A government sensor placed on the island of Virginia Key recorded a new sea-level record in Florida this October, according to the Key Biscayne Independent.
What’s happening?
King Tides, the highest natural tides of the year, are predictable and usually occur in October due to the gravitational pull of the moon when it is at its closest to the Earth.
They can trigger routine street flooding along the Miami coastline, for which residents and business owners can prepare.
This October, a sensor placed to track the sea level in a small channel called Bear Cut, which separates Key Biscayne and Virginia Key and connects Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, recorded a sea level that was 1.9 inches above the record set in 2023.
The monthly sea level record shows a slow, steady rise over the past 30 years, and the newest record is causing concern.
“The new record jumped out at me,” said Brian McNoldy, University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School meteorologist. “It’s the highest average in the 31-year history of the sensor.”
Other gauges in the region showed similar results.
Why are rising sea levels concerning?
Environmental scientists agree that global sea levels are rising due to melting glaciers and polar ice sheets, as well as thermal expansion, through which ocean water expands as it heats.
These changes are a result of human activity, particularly the excessive emission of planet-warming gases.
As sea levels rise, coastal communities are at risk of more frequent and severe flooding, which can damage homes, businesses, and roads and endanger people.
Increased flooding is particularly concerning in Miami and other coastal communities that regularly experience tidal shifts, even when storm conditions are absent.
Rising sea levels also erode shorelines, impacting beaches and wetlands, and causing shoreline habitats to disappear. Habitat degradation is devastating to fish and birds, negatively impacts biodiversity, and can cause economic losses due to decreased tourism.
Saltwater can also contaminate groundwater and soil, threatening farmers’ livelihoods and our food supply.
What’s being done about it?
The island of Virginia Key is considering a large and expensive project called the “Big Dig,” which would pump water into Biscayne Bay.
Over the long term, reducing planet-warming pollution and replacing dirty energy sources with clean ones are necessary to slow sea-level rise.
If measures are not taken, risks to coastal communities worldwide will continue escalating.
“This problem is not going to go away,” McNoldy warned. “It will get worse.”
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