In South Baltimore, Maryland, researchers are studying and restoring the wetlands to help protect surrounding communities from extreme weather events, according to Inside Climate News.
Multiple projects are underway along the Chesapeake Bay shorelines, including a $200 million redevelopment of 19 neighborhoods by the nonprofit South Baltimore Gateway Partnership. Brad Rogers, the organization's executive director, wants to double that investment over the next five years.
Rogers is working with environmental consultant Brett Berkley, who believes the restoration's success will depend heavily on creating a healthy salt marsh ecosystem.
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One of the goals for the nonprofit is to construct wetlands along 11 acres of the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River. "When everything is settled, the sill is in place, and the base of the marsh is in place, it gets planted. And when it's all done, it will look pretty incredible," Rogers said.
The Patapsco River is an area studied by Dr. Eric Schott, a marine researcher at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. He also co-chaired the scientific advisory committee for Rogers' restoration project in the wetlands.
Industrialization and economic growth in South Baltimore led to a decline in its ecosystems, making the area more vulnerable to the effects of rising global temperatures. Research has shown that thriving wetlands can counteract those effects.
In addition to protecting communities from extreme weather events, including heat waves and flooding, wetlands also reduce pollutants and provide a sanctuary for wildlife.
Berkley said the next phase of development for the wetlands includes reinforcement with vegetative berms. These will form a natural barrier against sea level rise, flooding, and increasingly frequent storm surges.
Other areas around the world are also using wetlands restoration to increase climate resilience, produce cleaner drinking water, and support wildlife — including at-risk animals. Wetlands research has proven to be a valuable source of data that can usher us into a safer future.
"We've changed so much of the earth, that we really need to understand how nature works in our presence," Schott said, per Inside Climate News.
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