Marsh matters up for panel discussion at Davoll’s

Learn about the health of local salt marshes and the impact of climate change during a special panel event hosted by the Buzzards Bay Coalition at Davoll’s General Store Tuesday, May 6 at 5 p.m.

“The Salt Marsh and Climate Change” will bring together local and regional experts for a discussion centered on the newly re-published book, “Life and Death of a Salt Marsh.” Originally written in 1969 by the late John Teal, a scientist affiliated with Woods Hole and Harvard University, and his first wife Mildred Teal, the book is considered a foundational text in coastal ecology.

The panel will feature Rachel Jakuba, vice president of bay science for the Buzzards Bay Coalition; Neil Ganju, an oceanographer from the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center; Coalition President Mark Rasmussen; and Susan Teal, who frequently speaks about her late husband’s work.

The discussion will highlight the significance of salt marshes in coastal ecosystems, particularly those in Dartmouth and the surrounding Buzzards Bay area. According to the Coalition, rising sea levels caused by climate change are accelerating marsh loss across the region. 

Data from 12 study sites between Westport and Falmouth show that approximately 7% of Buzzards Bay’s nearly 5,000 acres of salt marsh were lost between 2001 and 2019. Some marshes experienced even steeper declines, with areas on Mattapoisett Neck losing as much as 23% of their marshland.

Looking ahead, projections from the Massachusetts Coastal Flood Risk Model estimate that Dartmouth could lose 30% of its salt marshes by 2050. Other coastal towns face similar outlooks, including Westport, with 48% projected loss, Bourne, with 28%, Marion, with 21%, and Falmouth and Mattapoisett with 17% each.

The panelists will also reflect on the continuing relevance of the Teals’ work more than half a century after its publication. The original edition of the book called attention to threats like sewage dumping, pesticide use and marshland development. Today, climate-driven sea level rise is viewed as the most pressing threat.

The event aims to inform the public about both the historical context and the current challenges facing salt marshes — ecosystems that support fisheries, buffer coastlines and provide vital wildlife habitat.

More information, including time and registration details, can be found on the Buzzards Bay Coalition website at savebuzzardsbay.org. Copies of the book will be available to purchase at the event and are also available at The Drawing Room in New Bedford, Partners Village Store in Westport and directly from the Coalition at www.savebuzzardsbay.org/books.