Clusters of stripped tree trunks are emerging along the Chesapeake Bay in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, resembling ancient skeletal remains of what were once vibrant stands of cedar and pine. Known as ghost forests, these sites mark a significant ecological shift that has unfolded since the late 19th century, with an ever-expanding area of trees succumbing to death along the shoreline. The prospects for regrowth appear bleak.
These eerie landscapes form in areas where the land slopes gently into the ocean and where saltwater increasingly intrudes. Across the East Coast of the U.S., as well as certain parts of the West Coast, the salinization of soils has led to the decline of hundreds of thousands of acres of trees, leaving behind wooden remnants typically surrounded by marshland.
The future of these ghost forests is uncertain. As they transition, some areas may evolve into marshes that provide essential ecosystem services such as storm protection and carbon storage. Conversely, other regions might become overrun by invasive plant species or may support no vegetation at all, leading to a significant loss of ecosystem functionality. Researchers are actively investigating how this trend towards marshland and ghost forests will ultimately influence coastal ecosystems.
Coastal ecologist Keryn Gedan from George Washington University emphasizes that many of these ghost forests are linked to rising sea levels. Gedan, a coauthor of an article in the 2025 Annual Review of Marine Science, explains that higher sea levels can generate more severe storm surges, which inundate soil with saltwater. Additionally, both drought conditions and rising sea levels can alter the groundwater table, enabling saltwater to infiltrate further inland beneath the forest floor. Trees become stressed as they lose access to fresh water and salt levels accumulate.
However, Gedan notes that the shift from forest to marsh need not be viewed solely as a negative development. Marshes are crucial components of coastal ecosystems as well. Such transitions have been historically observed during periods of sea level rise, according to Marcelo Ardón, an ecosystem ecologist and biogeochemist at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.
“You would think of these forests and marshes kind of dancing together up and down the coast,” Ardón suggests.
Marshes offer myriad ecosystem benefits, serving as habitats for various creatures, including birds and crustaceans such as salt marsh sparrows, marsh wrens, crabs, and mussels. They also provide a niche for native salt-tolerant vegetation, including rushes and specific grasses that contribute to the sustenance and shelter of numerous animal species.
