Midcoast scientists team up to save marsh habitats

TIMES RECORD • July 15, 2024

The project director for the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust told those at a community gathering on July 10 that rising sea levels are threatening vulnerable species. “Sea level rise may drown marshes if protection methods aren’t taken quickly,” Ruth Indrick told those meeting at the Bath Freight Shed. “That’s where conservation comes into play.” KELT has observed lush stretches of cordgrass disappearing each year, slowly diminishing Maine’s salt marshes. The intertidal zone is crucial for nursing fish species, filtering pollutants and shielding the coast from flooding. It’s also home to the saltmarsh sparrow, a species the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife recently listed as endangered.