By Keaton Gray

I had a really hard time narrowing down a topic for my capstone. I wanted to research so many things, and as soon as I got into research on a topic I’d learn about a whole other aspect and want to switch my project. I decided to focus my capstone on reef restoration because of my obsession with their beauty, but also because they are under immediate threat due to anthropocentric (i.e., human-caused) problems like climate change and pollution. Additionally, I have seen the negative effects of coral bleaching firsthand on the reefs surrounding the Big Island of Hawaii, and seeing it just makes your heart hurt!   

Restoration involves targeted efforts to repair or enhance damaged reef ecosystems. This process typically includes coral propagation and transplantation but also entails assisted evolution and assisted larvae dispersal (Boström-Einarsson et al 2020). My research focuses on two questions: 1) What are the most effective and sustainable methods for restoring coral reefs to promote reef resilience and 2) How can these strategies be applied in different coastal environments to maximize coastal protection and positively impact local communities? 

Coral restoration projects are already being done across tropical regions of the globe (check out an awesome database of restoration methods here), as are shoreline protection projects, which reduce the negative impact of large waves! So why not address the issues of ecosystem degradation, sustainable development, and coastal protection with one solution? My research does exactly this, analyzing the sustainability and effectiveness of techniques in various locations, as well as each method’s ability to provide shoreline protection and benefit the communities in those areas. Restoration effectiveness is determined by the project’s ability to renew coral ecosystems, boost coral resilience, and aid in coastal protection.

Coral reefs’ abilities to reduce wave power are already responsible for coastal protection to people and infrastructure (Burke & Spalding, 2022). In fact, studies have shown that reefs can reduce wave energy by up to 97 percent (Zhao, et al 2019) and reduce wave heights by 70 percent (Narayan et al 2016). So again, why not work to enhance their abilities in restoration? As certain species of coral and certain reef shapes have proven to be more resilient and have higher attenuation rates (Reguero et al 2018), there are ways to apply these species and shapes to projects to enhance their natural abilities. However, to be truly effective, projects must also be sustainable, which can add a whole new level of complexity to restoration efforts.

So, what makes a restoration project sustainable? The Brundtland Commission defined sustainable development as “the ability to meet the needs of the future without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” This could be seen as ambiguous, as we don’t know what the needs of the future will be. However, I think it’s fair to assume that coral reef ecosystems will be needed in the future, as will mechanisms for coastal protection. Sustainability is discussed in environmental, economic, and social terms (Brundtland, 1987). In this case, environmental sustainability could reflect the issues of ecological disruption within the ecosystem during the project (i.e., chemical use, habitat alteration, lack of genetic diversity), intensity of resource use (i.e., energy, materials, and labor) during the project, and how the projects respond and adapt to climate change. Economic sustainability addresses issues like project startup and maintenance costs, how the project impacts local economies (i.e., ecotourism, job creation), and the investment in coastal protection. Social sustainability is much harder to quantify in comparison to environmental and economic approaches. However, we can consider community engagement with the project, restoration education, cultural sensitivity, accessibility to the reef and its resources, and environmental justice.

I want my project to contribute to the conversation already in progress about reef restoration and coastal protection by offering a unique perspective that considers the effectiveness of restoration methods as well as the environmental, economic, and social implications of the project. I will specifically focus on projects pertaining to coral gardening and direct transplantation, assisted evolution, substratum stabilization, and larval seed enhancement. Each restoration approach varies in technological difficulty, energy input, and cost, thus making it necessary to analyze each for their compatibility with local communities resources and abilities.

References

Boström-Einarsson L., Babcock R.C., Bayraktarov E., Ceccarelli D., Cook N., & Ferse S.C.A. (2020). Coral restoration—A systematic review of current methods, successes, failures, and future directions. PLoS ONE. 15(1), 1-24. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226631.

Brundtland, G. (1987). Report of the world commission on environment and development: Our common future. United Nations General Assembly. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/5987our-common-future.pdf

Burke, L., & Spalding, M. (2022) Shoreline protection by the world’s coral reefs: Mapping the benefits to people, assets, and infrastructure. Marine Policy, 146(2), 1-11. doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2022.105311.

Reguero, B. G., Beck, M. W., Agostini, V. N., Kramer, P., & Hancock, B. (2018). Coral reefs for coastal protection: A new methodological approach and engineering case study in Grenada. Journal of Environmental Management, 210(1), 146–161. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.01.024.

Roelvink, F., Storlazzi, C., van Dongeren, A., Pearson, S. (2021). Coral reef restorations can be optimized to reduce coastal flooding hazards. Frontiers in Marine Science. 8(1), 1-11. Doi: 10.3389/fmars.2021.653945.

Zhao, M., Zhang, H., Zhong, Y., Jiang, D., Liu, G., Yan, H., Zhang, H., Guo, P., Li, C., Yang, H., Chen, T., & Wang, R. (2019). The Status of Coral Reefs and Its Importance for Coastal Protection: A Case Study of Northeastern Hainan Island, South China Sea. Sustainability. 11(16), 1-13. Doi:10.3390/su11164354.

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Keaton Gray is a Science, Technology, & Society major. For as long as I can remember, I have been involved in environmental activism – specifically issues regarding sustainable development, social justice, and animal rights. I think this advocacy role has largely influenced my decision to pursue an STS degree. STS has provided a way for me combine my interest in science with social aspects of being an environmental advocate. Outside of the classroom I enjoy spending time outside with my dogs (I have a 3-year-old Husky and a 2-year-old Australian Shepherd), fermenting things, and taking care of my indoor plant collection (there’s upwards of 50 of them so it is quite the time commitment).