Nearly 80 per cent of Nova Scotia’s coastal islands are highly vulnerable due to climate change and human activity, according to recently released research from Dr. David Lieske, associate professor in the Department of Geography and Environment at Mount Allison. 

The study, published in the Journal of Environmental Management, examined close to 4,000 islands using high-resolution mapping and machine learning to assess environmental vulnerability and ecological trends.

Vegetation patterns are closely linked to an island’s shape and elevation. Higher, steeper islands tend to support more tree cover, while low-lying flat islands feature sand, rock, and wetlands, which may all be easily lost as degradation worsens. 

“These islands are already fragile and the compounding effects of climate change and human pressure are accelerating their degradation,” says Lieske. “The loss of these ecosystems would have profound impacts on marine life, biodiversity, and our natural defense systems along the coast.”

Lieske’s research points to rising sea levels, storm surges, and increasing development pressures as key threats to these island environments. 

To tackle these escalating risks, the study offers several recommendations, including:

•    Establishing long-term monitoring programs to track ecosystem changes
•    Enacting targeted management policies designed to limit human disturbance
•    Preserving migration corridors between islands to support wildlife adaptation and resilience
•    Expanding research on seabird colony dynamics and the interconnections across island ecosystems.

“Our coastal islands are more than geographic features — they are vital to the ecological health and climate resilience of the region,” Lieske says.

As rising temperatures, stronger storms, and human impacts all escalate, Lieske’s findings emphasize that protecting Nova Scotia (and all other) coastal islands should be an urgent priority. 

Read Dr. Lieske's full report in the Journal of Environmental Management.