Sea Level Rise

While sea levels have been rising for millennia, they are accellerating rapidly due to global climate change. In the last 80 years, the mean sea level in our area has risen by nearly 10 inches. The road at Quissett Harbor and the parking lot at Woodneck Beach now flood nearly every month. To document road flooding and other objectives, we have cooperated with the Quissett Association to install a tide gauge in Quissett Harbor. Data collected from the tide gauge and other instruments in Buzzards Bay is sent electronically to Tabor Academy, where students chart tide levels throughout the bay, providing important information that can be used to increase the resilience of shoreline infrastructure. In anticipation of further rising sea levels, this spring the Quissett Harbor House dock was raised 20 inches above its previous level.