Steve Zeeman quoted in news story on rising sea levels for Saco Bay

Stephan Zeeman, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Marine Sciences, was quoted in a Jan. 13, 2011 story in the Sun Chronicle on a report issued by the Sea Level Adaptation Working Group, which consists of consists of representatives from the Saco Bay communities of Saco, Old Orchard Beach, Scarborough and Biddeford. 

According to the report, issued late last month, the four communities could see between $860 million and $1.4 billion in private property damage between now and 2100. And, that estimate does not include the potential destruction of public infrastructure, such as roads, sewer lines, bridges, tide gates and seawalls.

Zeeman, a member of the committee, told the Chronicle that the rise in the sea level would be gradual, which would give the four communities on Saco Bay time to figure out the best approach to dealing with the problems a 2-foot increase would cause. He said it's unlikely the communities would lose their beaches completely, but, he said, the sand dune systems and beaches would gradually migrate inland, eventually destroying many of the homes and businesses now located near the shore.

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