Coral Restoration for Coastal Hazard Risk Reduction
The effect of coral restoration on wave transformation over various reef morphologies and the resulting runup
F.E. Roelvink (TU Delft - Civil Engineering & Geosciences)
M. F.S. Tissier – Mentor (TU Delft - Environmental Fluid Mechanics)
S.G. Pearson – Mentor (TU Delft - Coastal Engineering)
Curt D. Storlazzi – Mentor (United States Geological Survey )
Ap van Dongeren – Mentor (Deltares)
A.J.H.M. Reniers – Mentor (TU Delft - Environmental Fluid Mechanics)
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Abstract
Coral reefs are degrading at an alarming rate, affecting not only the precarious coral ecosystem but also human habitat. The combination of coral degradation, sea level rise and its exacerbated effect in the tropics, and the possible storm intensification increases the flood vulnerability of low-lying tropical islands. To protect reef fronted coasts against flooding, coral restoration is put forward as measure to increase coastal safety. This study addresses the effects and efficiency of coral restoration in four steps. First, a simple reef hydrodynamic model is formulated to identify important drivers of runup at a reef fronted beach, to be used as a quick scan tool before using more intensive process-based models. Next, 30.000 US reef profiles are classified to gain insight into the prevalence of different reef shapes. Four dominant reef profiles are then used in the subsequent modeling step, in which the hydrodynamics and flood vulnerability of different reef shapes are investigated using the XBeach process-based model. With the knowledge gained, the hydrodynamic effects and runup reduction potential of different restoration configurations at various reef morphologies can be assessed.