Study Finds More Than One-Fifth of Albemarle-Pamlico Estuary Forests Disappeared
A recent study found that more than one-fifth of estuary forests in the Albemarle-Pamlico region, the second-largest in the lower 48 states, have disappeared between 1985 and 2021 due to saltwater intrusion and rising sea levels, leading to the formation…
Greenville New Bern Washington, NC, October 28, 2026 —
A recent study found that more than one-fifth of estuary forests in the Albemarle-Pamlico region disappeared from 1985 to 2021, with saltwater intrusion and rising sea levels identified as causes. The change has led to the formation of ghost forests, according to the study summary.
The region is described as the second-largest estuary forest area in the lower 48 states. The finding covers a 36-year period, but the study summary does not provide the total area affected, the number of forests involved or the specific locations where the losses occurred.
The summary also does not identify the study’s authors, publication, methods or the date the research was released. It does not specify how the researchers measured the loss or define what they counted as a ghost forest. Those details were not provided, so the finding cannot be assessed further from the available information.
The reported causes were saltwater intrusion and rising sea levels. The summary does not state how much each contributed, whether other factors were considered, or whether the rate of forest loss changed during the study period. It also provides no projection of future changes.
The study’s central finding is that more than one-fifth of the region’s estuary forests disappeared over the period examined, alongside the formation of ghost forests. Without additional study details, the extent and distribution of the change, as well as the researchers’ methodology, remain unspecified.
Story summarized from the original created by Trista Talton on coastalreview.org, see more information here.
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