At the edge of Salem’s harbor, caretakers face a race against rising seas and intensifying storms to protect a landmark bound up in America’s literary and colonial past.By Ryan KrugmanSALEM, Mass.—Paul Wright leans over a 17th-century granite barrier and points at a faint watermark depicting Salem Harbor’s daily rise and fall.
Observations from the Little Bunker
Last updated: October 16, 2025 02:57 AM
Atmospheric CO₂
424.4 ppm
+18.2
ppm/year
Atmospheric CH₄
1933.54 ppb
+12.29
ppb/year
Global Temperature
+1.48 °C
Peak: +1.73°C
World Population
8.1 billion
+67
million/year