Barrier Islands: Coupling Anthropogenic Stability with Ecological Sustainability Academic Article

abstract

• Barrier islands provide a host of critical ecosystem services to heavily populated coastal regions of the world, yet they are quite vulnerable to ongoing sea level rise and a potential increase in the frequency and intensity of oceanic storms. These islands are being degraded at an alarming rate, in part because of anthropogenic attempts at stabilization. In this article, we outline a possible sustainability strategy that incorporates the natural degree of substrate instability on these sedimentary landscapes. We recommend placing the focus for managing barrier islands on maintaining ecosystem function and process development rather than emphasizing barrier islands as structural impediments to wave and storm energy. 2010 the Coastal Education & Research Foundation (CERF).

authors

• Feagin, Russell

published proceedings

• JOURNAL OF COASTAL RESEARCH

author list (cited authors)

• Feagin, R. A., Smith, W. K., Psuty, N. P., Young, D. R., Luisa Martinez, M., Carter, G. A., ... Koske, R. E.

citation count

• 49

complete list of authors

• Feagin, Rusty A||Smith, William K||Psuty, Norbert P||Young, Donald R||Luisa Martinez, M||Carter, Gregory A||Lucas, Kelly L||Gibeaut, James C||Gemma, Jane N||Koske, Richard E

publication date

• January 2010

publisher

• Coastal Education and Research Foundation  Publisher

published in

• Journal of Coastal Research: an international forum for the littoral sciences  Journal

keywords

• Barrier Islands
• Coastal Erosion
• Coastal Management
• Sea Level Rise
• Storm Surge
• Vegetation

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.2112/09-1185.1

start page

• 987

end page

• 992

volume

• 26

issue

• 6

URL

• http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.2112%2F09-1185.1

user-defined tag

• 13 Climate Action