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Coastal adaptation with ecological engineering

Nature Climate Change volume 3, pages 787–791 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

The use of combined approaches to coastal adaptation in lieu of a single strategy, such as sea-wall construction, allows for better preparation for a highly uncertain and dynamic coastal environment. Although general principles such as mainstreaming and no- or low-regret options exist to guide coastal adaptation and provide the framework in which combined approaches operate, few have examined the interactions, synergistic effects and benefits of combined approaches to adaptation. This Perspective provides three examples of ecological engineering — marshes, mangroves and oyster reefs — and illustrates how the combination of ecology and engineering works.

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Figure 1: Combining strategies for coastal adaptation.
Figure 2: Economic evaluation of an oyster reef restoration project in an estuary in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Jess Silver and Megan Holroyd for their assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Kansas, 1475 Jayhawk Boulevard, Lawrence, 66045, Kansas, USA

    So-Min Cheong

  2. Division of Marine Sciences and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, 135 Duke Marine Lab Road, Beaufort, 28516-9721, North Carolina, USA

    Brian Silliman

  3. School of Social Sciences, University of Adelaide, 5005, South Australia, Australia

    Poh Poh Wong

  4. Deltares, Marine and Coastal Systems, Rotterdamseweg 185, PO Box 177, Delft, 2600, MH, The Netherlands

    Bregje van Wesenbeeck

  5. Maritime and Ocean Engineering Research Institute/KIOST, 1312–32, Yuseong-daero, Yuseong-gu, 305–343, Daejeon, Korea

    Choong-Ki Kim

  6. The Natural Capital Project, 371 Serra Mall, Stanford, 94305-5020, California, USA

    Choong-Ki Kim & Greg Guannel

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  1. So-Min Cheong
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Correspondence to So-Min Cheong.

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Cheong, SM., Silliman, B., Wong, P. et al. Coastal adaptation with ecological engineering. Nature Clim Change 3, 787–791 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1854

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