The Risk Reduction Benefits of the Mesoamerican Reef in Mexico

Reguero, Borja G.; Secaira, Fernando; Toimil, Alexandra; Escudero, Mireille; Díaz-Simal, Pedro; Beck, Michael W.; Silva, Rodolfo; Storlazzi, Curt D.; Losada, Íñigo J.

doi:10.3389/feart.2019.00125

Cited by 42 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Although the fw value agreed with previous findings, the cf value was lower than expected when comparing to similar studies (e.g., Péquignet et al, 2011). It is well documented that small changes in reef composition can have large effects on the bottom roughness and, in turn, change the nearshore hydrodynamics (e.g., Osorio-Cano et al, 2019;Reguero et al, 2019). Fiji, like many Pacific Island countries has reported coastal degradation over recent years.…”

Section: Numerical Model (Xbeach)supporting

confidence: 86%

“…Another possible solution to improve the model could be to apply a varying friction coefficient depending on marine habitat across the model domain (Passeri et al, 2018). Coral reefs are complex systems in terms of geometry and bottom roughness; hence, incorporating this complexity into the numerical model might improve the results (e.g., Osorio-Cano et al, 2019;Reguero et al, 2019;Silva et al, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Distant-Source Swells Cause Coastal Inundation on Fiji’s Coral Coast

et al. 2020

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Distant-source swells are known to regularly inundate low-lying Pacific Island communities. Here we examine extreme total water level (TWL) and inundation driven by a distant-source swell on Fiji's Coral Coast using observations and a phase-resolving wave model (XBeach). The objective of this study is to increase understanding of swell-driven hazards in fringing reef environments to identify the contribution of wave setup and infragravity waves to extreme TWL and to investigate coastal flooding during present and future sea levels. The maximum TWL near the shore was caused by compounding mechanisms, where tides, wave setup, infragravity waves, and waves in the sea swell frequencies contributed to the TWL. Waves and wave setup on the reef were modulated by offshore wave heights and tides with increased setup during low tide and increased wave heights during high tide. Numerical simulations were able to reproduce the mechanisms contributing to the extreme TWL and allowed an estimation of the inundation extent. Simulations of the same swell under the RCP8.5 sea-level rise scenario suggest the area of inundation would increase by 97% by 2100. A comparison between the numerical model, a multiple linear regression model, and two commonly used parametric models reveals that both XBeach and the linear regression model are better suited to reproduce the nearshore wave setup and TWL than the empirical equations. The results highlight the need for customized, site-specific coastal hazard assessments and inundation forecast systems in the South Pacific.

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Section: Numerical Model (Xbeach)supporting

confidence: 86%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distant-Source Swells Cause Coastal Inundation on Fiji’s Coral Coast

et al. 2020

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“…By using widely accepted approaches to measure the benefits and cost-effectiveness of mangroves, these results open opportunities to support the management and restoration of mangroves as national coastal infrastructure using hazard mitigation and disaster recovery funds. These values can also be used to underpin the development of innovative insurance options like those being developed and implemented for coral reefs 45,48,49 . These spatially explicit values can be used directly in national adaptation and risk management plans associated with the United Nations Conventions on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction (UNFCCC and UNSIDR).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Global Flood Protection Benefits of Mangroves

Menéndez

Losada

Torres-Ortega

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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329

