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The value of US coral reefs for flood risk reduction

Nature Sustainability volume 4, pages 688–698 (2021)Cite this article

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Abstract

Habitats, such as coral reefs, can mitigate increasing flood damages through coastal protection services. We provide a fine-scale, national valuation of the flood risk reduction benefits of coral habitats to people, property, economies and infrastructure. Across 3,100 km of US coastline, the top-most 1 m of coral reefs prevents the 100-yr flood from growing by 23% (113 km2), avoiding flooding to 53,800 (62%) people, US$2.7 billion (90%) damage to buildings and US$2.6 billion (49%) in indirect economic effects. We estimate the hazard risk reduction benefits of US coral reefs to exceed US$1.8 billion annually. Many highly developed coastlines in Florida and Hawaii receive annual benefits of over US$10 million km–1, whereas US reefs critically reduce flooding of vulnerable populations. This quantification of spatial risk reduction can help to prioritize joint actions in flood management and environmental conservation, opening new opportunities to support reef management with hazard mitigation funding.

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Fig. 1: Changes in the 100-yr flood hazard zones with current coral reefs and with the loss of the top-most 1 m of reefs.
Fig. 2: Annual social risk reduction benefits provided by US coral reefs.
Fig. 3: Annual economic risk reduction benefits provided by US coral reefs.
Fig. 4: Nationwide estimates of risk and flood protection benefits provided by US coral reefs.
Fig. 5: Regional differences and inequality aspects of the risk reduction provided by US coral reefs.

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Data availability

All data needed to evaluate the conclusions are present in the paper, the Supplementary Information and databases referenced therein. The flood extents and depths that support the findings of this study are available in ScienceBase at https://doi.org/10.5066/P9KMH2VX

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Acknowledgements

We thank L. Erikson for her important insight and useful comments during the preparation of this article. This research was financially supported by the US Department of Interior, USGS through the Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program’s Coral Reef Project and the US Department of Interior, Office of Insular Affairs. Additional support was provided by a Kingfisher Foundation grant to M.W.B. Any use of trade, firm or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the US government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA

    Borja G. Reguero, James B. Shope & Michael W. Beck

  2. Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, United States Geological Survey, Santa Cruz, CA, USA

    Curt D. Storlazzi, Ann E. Gibbs & Kristen A. Cumming

  3. Center for Integrated Spatial Research, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA

    Aaron D. Cole

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Contributions

B.G.R., C.D.S. and M.W.B. designed and conceptualized the research and methodological approach. B.G.R., C.D.S., A.E.G., J.B.S., A.D.C. and K.A.C. performed the hazard analysis, reef modelling and damage calculations. B.G.R., C.D.S., M.W.B. and K.A.C. analysed the results and worked on the visualization. B.G.R., C.D.S. and M.W.B. wrote the manuscript together.

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Correspondence to Borja G. Reguero.

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Reguero, B.G., Storlazzi, C.D., Gibbs, A.E. et al. The value of US coral reefs for flood risk reduction. Nat Sustain 4, 688–698 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-021-00706-6

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