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Sea Level Rise and Delawares CoastalMosquito Control Program
Paul Zarebicki
Environmental Scientist
Delaware Mosquito Control Section
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Coastal
Delaware
DE is located on the Delmarva
peninsula between the
Chesapeake and Delaware Bays
Delaware River & Bay and
Atlantic Ocean are the Eastern
boundary of the state
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Mosquito Control in Delaware
Delaware is in the top ten for both population
density and percent wetland cover = need for
mosquito control
DE has had an organized mosquito control program
since the 1950s
IPM based program; public outreach, source
reduction, larval control, and adult control
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DE is comprised of approximately
15% estuarine wetlands
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Typical salt marsh breeding
potholes in Salt Hay (Spartina patens)
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Dry breeding pocket in Salt Hay
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After flooding
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Impacts of Sea Level Rise on
Delawares Marshes
Sea level is rising, ~1 foot over the past century andsome
models show sea level rise of 1 3 feet over thenext century
3 examples of previously vegetated areas converting to
open water Low areas ofS. alterniflora are the most
susceptible
and are the best way to show the effects the slowlyincreasing
water levels have on tidal marsh vegetation
Fringe upland areas show the same change throughdead/dying trees
and agriculture fields that can nolonger be planted and are
converting to salt marshvegetation
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Impacts of Sea Level Rise
Milford Neck 1997 Milford Neck 2007
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Impacts of Sea Levels Rise Cont
Shockley 1997 Shockley 2007
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Impacts of Sea Level Rise Cont
PHNWR 1997 PHNWR 2007
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What is changing with mosquito
control efforts in coastal Delaware
Fringe areas at the wetland/upland interface
that were traditionally too dry to produce
mosquitoes are beginning to become major
salt marsh mosquito producers
Traditional open marsh problem areas are
becoming a non-issue as new tidal breeding
areas inland are being created
Problems areas are shifting inland
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Summary
Sea level rise is occurring
Tidally affected areas are changing
Coastal/tidal mosquito control efforts mustand will continue to
evolve with the inevitable
habitat change and tidal areas creeping inland
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