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Coastal flood risks are rising rapidly. We provide high resolution estimates of the economic value of mangroves forests for flood risk reduction every 20 km worldwide. We develop a probabilistic, processbased valuation of the effects of mangroves on averting damages to people and property. We couple spatially-explicit 2-D hydrodynamic analyses with economic models, and find that mangroves provide flood protection benefits exceeding $US 65 billion per year. If mangroves were lost, 15 million more people would be flooded annually across the world. Some of the nations that receive the greatest economic benefits include the USA, China, India and Mexico. Vietnam, India and Bangladesh receive the greatest benefits in terms of people protected. Many (>45) 20-km coastal stretches particularly those near cities receive more than $US 250 million annually in flood protection benefits from mangroves. These results demonstrate the value of mangroves as natural coastal defenses at global, national and local scales, which can inform incentives for mangrove conservation and restoration in development, climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction and insurance. Coastal flooding impacts are increasing due to coastal development, population growth 1 , climate change 2,3 , and habitat loss 4-7. In 2017 alone, overall storm damages were more than $US 170 billion in the North Atlantic 8. However, development choices often neglect flood risks 3,9,10 and there is growing pressure to adopt flood mitigation and adaptation strategies to reduce these impacts and economic losses 9,11,12. In many tropical and subtropical regions mangroves reduce waves and storm surges, and serve as a first line of defense against flooding and erosion. These benefits are provided through bottom friction, the cross-shore width of forests, tree density and shape. The aerial roots of a mangroves forest retain sediments, stabilizing the soil of intertidal areas and reducing erosion 13. Roots, trunk and canopy dissipates storm surge 14 and waves 15. Previous studies have shown that mangroves can reduce up to 66% of wave energy in the first 100 m of forest width 15,16. Mangroves can also provide adaptive defenses as they can, under the right conditions, keep pace with sea-level-rise through vertical accretion 17-19. Yet, mangroves have experienced significant losses over the last decades, declining globally from 139,777 km 2 in 2000 to 131,931 km 2 in 2014 20 , with even greater losses before 2000. Most of this loss has happened through the conversion for aquaculture or agriculture and coastal development 21. The loss of these habitats can contribute to increasing coastal risk 22 , particularly in developed areas with great exposure of coastal populations 23,24. Quantifying the value of mangroves as natural coastal defenses is crucial for incentivizing their conservation and restoration for the benefit of nature and people 25. The economic value of mangroves for services that rely on conserving them, such as flood protection, is typically not included within national...

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“…The importance of coral reefs in protecting and supplying sediment to reef-lined coasts is becoming widely recognized, as highlighted by many recent studies (Pomeroy et al, 2017;Cuttler et al, 2018b;Reguero et al, 2019;Storlazzi et al, 2019). The precise mechanisms by which sediment is transported across a reef to the shoreline, however, are still not well understood.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spectral Wave-Driven Bedload Transport Across a Coral Reef Flat/Lagoon Complex

et al. 2020

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Coral reefs are an important source of sediment for reef-lined coasts and help to maintain beaches by providing protection though dissipation of wave energy. Understanding the mechanisms that deliver sediment to the coast from coral reefs and quantifying the total volume of sediment generated at coral reefs are critical for projecting future coastal change. A month-long hydrodynamics and sediment transport study on a fringing reef/lagoon complex in Western Australia indicates that lower frequency wave energy constituents are important to the total bedload transport of sediment across the reef flat and lagoon to the shoreline. The reef flat and the lagoon are characterized by distinctly different transport regimes, resulting in an offset in the timing of bedform migration between the two. Short-term storage of sediment occurs on the reef flat, which is subsequently transported into the lagoon when offshore wave heights increase and strong currents due to wave breaking at the reef crest develop. This sudden influx of sediment is correlated with an increase in bedform migration rates in the lagoon. Infragravity wave energy on the reef flat and lagoon make an important contribution to the migration of bedforms and resultant bedload transport. Given the complexity of the hydrodynamics of fringing reefs, the transfer of energy to lower frequency bands, as well as accurate estimates of sources and sinks of sediment, must but considered in order to correctly model the transport of sediment from the reef to the coast.

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The Risk Reduction Benefits of the Mesoamerican Reef in Mexico

Cited by 42 publications

References 57 publications

Distant-Source Swells Cause Coastal Inundation on Fiji’s Coral Coast

Distant-Source Swells Cause Coastal Inundation on Fiji’s Coral Coast

The Global Flood Protection Benefits of Mangroves

Spectral Wave-Driven Bedload Transport Across a Coral Reef Flat/Lagoon Complex

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