Natural History Wanderings

Axios  reports

Sea level rise driven by human-caused climate change may have wiped out an entire species in the U.S. for the first time.

Why it matters: The loss of the only known stand of Key Largo tree cactus in the U.S. shows how rising seas can alter the coastal environment.

• It may be the first sea level rise-related loss of a species in the U.S., although globally, other species have been lost to this and other climate-related factors.
• It could also be an indicator of extinctions to come for other plants and animals in similarly vulnerable environments.

Read more Sea level rise wipes out a U.S. species for the first known time