Dying palm trees and colonizing mangroves at Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge

Dying palm trees and colonizing mangroves are depicted in this photo, taken at Chassahowitzka NWR on the gulf side of Florida. Sea level rise increases the salinity in the soil, which kills palm trees and expands the habitat conditions conducive to mangrove colonization. In a few years, this marsh will likely transition into a mangrove forest.