December 11, 2013 — Hundreds of species of animals in the United States are threatened by sea-level rise due to climate change, according to a report released Tuesday by the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group based in San Francisco.
“Our analysis finds that 17 percent — one in six — of the nation’s threatened and endangered species are at risk from rising sea levels,” the report notes. Left unchecked, the group says that rising seas threaten 233 federally protected species in 23 coastal states.
Sea-level rise is one of the more noticeable effects of global warming: From 1901 to 2010, the average sea level rise was 7.4 inches worldwide, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Global sea level will continue to rise during the 21st century, with a projected range of about 10 inches to 32 inches.
“From Florida’s key deer to Hawaii’s monk seals, some of our most amazing creatures could be doomed as the oceans swallow up their last habitat and nesting sites,” said Shaye Wolf, the center’s climate science director.
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