This is SeaTalk: Ocean News from the University of Delaware.

Countries around the world will feel the impacts of sea-level rise as a result of climate change. Some of the first and most vulnerable places to experience the effects of sea-level rise will be the world’s 51 small island nations. On these small, low-lying land masses, facing this problem is a matter of survival — and it’s already a reality. Countries such as Kiribati in the South Pacific are experiencing property damage due to higher than usual tides and storm surges. Their water supplies and farmland are being contaminated by saltwater. They even face the threat of their homelands disappearing entirely as sea levels rise. Recognizing the islands’ need for help, UD researchers are working with world leaders to address the issues faced by these threatened nations.

This is SeaTalk, a public service announcement from the University of Delaware, the Delaware Sea Grant College Program, and this station.