Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Overview

Natural and cultural resources are vital to the economic health and stability of communities across the Northeast. But these resources are facing a variety of climate impacts that threaten their existence. Relying on our unique research and capacity-building expertise as a federal-university partnership, NE CASC connects scientists and managers to develop strategies needed to navigate these threats, maintain a thriving economy, and secure a brighter future for our region.

The Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center works with partners across the region to develop science and build capacity for responding to a changing climate. Our work helps:

• Federal, state, and Tribal nation agencies prepare for flooding, drought, and other extreme events.

• Assess the climate vulnerability of fish, wildlife, and their habitats.

• Incorporate cutting-edge science into conservation planning to improve ecological resilience.

• Prepare early-career researchers for leadership roles in climate adaptation science.

Natural resources and communities across the Northeast face a range of climate-related challenges:

• Invasive species are shifting their ranges northward, creating new threats to forests, lakes, rivers, and other ecosystems.

• Rising sea levels are increasing flooding from coastal storms and causing damage to infrastructure.

• More frequent extreme heat, summer drought, intense storms, and flash flooding can undermine the health of fish and wildlife.

• Shifting seasons can disrupt agriculture as well as wildlife breeding and migration patterns.

The Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center is part of a network of nine regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers managed by the U.S. Geological Survey's National Climate Adaptation Science Center.

Hosted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, NE CASC brings together researchers and partners with expertise in climate science, ecology, conservation, and natural resource management. Through these partnerships, NE CASC connects scientists and resource managers and supports the development of science that can be used to address climate adaptation needs across the Northeast.

Since 2012, NE CASC has launched more than 150 climate adaptation research projects. These projects connect researchers and resource managers to develop practical approaches to climate challenges affecting ecosystems and communities across the region.

Flooding and other climate impacts can threaten communities, infrastructure, and river ecosystems. NE CASC-supported research helps partners understand these risks and identify strategies for increasing resilience.

One approach involves reconnecting floodplains and restoring green space along riverways. These efforts can help communities manage flooding while supporting healthier river ecosystems and providing additional benefits for people and wildlife.

Sea-level rise and coastal flooding threaten salt marshes, coastal ecosystems, infrastructure, and communities throughout the Northeast.

NE CASC-supported researchers and partners have tested approaches such as runneling, which creates shallow channels that improve tidal drainage in salt marshes. This work can help restore natural water movement and support the ability of coastal ecosystems to respond to changing conditions.

Natural resource managers need reliable information about how temperature, precipitation, and other climate conditions may change in the future.

NE CASC researchers have produced climate projections to support conservation planning across 13 states. Working with State Wildlife Action Plan committees, researchers help translate climate information into resources that can inform decisions about fish, wildlife, habitats, and conservation priorities.

Climate change can allow invasive species to expand into new areas, creating additional challenges for ecosystems and natural resource managers.

The Northeast Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change Network (NE RISCC) connects researchers and managers to develop actionable science addressing the combined challenges of invasive species and climate change. The network helps ensure that research responds to management needs and can be applied to conservation and natural resource decisions.