This work was undertaken under the Future Coasts Aotearoa programme Research Aim 2 within the Te Puuaha| The Lower Waikato River case study
In our research we aim to map the migration space or elevation capital for coastal habitats under sea-level-rise. As sea level rises, coastal land is inundated and can become suitable for colonisation by coastal organisms such as saltmarshes, mangroves, and seagrasses. To determine if there is space for habitats to migrate inland, we will predict what coastal areas will become inundated under a range of sea level rise scenarios. In some cases, urban developments such as sea walls, roads, or settlements with inhibit inland migration – this is known as coastal squeeze. In other areas, natural barriers such as hills will block migration. In connected areas, with no barriers (human-made or elevation), there will be greater opportunity for inland migration under sea level rise – this is called elevation capital. We will map these processes at case study sites around Aotearoa, NZ.
