Social and economic benefits of coral reef restoration: Puerto Rico 1

Report Summary

The Social and Economic Benefits of Coral Reef Restoration in Puerto Rico

Key Points

• The social and economic benefits of potential reef restoration scenarios, which varied in restored reef height and width, were assessed across the entire reef-lined coasts of Puerto Rico.
• Reef restoration in Puerto Rico could prevent over $40 million in economic damages annually.
• Restoration benefits differed by site, with high benefits for restoration in shallow water, close to shore, and near areas with more people and property. There were few benefits if reef restoration were done in deep water and far offshore.

This study provides the first regional-scale quantification of expected flood protection benefits provided by coral reef restoration.

Risk Reduction Benefits of Reef Restoration. The full height of the bars indicates current expected flood risk in the 100-year floodplain around San Juan, Puerto Rico. The blue bar tops indicate the risk that could be reduced with reef restoration; their height and color represent the expected benefit from restoration per 50,000 m² (hexagon max width = 277 m). Residual risk remains even after reef restoration. The orange line offshore indicates the location of potential reef restoration assessed in the models. The offshore polygon outlined in white represents the extent of current reef habitats.

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