DSS Case Study: Coastal Resilience

Shoreline exposure to wave energy in East Hampton. Click to enlarge image.

DSS in Action

The proof-of-concept version of the Coastal Resilience DSS is being used by local and state agencies to inform decision-making regarding natural resources and community planning:

• The New York State Sea Level Rise Task Force (SLRTF) adopted the DSS as the protocol for vulnerability mapping throughout its project area. The SLRTF’s Natural Resources Working Group has used the DSS in (1) evaluating the prospective utility of state and local wetlands code in the face of sea level rise and (2) identifying characteristics of communities that support retreat-oriented policies.
• The Nature Conservancy on Long Island is using the DSS to prioritize marshes for land acquisition and restoration projects.
• The Town of East Hampton (see image) has used the DSS in evaluating revetment applications.
• The Town of Southold is working with The Nature Conservancy to use the DSS to bring sea level rise adaptation into their ongoing Comprehensive Plan development project.
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coastal Services Center is working with The Nature Conservancy on incorporating the DSS in local planning efforts, using the Roadmap for Adapting to Coastal Risk framework.
• The Peconic Estuary Program has commissioned our team to extend the proof-of-concept project to the Peconic Estuary.
• The Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve has expressed interest in extending the DSS to the Hudson Estuary.
• The Coastal Resilience partnership has received initial funding to extend the project into Long Island Sound and expressions of interest in applying the framework in California, the Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas, Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, the Gulf of Mexico, the Solomon Islands, and Indonesia.

For More Information

• Website: Coastal Resilience Long Island
• Recorded webinar: Coastal Resilience EBM Tool Demonstration Project
• Contact:
  Sarah Newkirk
  The Nature Conservancy on Long Island
  (631) 367-3225
  coastalresilience@tnc.org