Coral Reef Restorations Can Be Optimized to Reduce Coastal Flooding Hazards

Coral Reef Restorations Can Be Optimized to Reduce Coastal Flooding Hazards

Roelvink, Floortje E. (Deltares)
Storlazzi, Curt D. (United States Geological Survey)
van Dongeren, Ap R. (Deltares; IHE Delft Institute for Water Education)
Pearson, S.G. (TU Delft Coastal Engineering; Deltares)

2021

Coral reefs are effective natural coastal flood barriers that protect adjacent communities. Coral degradation compromises the coastal protection value of reefs while also reducing their other ecosystem services, making them a target for restoration. Here we provide a physics-based evaluation of how coral restoration can reduce coastal flooding for various types of reefs. Wave-driven flooding reduction is greatest for broader, shallower restorations on the upper fore reef and between the middle of the reef flat and the shoreline than for deeper locations on the fore reef or at the reef crest. These results indicate that to increase the coastal hazard risk reduction potential of reef restoration, more physically robust species of coral need to be outplanted to shallower, more energetic locations than more fragile, faster-growing species primarily being grown in coral nurseries. The optimization and quantification of coral reef restoration efforts to reduce coastal flooding may open hazard risk reduction funding for conservation purposes.

climate change
coastal protection
coastal risk
coral reefs
ecosystem services
reef degradation
reef restoration
wave runup

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:002268b7-732b-49f1-b806-50146396a0ab

https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.653945

2296-7745

Frontiers in Marine Science, 8, 1-11

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2021 Floortje E. Roelvink, Curt D. Storlazzi, Ap R. van Dongeren, S.G. Pearson