Climate change is expected to have particularly devastating effects on marine and coastal resources as temperatures and sea levels rise. These environmental changes could lead to ecological impacts like coral bleaching, species invasion, changes in biodiversity, and reduced biological productivity.

Adapting to changing oceans remain a key concern for members of the international community (especially small island nations) as well as domestic policymakers.

In "An Adaptation Portfolio for the United States Coastal and Marine Environment," RFF University Fellow James Sanchirico and David Kling of the University of California-Davis examine a range of public policies to fortify natural and man-made systems against the impacts of climate change and variability for marine and coastal environments within the United States and its territories.

The portfolio of policy options proposed by the authors contains a number of adaptation strategies for marine and coastal resource administrators. Among their suggestions: keeping strategic retreat (also known as abandonment) in play. The option, while logical from a financial perspective, is often politically unpalatable, according to Sanchirico and Kling:

"Although abandonment or the strategic retreat from a place is a politically difficult position to take that has many potential distributional and social justice consequences, the question of if and when to retreat needs to be in the forefront of the dialogue on adaptation policies. This is true for decisions regarding coastal habitat restoration in the face of sea level rise, habitat protections, and development in highly- vulnerable locations such as barrier islands. With abandonment not in the feasible set of policies, cost‐effective adaptation policies will remain elusive."

“An Adaptation Portfolio for the United States Coastal and Marine Environment,” is an installment from a six-part series of U.S. climate change adaptation policy reports.

Tiffany Clements is managing editor of Weathervane.