REINFORCING ECOSYSTEM ENGINEERS WITH ENHANCED VEGETATION AND AN ARTIFICIAL REEF ALONG THE US RHODE ISLAND COASTAL BARRIER SYSTEMS

Resumen

Beach barrier systems (BBS) act as “ecosystem engi-neers” (EE), protecting the mainland and back bays from direct wave impact and reducing storm surge and flow passing through their inlets. BBS naturally adapt to slowly evolving wave climates by regressing or transgressing. However, observations show that BBS have been destabilized during past periods of fast changes in sea level or wave climate, potentially leading to drowning of the barrier. In this respect, current predictions of large changes in future Sea Level Rise (SLR) and wave climate, combined with anthropogenic effects, are concerning as these could challenge the natural adaptability of BBS. This raises the following questions: (1) can the future protective ability of local EE be predicted? (2) can the added benefits of implementing selected Nature Based Solutions (NbS) to enhance this natural protective ability be quantified, as well as their potentially negative feedback effects? In this study, these questions are considered for the south shore of Rhode Island (RI) through numerical modeling, in part based on earlier regional storm hazard assessment (Grilli et al., 2020). Specifically, here, as part of a NOAA project (“Effects of Sea-Level Rise 2021, Coastal Resilience” program), we assess the efficiency of NbS in changing climate conditions, while integrating local concerns, observed trends, and supporting local ecosystem and people’s way of life.