Engineered coastal berm-dune renourishment in new jersey: Can coastal communities continue to hold the line?

Jesse Kolodin, Jorge Lorenzo-Trueba, Porter Hoagland, Di Jin, Andrew Ashton

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Following the significant coastal changes caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, engineered berm-dunes were constructed along the New Jersey coastline to enhance protection from future storms. Following construction, property values on Long Beach Island, NJ, increased in three beachfront communities. The projects were financed entirely through federal disaster assistance, but the percentage of future maintenance costs must be covered by local communities. Whether communities are willing or capable of financially contributing to maintenance remains unclear because (i) some homeowners prefer ocean views over the protection afforded by the berm-dune structures, and (ii) stakeholder risk perceptions can change over time. To investigate the relationships between berm-dune geometries, values of coastal protection, and ocean view values, we developed a geo-economic model of the natural and anthropogenic processes that shape beach and dune morphology. The model results suggest that coastal communities may exhibit significant differences in their capabilities to maintain engineered dunes depending on stakeholder wealth and risk perception. In particular, communities with strong preferences for ocean views are less likely to maintain large-scale berm-dune structures over the long term. If these structures are abandoned, the vulnerability of the coast to future storms will increase.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)193-209
Number of pages17
JournalAnthropocene Coasts
Volume4
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2021

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Waste Management and Disposal
  • Ocean Engineering
  • Nature and Landscape Conservation
  • Oceanography

Keywords

  • Beach nourishment
  • Berm-dune systems
  • Coastal risk
  • Engineered dunes
  • Government subsidies
  • Risk perception

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