California King Tides Initiative: Glimpses into the Future of Rising Sea Levels
Monday, January 9th, 2012
King Tides are the highest predicted high tides of the year. Combined with winter storm events, these high water levels can show us how rising sea levels due to climate change might impact our communities in the future. The California King Tides Initiative is inviting the public to shoot (from a safe distance) and share photos online using social media to build a living record of current and future coastal areas vulnerable to inundation. Marina Psaros from the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve discusses how these photographs help us visualize the future impacts from sea level rise in your local community and all along the California coastline.
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One of the responsibilities of our guest, John Laird, California Secretary for Natural Resources, is to serve as the chair of the Ocean Protection Council which provides scientific research on a number of issues including sea level rise. And, according to the Secretary, recent research leaves little doubt that sea level rise will occur. 
NOAA is predicting an El Nino winter in California. Mark Jackson, Meteorologist in Charge, NOAA National Weather Service in Oxnard, California, discusses the cause and effect of an El Nino on California’s winter rains. (Photo courtesy of Jayme Laber/NOAA)
Christine Blackburn, PhD, Program Manager with the Ocean Protection Council, comments on the 2009 California Climate Adaptation Strategy Discussion Draft which summarizes the best known science on climate change impacts in seven specific sectors and provides recommendations on how to manage against those threats.
