers. The low level terrain in many areas makes even a relatively small sea-level rise problematic.”

Polsky and many of his colleagues may have the opportunity to witness such effects very close up, certainly making for a sea level rise conference to remember.

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