New SBEP Report Highlights Climate-Related Challenges for Sarasota Bay

SARASOTA – The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program recently released a report that identifies challenges that climate change impacts may pose for sound management of Sarasota Bay.

How could sea level rise, ocean acidification, and rising air and water temperatures impact water quality and wildlife habitat in the Sarasota Bay watershed? The report, managed by the SBEP and authored by Shafer Consulting, aims to use scientific projections of climate change to predict potential impacts on community goals for improving Sarasota Bay.

In 2016, the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program received funding from the EPA Climate-Ready Estuaries Program to conduct a risk-based assessment of its Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). The goal of the assessment was to identify goals within the CCMP that may be vulnerable to climate change impacts such as sea level rise, ocean acidification, changing air and water temperatures, and changes in precipitation patterns.

Click here to view the report in full.