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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

Coral-reef fortifications save humans billions of dollars a year

Loss of reefs would send flood-damage costs soaring.
Aerial view of reef around an island

Coral reefs such as those at Castaway Island in Fiji serve as natural flood barriers, preventing billions of dollars in damage from extreme storms. Credit: Dave Fleetham/Getty

The flood-protection services provided by coral reefs are worth roughly US$4 billion a year — a benefit threatened by reef loss in a warming world.

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Nature 558, 346 (2018)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-05422-4

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