climate refugees  

people who will have to flee from the rising sea, forced exodus from low-lying coastal regions affected by global climate change.  150 million people now live on land that will be below high-tide line by 2050

 

dike

a ditch or embankment to prevent flooding.

 

ghost forest  

strands of dead trees (bleached / blackened) due to the salt from rising sea levels claiming new territory.  Oak and other sensitive hardwoods die first. Loblolly pine is a more salt-resistant tree, lasts longer. 

 

king tide

highest of the high tides

 

marsh

absorb excess water and help reduce flooding.  Salt marches are one of the best ecosystems for slowing global warming because they keep a lot of carbon out of the atmosphere.

 

nuisance flooding

temporary inundation of flooding during high tide.  First visible sign of sea level rise; the more the sea rises, the more frequent tidal flooding will happen.

 

salt water  

seeps into soil, killing plant life / vegetation, crops, trees

 

sea walls

the less populated an area, the higher the cost per person.