The potential for coral reef restoration to mitigate coastal flooding as sea levels rise

Coral reefs are critical barriers mitigating shoreline erosion and flooding. However, climate change jeopardizes this function through reef degradation, sea-level rise, and altered wave patterns. This study investigates whether coral restoration, specifically of *Acropora palmata*, can mitigate coastal flooding. Combining coral growth measurements, carbonate budget assessments at Buck Island Reef, and hydrodynamic modeling, the authors show that successful *A. palmata* restoration could mitigate extreme flooding impacts by reversing reef erosion and allowing reefs to keep pace with projected sea-level rise by 2100 under moderate carbon emissions reduction scenarios. This highlights the potential long-term benefits of coral reef restoration alongside climate change mitigation.

Lauren T. Toth, Curt D. Storlazzi, Ilsa B. Kuffner, Ellen Quataert, Johan Reyns, Robert McCall, Anastasios Stathakopoulos, Zandy Hillis-Starr, Nathaniel Hanna Holloway, Kristen A. Ewens, Clayton G. Pollock, Tessa Code, Richard B. Aronson