You’re probably wondering what the Outer Banks is, well it's a barrier island which is a sandbar which rose out of the ocean, but approximately 20,000 years ago, the shoreline was more than 30 miles EAST of where the shoreline is now, which is past the North American Continental Shelf. Do you know what made the shoreline migrate west to where it is today?

Reed:

Well Avery, I have been doing research on the topic, and I found that sea levels have been rising ever since the last ice age. Back then, the sea level was 400 feet lower than it is present day. This is because most of the water was frozen in the polar ice caps.

Avery:

So are the sea levels just continuing on from the last ice age???

Reed:

No, Humans are actually the main cause of the sea levels rising today. By causing global warming which is heating the oceans and melting the glaciers and ice caps.

Avery:

Then won’t they continue to rise until people take action now.

Reed:

That’s right.

Hunter:

Well, today the Outer Banks is constantly changing due to the storms and tides shifting the sands. Does that have anything to do with the sea levels rising??

Reed:

Well, with the beach in Hatteras receding a total of 2,500 ft in the past 50 years because of the erosion being caused by the sea levels rising, so definitely yes.

Avery:

So eventually the entire Outer Banks will be completely gone.

Hunter:

Oh no……

Reed:

Any way…...Do you guys have any ideas on how we should take action ourselves??

Avery:

Actually yes I do have ideas, one of which reducing your eco-footprint.

Hunter:

So… What is an eco-footprint??

Reed:

An eco-footprint is the amount of human activity measured in the terms of biologically productive land and water that is required to produce goods and create a healthy environment.

Hunter:

Ohhhhhhh……… ok, I get it now!!!!

Avery:

Right, people can reduce their footprint by taking shorter showers, turning off lights when they leave a room, and getting rid of single use plastics, which are killing the environment every second.

Reed:

Hey, I have an idea too

Hunter:

Pray tell, what is it??

Reed:

By spreading the factual information to political powers.

Avery:

Not just political powers, we need to convince locals and other visitors on what it will eventually end up happening negatively to the Outer Banks.

Hunter:

So if you are looking to make a change on our earth for the better, start with the Outer Banks*.

Avery: Thanks for listening to the Big Kahuna Podcast Science Series Episode 3!!

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