As a cautionary note to current and future waterfront property owners here on Cape Ann; the latest scientific studies on climate change are predicting that the ocean will rise more dramatically and quickly in the North East US than pretty much anywhere in the world! The reasons are multifold and interconnected. The accelerated melting of the Antarctic and Greenland Ice Cap will slow the great ocean conveyer  that we call the Gulf Stream (Yikes! did you see the movie "The Day After" ?). Another disconcerting aspect is this appears to be happening faster than anyone previously predicted. Here is an article from National Geographic: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/090315-new-york-sea-level.html