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Ogston, A. S., & Field, M. E. (2010). Predictions of turbidity due to enhanced sediment resuspension resulting from sea-level rise on a fringing coral reef: evidence from Molokai, Hawaii. Journal of Coastal Research, 26(6), 1027-1037.
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Pacific/ Pacific Islands: Hawaii
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Accelerating sea level rise will increase energy and sediment re-suspension. Sedimentation is known to increase coral stress and bleaching as particles that settle on coral surfaces interfere with photosynthesis and feeding, and turbidity induced by suspended sediment reduces incident light levels.
The sediment flux is predicted to increase and removal of fine grained sediment may be expedited on some fringing reefs. Sediment in storage on the inner reef could ultimately be reduced. However, increased shoreline erosion may add sediment and offset removal from the reef flat.
The shifts in sediment availability and transport that will occur as a result of even modest increases in sea level can be related to fringing coral reefs elsewhere as well as other shoreline environments.
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Ecosystem management at the landscape level to decrease sediment input from adjacent watersheds, limiting other stresses to the reef habitat (e.g. anthropogenic).
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