Relative SLR extends the upstream limit of saline waters   and alters tidal ranges  . Elevated water levels also alter submergence patterns for intertidal habitat  , moving high-water levels inland   and increasing the salinity of coastal water tables and soils  . These processes favour inland and/or upstream migration of intertidal habitat, where it is unconstrained by infrastructure, topography or other environmental features  . The spread of 'ghost forests' along the North American east coast  and elsewhere  illustrates this phenomenon. Along estuarine shorelines, changing submergence patterns and upstream penetration of saline waters interact synergistically to stress intertidal plants, changing species composition and reducing above-ground biomass, in some cases favouring invasive species . Overall, changing salinity and submergence patterns decrease the ability of shoreline vegetation to trap sediment , reducing accretion rates and increasing
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report