Coastal Impacts

The Southeast's productive coastal zone

The coastal zone of the United States Southeast region encompasses a rich and diverse landscape of people, habitats, species, and ecosystems. The coastal plain and low-lying inland region support a rapidly growing population, tourism economy, critical infrastructure, and important cultural resources and assets.

Ecosystems Impacts

Natural ecosystems are responding to climate change

Ecological resources that people in the Southeast region depend on for their livelihoods, protection, and well-being are increasingly at risk from climate-related hazards. Changing temperature extremes, wildfire patterns, sea level rise, hurricanes, floods, droughts, and warming ocean temperatures have already redistributed species and modified ecosystems, and they will continue to do so.