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