Page 122 - Mapping the Nation: Taking Climate Action

How Cape Cod Is Saving Its Shoreline from the Effects of Climate Change Famous for its fishing villages and resort hotels, Cape Cod is an iconic spot for summer vacationers. The Cape also forms one of the world's largest barrier islands, protecting the rest of the Massachusetts shore from violent northeaster storms—but today, those world-famous shorelines are slipping away. Wind and rain have always worn away at the cliffsides and shores of Cape Cod's 130 beaches, causing natural coastal erosion. The waterfront undergoes a continual process of reshaping, with sediment washing away and depositing anew. In recent years, however, climate change has accelerated this process, and the protective shield of Cape Cod now needs protection of its own. "Cape Cod is facing significant risks from sea level rise, from storm surge, from erosion, and they're getting more significant and more extreme," said Kristy Senatori, executive director of the Cape Cod Commission. "We have over 586 miles of vulnerable shoreline that can be impacted." 121