Future of Aquatic Flows: Exploring Changes in the Freshwater/Saltwater Interface and Related Impacts to Aquatic Species

Coastal ecosystems are uniquely vulnerable to changes in the quantity and quality of freshwater discharge. With a warming climate, changes in freshwater discharge into estuaries will interact with rising sea levels. Natural resource managers in coastal areas are looking for guidance on the potential impacts and vulnerabilities to better manage the risks to aquatic species and habitats, and to mitigate species decline or collapse resulting from changes in freshwater availability. In particular, managers and researchers are concerned with producing appropriate ecological flows, which describe the conditions of river and stream flow into estuaries that are needed to ensure the proper structure and function of coastal ecosystems. This [...]