Streaming Media
Presentation Abstract
Sea level rise (SLR) will cause Puget Sound shores to change in the magnitude and frequency of coastal flooding, with cascading effects of accelerated erosion, habitat loss, and other impacts at the local scale. Prior investigations of the extent of coastal flooding and historical patterns of erosion have been conducted across the region in a variety of temporal and spatial extents, but primarily at the shoreline reach scales. The recent release of updated sea level rise (SLR) projections and high resolution topobathymetric data for the Puget Sound region lends itself to a new quantitative analysis of SLR-related hazards at a finer spatial scale. The goal of this project was to construct, calculate, and map a SLR vulnerability index for Puget Sound that includes both shoreline infrastructure and habitat sensitivity at the parcel scale. Our assessment was based on a quantitative vulnerability framework, which defines vulnerability as a function of exposure and sensitivity. The exposure index, which incorporates flooding and erosion, was coupled with the sensitivity index, which integrated infrastructure and coastal habitats into a total vulnerability index. Here we present the methods and results of the assessment, intended to inform local hazards planning and habitat restoration efforts. We provide a vulnerability score for every shoreline parcel within the region using SLR projections out to 2100. These results are also coupled with a concurrently developed social vulnerability index (by NOAA-NCCOS), which provides additional insight about the people and places that may be predisposed to adverse impacts from SLR-related risks. We find that our approach allows the ranking of parcels in a way that considered both present and future potential flooding, the impact to existing infrastructure and habitats, as well as community resilience, but acknowledge that data limitations and assumptions incorporated into the approach should be considered when interpreting the results.
Session Title
Sea Level Rise in the Salish Sea
Conference Track
SSE8: Climate Change
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2022 : Online)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE-traditionals-96
Start Date
26-4-2022 1:30 PM
End Date
26-4-2022 3:00 PM
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Sea level--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Floods--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Erosion--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Restoration monitoring (Ecology)--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Prioritizing Sea Level Rise Exposure and Habitat Sensitivity Across Puget Sound
Sea level rise (SLR) will cause Puget Sound shores to change in the magnitude and frequency of coastal flooding, with cascading effects of accelerated erosion, habitat loss, and other impacts at the local scale. Prior investigations of the extent of coastal flooding and historical patterns of erosion have been conducted across the region in a variety of temporal and spatial extents, but primarily at the shoreline reach scales. The recent release of updated sea level rise (SLR) projections and high resolution topobathymetric data for the Puget Sound region lends itself to a new quantitative analysis of SLR-related hazards at a finer spatial scale. The goal of this project was to construct, calculate, and map a SLR vulnerability index for Puget Sound that includes both shoreline infrastructure and habitat sensitivity at the parcel scale. Our assessment was based on a quantitative vulnerability framework, which defines vulnerability as a function of exposure and sensitivity. The exposure index, which incorporates flooding and erosion, was coupled with the sensitivity index, which integrated infrastructure and coastal habitats into a total vulnerability index. Here we present the methods and results of the assessment, intended to inform local hazards planning and habitat restoration efforts. We provide a vulnerability score for every shoreline parcel within the region using SLR projections out to 2100. These results are also coupled with a concurrently developed social vulnerability index (by NOAA-NCCOS), which provides additional insight about the people and places that may be predisposed to adverse impacts from SLR-related risks. We find that our approach allows the ranking of parcels in a way that considered both present and future potential flooding, the impact to existing infrastructure and habitats, as well as community resilience, but acknowledge that data limitations and assumptions incorporated into the approach should be considered when interpreting the results.
