In this week’s episode, host Margaret Walls talks with Becky Epanchin-Niell, an associate professor at the University of Maryland and a senior fellow at Resources for the Future. Epanchin-Niell discusses how climate change and human land and water use have accelerated the frequency and extent of saltwater intrusion, which is saltwater contamination in freshwater rivers, soils, and aquifers. Epanchin-Niell and Walls also talk about the implications of saltwater intrusion for coastal ecosystems, drinking water, and the agricultural sector. Epanchin-Niell’s recent research examines how saltwater intrusion affects agricultural practices on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

References and recommendations:

“The Spread and Cost of Saltwater Intrusion in the US Mid-Atlantic” by Pinki Mondal, Matthew Walter, Jarrod Miller, Rebecca Epanchin-Niell, Keryn Gedan, Vishruta Yawatkar, Elizabeth Nguyen, and Katherine L. Tully; https://www.rff.org/publications/journal-articles/the-spread-and-cost-of-saltwater-intrusion-in-the-us-mid-atlantic/

“Coastal agricultural land use response to sea level rise and saltwater intrusion” by Rebecca S. Epanchin-Niell, Alexandra Thompson, Xianru Han, Jessica Post, Jarrod Miller, David Newburn, Keryn Gedan, and Kate Tully; https://econpapers.repec.org/paper/agsaaea22/335970.htm

"The Invisible Flood: The Chemistry, Ecology, and Social Implications of Coastal Saltwater Intrusion" by Kate Tully, Keryn Gedan, Rebecca Epanchin-Niell, Aaron Strong, Emily S. Bernhardt, Todd BenDor, Molly Mitchell, John Kominoski, Thomas E. Jordan, Scott C. Neubauer, and Nathaniel B Weston; https://www.rff.org/publications/journal-articles/invisible-flood-chemistry-ecology-and-social-implications-coastal-saltwater-intrusion/

“Two Degrees” by Alan Gratz; https://www.alangratz.com/writing/two-degrees/