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Photos: Bryan Stokes

The Salt Marsh In Peril

The Saltmarsh Sparrow (SALS) has often been referred to as the "Canary in the Coal Mine" for rising sea levels due to global warming. It has successfully built nests only an inch above the ground for thousands of years. This species is dependent upon healthy salt marshes on the east coast of the US. Since the 1990s, 75% of the population has been lost. It lives nowhere else in the world, and could become extinct by 2040, due to flooding and habitat loss. Learn more about our project to study this threatened species.

News

Summer 2024 Update

Learn about our testing of a new device, the "Nest Ark," to help Saltmarsh Sparrow nests survive increasing higher tides.

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Tiding It Out: Will the Saltmarsh Sparrow Go Extinct Before 2050?

A new video for young people uses a nest sequence shot at Jacob's Point.

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We presented at the "Birds Across New England" Symposium. More details...

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SSRI Project Report Published as Rhode Island Naturalist Special Issue

Read a detailed report of our project findings, focusing on sparrow nesting habitats, through summer 2020.

Photo © Evan Lipton

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