Mapping tidal restrictions to support blue carbon restoration

Area of Science:

• Coastal Ecology
• Environmental Management
• Geospatial Analysis

Background:

• Blue carbon ecosystems (BCEs) like mangroves, saltmarshes, and seagrasses provide critical services but are threatened by human-made tidal restrictions.
• These restrictions disrupt natural seawater flow, degrading coastal habitats and their functions.
• Identifying and assessing these restrictions is key for successful restoration via managed realignment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel, cost-effective approach for detecting tidal restrictions in Victoria, Australia.
• To identify potential sites for tidal restoration to enhance blue carbon ecosystem services.
• To provide a systematic method for targeting restoration efforts globally.

Main Methods:

• Utilized high-resolution LiDAR data and geospatial analysis techniques.
• Developed a multi-criteria scoring system incorporating proximity to BCEs and land use.
• Applied noise reduction thresholds to optimize detection accuracy.

Main Results:

• The model accurately identified 90% of known tidal restrictions.
• Discovered 118 additional potential tidal restrictions, a 35% increase.
• The scoring system effectively prioritized sites based on restoration suitability.

Conclusions:

• The developed approach offers a systematic and accessible method for identifying tidal restrictions for blue carbon ecosystem restoration.
• Findings have broad implications for coastal management and restoration in Victoria, Australia, and globally.
• The success of the method is contingent on LiDAR data availability, but its user-friendliness supports wider adoption.