Low average shoreline change rate in 51 years on the raised Aldabra Atoll.

ABSTRACT: Atolls are at risk of losing their ability to physically adapt due to rising sea levels and coral reefs' reduced sediment supply, resulting in faster erosion of reef islands. This research examines Aldabra, a raised atoll and UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Indian Ocean with diverse coastal ecosystems, to track shoreline changes against a regional sea level rise of 2-3 mm yr^-1. Aerial and satellite images in 1960 and 2011 were used to study 85% of the atoll's shoreline through a Digital Shoreline Analysis System. Over 51 years, 61% of the shoreline remained unchanged, while 24% changed at an average rate of 0.25 ± 0.36 m yr^-1, a low rate compared to global atoll changes. Among the areas that did change, rates of accretion and erosion in absolute values were nearly b

SUBMITTER: Constance A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11584856 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature