Prominent literature on this topic has focused on the consequences of increased coastal flooding on island habitability using hydrodynamic modeling approaches, and the current thinking is that these islands will become uninhabitable in the next few decades ( 4).
WHATS AN ATOLL FULL
Full characterization of SLR vulnerability at a given reef island should combine morphodynamic models with assessments of climate-related impacts on freshwater supplies, carbonate sediment supply, and future wave regimes.Ĭoral reef islands, defined as sandy or gravel islands on top of coral reef platforms, are among the most vulnerable coastal environments to sea level rise (SLR) ( 1– 3). Our results indicate that such natural adaptation of reef islands may provide an alternative future trajectory that can potentially support near-term habitability on some islands, albeit with additional management challenges. Such island adjustment is driven by wave overtopping processes transferring sediment from the beachface to the island surface. We present numerical modeling results that show reef islands composed of gravel material are morphodynamically resilient landforms that evolve under SLR by accreting to maintain positive freeboard while retreating lagoonward. Such projections generally assume that reef islands are geologically inert landforms unable to adjust morphologically. Increased flooding due to sea level rise (SLR) is expected to render reef islands, defined as sandy or gravel islands on top of coral reef platforms, uninhabitable within decades.
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