About this Research Topic
The following Research Topic is intended to publish research supported in part or full by the US Coastal Research Program (USCRP) or US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) relevant to informing the future of NNBF. If your manuscript relates to NNBF but is not funded by either of these institutions, your manuscript will be considered for publication in the wider journal by one of our Associate Editors.
The coastal zone is the global nexus of nature, society, infrastructure, and development. Coastal zone habitats (e.g., dunes, mangroves, salt marshes) and the myriad of ecological and societal communities that they support are inherently geologically unstable and growing increasingly vulnerable to climate change hazards (e.g., storm surge, flooding, and sea level rise). Natural and nature-based features (NNBF) embody the principles of multi-benefit systems engineering, offering a holistic approach that leverages ecosystem services to afford both biological function and coastal protection. In recent decades, NNBF have become prominent as coastal management options, often over more traditional hard engineering options, and with it, there has been an increase in associated NNBF research.
Although NNBF have been used for decades, much of our knowledge on them has been based on application and anecdotal. Recently, NNBF research has begun to inform the design, utility, and performance of projects over longer timescales and broader scenarios. Despite the exponential growth in NNBF research, fundamental knowledge gaps exist around both the processes governing NNBF coastal systems and the influence of NNBF in the broader landscape. Coastal zone habitats are adapted to respond to and recover from disturbances like storms, droughts, and fires. However, many ecological and geological processes (i.e., ecogeomorphic relationships) underpinning their adaptive abilities remain unclear or poorly understood. Advancing the application and conservation of NNBF requires a comprehensive understanding of the principles underlying coastal habitat structure, function, and resilience. By integrating these solutions, we can better design and implement solutions that align with natural processes, ultimately enhancing the resilience of coastal communities in the face of climate change. Both the US Coastal Research Program (USCRP) and US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), leaders in coastal research especially related to NNBF, have identified the need for NNBF research to push the state of coastal science forward and in doing so reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities.
We invite submissions of research supported in part or full by the US Coastal Research Program (USCRP) or US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) relevant to informing the future of NNBF. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
• Fundamental research of underlying ecological or geological processes governing coastal zone habitat function, structure, interactions, or evolution;
• Applied research surrounding NNBF projects with broader relevance beyond their installation site;
• Climate change adaptation, restoration, and management of coastal zone habitats;
• Opinion or commentary pieces surrounding NNBF;
• Fundamental and applied research on coastal zone organisms;
• Event-driven research on coastal zone habitat response to disturbances.
The coastal zone is the global nexus of nature, society, infrastructure, and development. Coastal zone habitats (e.g., dunes, mangroves, salt marshes) and the myriad of ecological and societal communities that they support are inherently geologically unstable and growing increasingly vulnerable to climate change hazards (e.g., storm surge, flooding, and sea level rise). Natural and nature-based features (NNBF) embody the principles of multi-benefit systems engineering, offering a holistic approach that leverages ecosystem services to afford both biological function and coastal protection. In recent decades, NNBF have become prominent as coastal management options, often over more traditional hard engineering options, and with it, there has been an increase in associated NNBF research.
Although NNBF have been used for decades, much of our knowledge on them has been based on application and anecdotal. Recently, NNBF research has begun to inform the design, utility, and performance of projects over longer timescales and broader scenarios. Despite the exponential growth in NNBF research, fundamental knowledge gaps exist around both the processes governing NNBF coastal systems and the influence of NNBF in the broader landscape. Coastal zone habitats are adapted to respond to and recover from disturbances like storms, droughts, and fires. However, many ecological and geological processes (i.e., ecogeomorphic relationships) underpinning their adaptive abilities remain unclear or poorly understood. Advancing the application and conservation of NNBF requires a comprehensive understanding of the principles underlying coastal habitat structure, function, and resilience. By integrating these solutions, we can better design and implement solutions that align with natural processes, ultimately enhancing the resilience of coastal communities in the face of climate change. Both the US Coastal Research Program (USCRP) and US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), leaders in coastal research especially related to NNBF, have identified the need for NNBF research to push the state of coastal science forward and in doing so reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities.
We invite submissions of research supported in part or full by the US Coastal Research Program (USCRP) or US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) relevant to informing the future of NNBF. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
• Fundamental research of underlying ecological or geological processes governing coastal zone habitat function, structure, interactions, or evolution;
• Applied research surrounding NNBF projects with broader relevance beyond their installation site;
• Climate change adaptation, restoration, and management of coastal zone habitats;
• Opinion or commentary pieces surrounding NNBF;
• Fundamental and applied research on coastal zone organisms;
• Event-driven research on coastal zone habitat response to disturbances.
Keywords: Adaptive management, climate change adaptation, coastal resilience, ecogeomorphology, ecosystem services, Engineering With Nature, green infrastructure, nature-based features, natural and nature based features, nature-based solutions, NBS, NNBF, NNBS, resiliency, restoration, soft solutions, sustainability
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
