The entire contiguous U.S. has experienced massive urban expansions and the Atlantic Coast shows outstandingly high rates. Urban expansion has substantially squeezed the space of tidal flats and affected surrounding environments. In new urban areas, tidal flats have undergone considerable degeneration with more significant patterns as they get closer to new urban locations. Tidal flats protect against the ocean's destructive powers such as hurricanes. Without some inland spaces to move around, they will likely disappear, which will have dire consequences for beachfront communities.
Tidal flats, also known as mud flats, make up coastal wetlands that protect against destructive powers from the ocean such as waves, tsunamis and hurricanes. These guardians of the coastlines, however, are under threat due to natural and human events. Climate change including sea level rise and rapid urbanization have resulted in a"coastal squeeze" between land and sea. More than 20,000 kilometers of tidal flats have shrunk worldwide since 1984. In the U.S.
For the study, researchers divided the 156 counties into four groups: Northern Atlantic Coast ; Southern Atlantic Coast ; the Gulf Coast ; and the Pacific Coast . These counties were grouped into four zones based on administrative divisions and geographical factors. In contrast, three major cities -- New York City, Miami and Seattle -- have had significant urban expansions, but they do not overlap the large clusters of tidal flat erosions. This finding suggests that tidal flats are not a major land source for urban expansions in these three cities. Instead, New York City, Miami and Seattle relied highly on other land sources over the three decades.
Researchers identified some clusters of tidal flat erosion that do not greatly overlap the new urban areas. This is likely because sediment discharge by major rivers or river sloughs, which is one of the critical factors to maintain the extents of tidal flats, are likely slowing down or stopping the process of tidal flat shrinkages.
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