About the Project

The Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve (ANERR) encompasses an area of the Apalachicola River, Apalachicola Bay, and surrounding lands that is immensely diverse in terms of both natural and cultural resources. Through the integration of archaeological site monitoring, predictive modeling, and community engagement in and around the ANERR, this project characterized ecosystem services that people, past and present, use and value in the Apalachicola system. The project’s findings provide a more representative interpretation of local cultural resources; inform decision-making for both cultural and environmental resources impacted by climate and human pressures; and guide future research into impacts and issues these resources may be facing.

About the Resource

This report showcases the use of predictive modeling to identify cultural heritage sites that are most likely to be impacted by local sea level rise. The Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM) provided the project team with wetland reallocation scenarios to develop an Archaeological Triage Assessment (ATA) guide for helping determine which climate-based scenarios are most likely to threaten, damage, or destroy irreplaceable and non-renewable cultural resources sites and when those damages are most likely to occur.