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Updated: Sep 12, 2025
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Modifying the Bank Erosion Hazard Index BEHI Protocol for Rapid Assessment of Streambank Erosion in Northeastern Ohio
Published on: February 13, 2015
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Performance Evaluation of Natural and Nature-Based Features for Coastal Protection and Co-Benefits
Matthew A Reidenbach1, Ming Li2, Kenneth A Rose2
1Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA;
Annual Review of Marine Science
|August 4, 2025
Summary
Natural and nature-based features (NNBF) provide coastal protection and ecosystem services. This review assesses NNBF performance, alone and with gray infrastructure, to improve coastal resilience against extreme events.
Area of Science:
- Coastal engineering
- Ecological restoration
- Environmental science
Background:
- Seawalls and levees offer coastal protection but lack ecosystem services.
- Natural and nature-based features (NNBF) like marshes and reefs provide coastal defense and ecological benefits.
- Limited understanding exists on the resilience and failure points of NNBF, especially when integrated with traditional infrastructure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the performance of existing NNBF strategies for coastal protection.
- To assess the effectiveness of NNBF, both independently and integrated with gray infrastructure.
- To inform design criteria for enhanced coastal resilience.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of NNBF projects with long-term monitoring.
- Synthesis of monitoring data for performance assessment.
- Exploration of NNBF integration with existing gray infrastructure.
Main Results:
- Identified and reviewed selected NNBF projects with monitoring data.
- Synthesized data to provide a literature-based performance assessment of NNBF.
- Examined the combined effectiveness of NNBF and gray infrastructure.
Conclusions:
- Standardized metrics are needed to assess NNBF effectiveness.
- NNBF offer valuable ecosystem services alongside coastal protection.
- Integrating NNBF with gray infrastructure can enhance overall coastal resilience.
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