Rising sea levels threatening Florida Keys

KEY WEST, Fla., June 29 (UPI) -- Rising sea-levels could one day leave significant portions of the Florida Keys underwater, experts say.

Researcher Evan Flugman said in a Florida International University report the Florida Keys are at the forefront of the emerging threat of rising sea-levels in the southern portion of Florida, The Miami Herald reported Sunday.

''South Florida is on the front line against sea-level rise in the United States, and the Florida Keys are ground zero," Flugman said.

The non-profit group Nature Conservancy estimates nearly 9,000 acres of Florida Keys land could be underwater by as early as 2100. That estimate is based on best case predictions regarding the rise in sea-levels, the Herald reported.

Chris Bergh, the group's director of coastal and marine resilience for Florida, said the news regarding the rising sea-levels should be treated as a true threat to the Florida Keys.

"This presentation is not to make anybody panic and run out and sell their property; I live on Big Pine and am trying to add onto my home," Bergh said of a June presentation to Monroe County officials. "It's designed to make people think and get better information."