Systematic investigation of the coral-inclusive potential of marine infrastructure

Ecosystems are under pressure worldwide, due to both natural and anthropogenic stresses. Stresses on ecosystems can cause a decline in biodiversity, a loss of habitat and a deterioration in ecosystem services. To avoid further pressure on ecosystems caused by advancing economic development, new infrastructure projects should be integrated into...

Limitations to coral recovery along an environmental stress gradient

Positive feedbacks driving habitat-forming species recovery and population growth are often lost as ecosystems degrade. For such systems, identifying mechanisms that limit the re-establishment of critical positive feedbacks is key to facilitating recovery. Theory predicts the primary drivers limiting system recovery shift from biological to...

Infragravity wave resonance over coral reef lined coasts

Coral reefs are vital to the prosperity of the world and the local communities by providing food and coastal protection. Coral reefs are home to 25% of marine life and have therefore gained the nickname ’rainforest of the sea’. However, the reefs are being damaged by climate change and human intervention, resulting in an alarming rate of...

Coral Reef Restorations Can Be Optimized to Reduce Coastal Flooding Hazards

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...

A Bayesian-Based System to Assess Wave-Driven Flooding Hazards on Coral Reef-Lined Coasts

Many low-elevation, coral reef-lined, tropical coasts are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, sea level rise, and wave-induced flooding. The considerable morphological diversity of these coasts and the variability of the hydrodynamic forcing that they are exposed to make predicting wave-induced flooding a challenge. A process-based...

Predicting Wave-Induced Flooding on Low-Lying Tropical Islands Using a Bayesian Network

Low-lying tropical islands are highly vulnerable to the effects of sea-level rise and climate change. Most pressing is the threat posed to their fresh water supplies by wave-induced flooding. This thesis attempts to generalize previous site-specific studies of flooding on coral atolls and apply it in a framework that can be used for early...