Cost-benefit study confirms coral reef restoration could be a cost-effective way to save lives and money
Researchers developed a modeling system to quantify the value coral reef restoration could provide to 1,000 kilometers, or 621 miles, of coastline in Florida and Puerto Rico. The research compared how much flooding storms could cause with and without coral reef restoration at a 10 square meter, or 108 square feet, resolution. Researchers then determined how many people and how much property and economic activity reef restoration could protect by preventing coastal flooding. "Coral reefs are natural coastal barriers that can substantially reduce coastal flooding and erosion,” said Curt Storlazzi, lead author and research geologist from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Earthquake in Southern California 90 Years Ago Changed the Way We Build
When large, damaging earthquakes happen, it’s natural for people in the United States to ask, could it happen here? Large earthquakes have struck the U.S., many of them now beyond living memory. Some of these earthquakes provided impetus for risk-reduction efforts. The1933 Long Beach, California, earthquake was one such event. On March 10, 1933, the greater Los Angeles region, along with the rest of the country, struggled economically during the Great Depression. But not all local news was grim. Pleasant spring weather conditions prevailed across the region, and, at noon that day, the newly restored frigate Constitution sailed into Long Beach Harbor