Coastal Communities
Resources
Resilient Coastal Communities
Humans have long been drawn to the coast. Shorelines provide access to food, transportation, inspiration, and opportunities for exploration. However, the desirability of coastal living leads to mounting pressure on the very resources that make it so attractive.
Coastal resilience means building a community’s ability to “bounce back” after hazardous events such as hurricanes, coastal storms, and flooding. Escalating populations and development, erosion, more frequent flooding and sea level rise, storm impacts, and pollution are among the stressors on the resilience of our coastlines and coastal communities. Poor resilience leads to reductions in storm protection, economic sustainability and recovery, food and resource security, and healthy recreational opportunities.
Coastal communities need to adapt and plan to preserve the way of life and the natural resources they value. As approximately 40% of the U.S. population inhabits coastal regions, we need to understand our impact on the coasts and how to better protect our communities. Informed students and citizens can mobilize and lead our country to more sustainable development and to long-term solutions for the protection, restoration, and enhancement of our coasts.
Topics To Explore
Webinar Series
View the NOSB’s resiliency-themed Professional Development Webinar Series recordings to learn more about the threats to coastal communities, methods of coastal management, importance of living shorelines, shoreline stabilization, and importance of coastal fisheries.
2016 Professional Development Webinars: Ethan Theuerkauf and Justin Ridge
Barrier island and estuarine shorelines are shaped by sea-level rise, storms, and human disturbances. Several geological studies will be presented that examine the implications of these changes for coastal management. Specifically, barrier island and saltmarsh erosion will be placed into context with the coastal carbon cycle and the coupled evolution of oyster reef and saltmarsh shorelines will be explored.
2016 Professional Development Webinars: Dr. Carolyn Currin
The term “Living Shorelines” represents a new approach to shoreline stabilization, which is of increasing concern to coastal communities. Traditional shoreline hardening approaches, including bulkheads, result in a loss of coastal habitats such as salt marshes, oyster reefs, or mangroves. However, these habitats have the ability to protect shorelines, and can be utilized to improve coastal resilience to storms and sea level rise. Recent research has demonstrated the effectiveness of Living Shorelines in many settings. Widespread implementation of this approach remains a challenge, due to regulatory, business and cultural hurdles.
2016 Professional Development Webinars: Dr. Joel Fodrie
Three case studies will be presented to consider if and how climate change, oil spills, and long term fishing pressure are changing the nature of fisheries species assemblages along historically productive coastal margins.
More Places To Learn
Resilience (NOAA National Ocean Service)
Water Cleaning Capacity of Oysters Could Mean Extra Income for Chesapeake Bay Growers
Healthy, Resilient, and Sustainable Communities After Disasters (NASEM)
Reducing Coastal Risk on the East and Gulf Coasts (NASEM)
Understanding the Connections Between Coastal Waters and Ocean Ecosystem Services and Human Health: Workshop Summary (NASEM)
Conceptual Guidance for Considering the Use of Living Shorelines (NOAA)
Engineering away our natural defenses: An analysis of shoreline hardening in the U.S. (ESA Journals; login required)
Living Shorelines: Coastal Resilience with a Blue Carbon Benefit (PLOS One; open access)
Breaking the Waves (Science Magazine; login required)
