Coastal Heritage at Risk
The Coastal Heritage at Risk Task force documents sites and stories of Florida’s history that are missing from the historical record and are at risk from climate change.
Scholars have recently begun estimating and planning for the impacts climate change will have on heritage resources in regions around the world. For the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the Southeastern United States, it has been estimated that a one-meter rise in sea level will result in the loss of over 13,000 recorded archaeological sites, and an untold number that are yet to be recorded. Florida stands to lose more recorded sites than any other state in the region, with nearly 4,000 estimated to be lost to a one-meter rise.
MISSION
For many of these heritage sites, stories of Florida history that are currently missing from the public record will also fade into obscurity as destruction occurs due to sea-level rise. Many of these stories are of marginalized groups who encountered violence from the start of Florida state history, and who often had to flee their communities or were forcibly removed by city planners or state military. These sites include (but are not limited to) the stories of the Underground “Saltwater” Railroad for Black Americans in Miami, and the forced removal of Indigenous people to internment camps on the west coast of Florida.
The Coastal Heritage at Risk Task Force (CHART) team is a partnership of public, private, academic, and government entities. The research team is composed representatives from the Florida Division of Historical Resources, Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO) representing the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN), environmental activists from the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, multiple Florida universities (University of Miami, Florida Atlantic University, University of Florida), Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, History Miami Museum, Florida Museum of Natural History, Miami-Dade County Planning Division, Miami-County Office of Resilience, Pinellas County Park, Bill Baggs and Egmont Key State Parks.
CHART’s aim is to create visibility of at-risk coastal heritage sites and their untold stories in Florida for secondary education classrooms and the public, while also assessing site risk for future adaptation strategies.
Connecting to History
Bringing history to life requires the opportunity to learn and connect.
At-risk Florida heritage can become part of living memory by leveraging the power of digital technology.
