GSO’s Professor John King gave a special presentation on Special Area Management Plans, commonly known as SAMPs, and discussed the role of citizens and URI GSO in mitigating the impacts of climate change on coastal Rhode Island. The public lecture was sponsored by the GSO Friends of Oceanography.
Professor King discussed the physics of climate change, how scientists monitor ocean and atmospheric temperature and CO2 levels, how temperatures and CO2 levels from hundreds of thousands of years ago can be deduced from ice cores, and what climate models project for the future. He went on to demonstrate that Rhode Island’s extensive coastline is particularly vulnerable to sea level rise. He next explained SAMPs and how knowing the geology and habitats of SAMP areas provides the basis for informed discussions among the many stakeholders who use the local waters for a variety of purposes.
“Professor King has a long record of innovative work in marine geology and his contributions to the Ocean SAMP were critical to its success,” said Graduate School of Oceanography Dean Bruce H. Corliss. “His ability to carry out a thorough scientific investigation and collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders in Rhode Island contributed to the success of this important project for the state.”
For more information about the Friends of Oceanography, click on this link.
Photo by Alex DeCiccio.