Completed coastal vulnerability study presented to Sanibel City Council
The Sanibel City Council recently heard a presentation and received the final report on a coastal resiliency study of the islands, conducted in partnership with Florida Gulf Coast University.
Dr. Michael Savarese, a professor of marine science and environmental studies with FGCU's Department of Marine and Ecological Sciences, provided an overview of the "An Assessment of Coastal Vulnerability Due to Sea-level Rise and Increased Storminess" at the Oct. 2 meeting.
The six-month project, which concluded in June and was funded through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Florida Resilient Coastline Programs, aims to help Sanibel and Captiva understand their vulnerabilities to sea-level rise and storminess, plus identify the most relevant effects for them.
"We employed a community-engaged approach," Savarese said of conducting the study.
"This is just a first step," he added. "There are many other steps to follow."
In his presentation, Savarese explained that climate change vulnerability is predicting or anticipating future effects across the landscape and protecting community assets. It is key to preserving or improving quality of life and economic vitality and to maintain urban, cultural and natural resources.