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Rising Seas to Swallow Reserve

Caretakers forced to retreat before rising waters

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 25, 2008 1:46 PM CDT

(Newser) – A portion of a major UK nature reserve is being abandoned to the rising tides, the Independent reports. In the face of eroding sea defenses, Titchwell Marsh has decided to make a “managed retreat” inland, giving up much on a substantial portion of the birdwatching hotspot. “The erosion has been going on for years,” said a marsh official, “but it is being accelerated by sea level rise.”

Similar coastal areas are endangered across Britain. A National Trust report this week will warn that 10 famous UK landmarks will be wiped out by coastal erosion, and that stretches of the coastline are doomed. The water is rising at an accelerated rate of 3.1 millimeters per year thanks to climate change.

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Titchwell Marsh is seen in this file photo. (Wikimedia Commons)

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"It's about balancing the interests of the site and finding the most sensible solution. We've got to bear in mind the impacts of climate change such as increased storminess." - Helen Deavin, project manager of the plan

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Rising Seas to Swallow Reserve