[CT Birds] Coastal marsh loss

[ORCHIDS]

I had noted to Miley in a separate email that I actually meant sand  
islands not marsh islands in my response.

I just sent an email to Frank Mantlik about the Shorehaven marsh in  
East Norwalk based on viewing this marsh via maps.live.com (MSN's  
version of google earth).
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx? 
v 
= 
2 
&cp 
= 
41.095572 
~ 
-73.385775 
&style=a&lvl=18&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=15463452&encType=1
This site delivers a new CT aerial photo product - and was flown in  
2007 - flown along the coast and and the major cities.  The detail is  
amazing when you zoom in.  Then choose birds eye view - and you can  
rotate the images for the plane took several simultaneous oblique  
photographs.  [This website does not work with Safari on the Mac.]

What caught my attention the DARK color of what appears to be low  
marsh.  When you use birds eye view the photos are not so dark - but  
it appears to me that the vegetation is sparse.  This may be what we  
call wetland submergence (you can view examples of this at (http://wetland.neers.org/vegloss.html 
) - the first section describes changes at Fivemile River.  Spartina  
alterniflora was about 7 feet tall in the 1970's and then was less  
than one foot in height circa 1987.  The conversion of low marsh to  
mudflat has been occurring since at least the late 1880's and nearly  
all wetlands west of New Haven are experiencing this gradual  
conversion to mudflat.

It could be that these dark marshland are an artifact of the aerial  
photography.  When I view the Sherwood Island marshes - I see too much  
dark wetland.  We have been wondering if the recent rapid increases in  
sea level rise might cause an acceleration of submergence.  We may  
need to wait til spring to evaluate plant height and density - but if  
folk are out and about in western LIS - and observed wetland  
submergence - it would be great to have some on-the-ground images.  I  
do not get down to Fairfield County all that often but if the field  
evidence suggests an acceleration of submergence we need to document  
these losses.  There are those in the climate change circles that  
project these types of wetland losses, but it appears that these  
losses are occurring now and perhaps far more rapid than anyone had  
thought possible.

Any help documenting wetland losses is greatly appreciated.

Ron, Ashford