A new study published in Science Advances reveals how hybrid coral reef restoration could potentially shield coastal communities from devastating storm surge flooding while delivering economic and environmental benefits to Florida residents.
“They’re effective natural breakwaters. That effectiveness in providing coastal protection has been degraded due to a number of factors, like high-temperature-induced bleaching, disease, and land-based pollution. As reefs degrade and lose complexity, they allow more wave energy to reach the coastlines," said Dr. Curt D. Storlazzi, a researcher with the United States Geological Survey and co-author of the research.
The study focused on Florida and Puerto Rico’s 1,005 kilometers of reef-lined coasts. Researchers found that restoring just 20% of these reefs could:
- Protect 14,734 people from flooding annually.
- Prevent over $1 billion in property damage.
- Safeguard $797 million in economic activity.
“As there’s this push to work with nature, let’s restore or harness that protection to help protect people in coastal communities,” Storlazzi said.
A Cost-Effective Solution
The restoration method, as outlined in this research, involves creating hybrid reefs by combining concrete base structures with existing corals. These artificial reefs increase wave-breaking capacity by about 97%, mitigating the impact of storms, according to the study.
“What that entails is putting out some kind of concrete base structure and then out planting corals on that. This is necessary because we’ve literally lost 30 meters of reef, about three to five feet of reef height," said Dr. Storlazzi.
A cost-benefit analysis was conducted in the research paper, to ensure hybrid coral reef restoration would be feasible for local municipalities. Restoring 35 kilometers (3% of the coastline) could immediately provide a positive return on investment, and restoring 20% of the coastline would deliver long-term benefits, reducing the frequency and impact of 100-year floods by 20%, according to the study.
“If you’re going to spend money on coastal protection, why not do it in a way that also enhances nature and provides all those other ecosystem benefits that humans enjoy," said Storlazzi.
Policy and Funding Opportunities
The study also identifies new funding avenues for reef restoration, specifically for local governments to secure capital to afford large-scale restoration efforts. Federal programs like FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program allocate billions annually to support projects that reduce disaster risk, and local governments can apply for these grants to fund reef restoration initiatives.
“If you build a coral reef and keep it healthy, it will grow up with sea-level rise. So it’ll continue to maintain that protection. It’s not a short-term Band-Aid,” said Storlazzi.
A Path Forward
While traditional coastal protection measures like seawalls and breakwaters remain useful, the study claims that hybrid reef restoration would be most beneficial in combination with other flood-prevention methods.
“I’m not saying they shouldn’t rebuild beaches and dunes ... Here’s another natural system that will also provide those benefits. We should be working with all of these," said Storlazzi.
The study and its findings are now publicly available, and local municipalities can access the data to determine if coral reef restoration is a feasible option for individual areas and local governments.
"It's the future," Storlazzi said.