Congratulations to Dr. T. Shay Viehman, PhD, Research Ecologist with NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), on being one of five 2021-2022 honorees for the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. As recently announced, Dr. Viehman is recognized for her outstanding contributions to meeting NOAA’s mission to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources, and NOAA’s vision for the future of healthy ecosystems, communities, and economies that are resilient in the face of changing coasts.

Since 2004, Dr. Viehman has developed a successful and unique research program that fills a critical role in the NCCOS science portfolio, bridging gaps between coral science, coastal restoration, and management activities while using emerging technologies, large and complex data sets, and artificial intelligence. Dr. Viehman’s work provides necessary data to federal, regional, and local data users, and helps inform a range of stakeholders interested in and tasked with evaluating benefits and consequences of actions both on the ecosystem and the community.
Dr. Viehman’s recent study, led by and in coordination with the U.S. Geological Survey, investigates the cost-benefit of investing in coral reef restoration to protect coastal communities from flood damage. Coral reefs provide a natural barrier, absorbing and weakening powerful wave action caused by coastal storms. Coastal areas protected by coral reefs often experience reduced flooding and damage as a result of weakened waves. This particular study focuses on 621 miles of Florida and Puerto Rico coastlines, which have faced devastating impacts from multiple major storms in recent years.
The research team developed a modeling system that compares flooding caused by storms in scenarios with and without coral restoration efforts. Researchers then determined the benefits of flood protection, including people, property, and economic activity that would otherwise be at risk.
The study reveals that reef restoration could protect nearly 3,000 people each year in Florida and Puerto Rico while preventing more than $391 million in damage to property and economic loss. In addition, the framework from this study can be used to calculate benefit to cost analysis for coral restoration in hazard risk reduction.
Visit USGS news for more information regarding this study, or the study publication for the details.