LIFE & FORMAS
Coastal adaptation to climate change by multiple ecosystem based measures
Global climate change is contributing to elevated sea levels, increased coastal erosion and flooding. This accelerating trend has profound effects on coastal and urban areas, particularly in southern Sweden. Infrastructure and flood defence systems have been instigated, often using hard structures such as groins and seawalls. However, hard structures may introduce additional problems by shifting erosion alongshore and eventually converting sandy beaches and dune landscapes into rock and concrete coasts.
Loss of sandy beaches means loss of valuable ecosystems and their ecosystem services for coastal inhabitants. Previous actions have not yet fully explored the efficiency, sustainability and stakeholder acceptance of the ecosystem-based protection measures of beach nourishment and eelgrass meadow restoration. With these coastal ecosystem-based adaptations, we not only can reduce the negative impacts of coastal erosion, but also facilitate combined impacts to increase biodiversity and ecosystem services on land and sea.
To mitigate coastal erosion by using green infrastructure, the lab in collaboration with a number of partners, study the effects of two green actions; beach nourishment and re-implantation of eelgrass meadows in southern Sweden. This project was finalised in 2024 and was funded by EU-LIFE and FORMAS and titled “Coastal adaptation to climate change by multiple ecosystem-based measures” (LIFECOASTadapt). The project worked multidisciplinary and involved partnership between natural science, social science, geotechnology, engineers, the citizens and public administration on all levels.
WIOMSA
(MASMA)
Ecosystem based protection of the coastal zone
This trans-disciplinary project studied (funded by MASMA) how to strengthen the coastal resilience against coastal erosion by combining terrestrial and marine ecosystem-based protection. It aims was to identify and evaluate ecosystem services provided by seagrass meadows for humans and improved biodiversity in Western Indian Ocean. The project was finalised 2023.
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This ongoing project “Nature based solutions for protecting the coastal zones” aims to identify and evaluate ecosystem services provided by seagrass restoration and improved biodiversity in Mauritius. The project is funded by European Commission and is a five year project between WMU and Reef Conservation. In the project, we work multidisciplinary including research concerning blue carbon, using eDNA to assess how biodiversity builds up in newly restored seagrass meadows, together with social science aspects for community people.