Coastal Wetland Dynamics and Impacts on Hurricane Flood Risk along the Texas Gulf Coast in a Changing Climate

Wetlands along the Gulf Coast are crucial for reducing hurricane-induced flooding and as habitat for diverse wildlife, but are threatened by rising sea levels, climate change, and coastal development. Using remote sensing data, future climate data, and numerical models, researchers from this South Central CASC-supported project will collaborate with local expert groups to create data and maps about the future of coastal wetlands. The findings will help wetland management and flood control agencies improve strategies for enhancing wetland restoration efforts and improving flood protection for communities in the region.



Coastal wetlands are important ecosystems along the Gulf Coast that provide essential services such as reducing hurricane-induced floods and conserving biodiversity. However, these wetlands face potential losses due to rising sea levels, changing climate patterns, and ongoing coastal development. While wetland management and flood control agencies are developing long-term climate change adaptation strategies, they require forward-looking knowledge and data about how wetlands along coastal Texas will evolve in the coming decades, and how they can better provide flood and storm surge protection during hurricanes.



Working closely with nine expert groups familiar with local and regional wetland management and flood control, this project team will co-design research and create practical data to enhance wetland restoration and flood protection under ongoing climate change. To do this, the researchers will use remote sensing data and models to create maps depicting the current extent of coastal wetlands and how the coastal landscape might change with future climate conditions, coastal development, and restoration efforts. They will also predict how hurricanes and the associated extreme precipitation and floods could change in the future. Finally, the researchers will evaluate how effective existing wetland restoration projects are in reducing hurricane flood risks.



Once the project is finished, findings and datasets will be shared with coastal wetland management and flood control agencies through webinars and training sessions. The team will host a workshop in Harris County to communicate outcomes and apply them in wetland management and flood preparedness decisions. These efforts will not only fill in knowledge gaps but will also directly help communities enhance wetlands and flood protection strategies for the climate challenges ahead.