Collaborative Research: Planning: Moving beyond vulnerability: Finding earth science solutions to sea-level rise and flooding in small coastal communities

Saltwater intrusion and sea-level rise (SWISLR) present major challenges for rural and small coastal systems whose residents often need economic and political aid to ameliorate SWISLR issues. Rural and unincorporated areas often do not have the same support as more populated regions due to the lower population densities and constrained planning capacity. Many small coastal communities are economically, culturally, and spiritually connected with their location, making adaptation to SWISLR crucial to maintaining the capacity of these communities to coexist with coastal change. This project works across research institutions, local communities, tribal governments, and municipalities to establish partnerships for understanding local flooding hazards and co-develop science priorities that will directly lead to actionable solutions. The core activity for this planning grant is to conduct a series of surveys, community workshops, and interviews with stakeholders across Florida (FL) and North Carolina (NC). The goal is to identify specific earth system science problems related to coastal flooding that will lead to detailed, local information for coastal communities. Ultimately, this project will increase the ability of small coastal communities to develop and implement adaptation strategies, while also learning from other communities across the Southeast who are facing similar challenges. This grant advances earth systems hazard research through capitalizing on innovations in high resolution data (remote sensing, machine learning, flood modeling). With these data, this project answers localized questions about the variability of flooding and coastal hazards, moving beyond regional projections to inform local flooding hazards and determine the consequences of a changing system. Bringing new knowledge to overlooked systems and communities will allow understanding of the variability of flooding hazards, determine how understudied areas might contribute new insights to our understanding of SWISLR, and include underserved voices (Indigenous and local communities) in the coastal solutions discussion. Through developing a repository of successful coastal projects and initiating a series of workshops, this project will increase the communication and dissemination of information and stories beyond state lines. This project connects to communities through a co-production process to enhance resilience to SWISLR hazards. Collaboration through FL Sea Grant, NC Sea Grant, and SWISLR Research Coordination Network extends the results of this project throughout municipalities in the southeastern coastal plain. The project deliverables will be openly available and archived as open pre-prints or deposited into open repositories using FAIR data practices. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.