VIDEOS
Watch interviews and animations featuring our research.
Quantifying Flood Risk & Benefits from Nature-Based Solutions
May 18, 2022
InsuResilience Global Partnership
There is growing recognition of the role of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction, but despite mounting evidence of their technical efficacy, NbS face sizeable challenges and barriers to adoption, one of those being lack of clarity on how to quantify NbS benefits, leading to a failure to account for the true value of the generated benefits. This workshop organized by the InsuResilience Global Partnership contributes to a better understanding of the quantification of NbS in order to estimate the benefits of Nature-based Solutions and price them accordingly.
Plenary Talk: Restoring and Enhancing Reef Communities
January 25, 2022
Healthy Oceans Forum
In this session of the Asian Development Bank Healthy Oceans Forum, Dr. Michael Beck sets the scene by providing an overview of the latest science, trends, and technologies for building coastal resilience to reduce risk to people, property and nature. He highlights the need to integrate nature-based solutions for coastal resilience, and the need for “green” rather than “grey” solutions.
Rethinking How Disaster Money is Spent
April 11th, 2021
LA Times
By Michael W. Beck
Federal money to restore coastal areas hit by hurricanes and other disasters doesn’t cover the loss of natural assets like coral reefs. UC Santa Cruz marine scientist Michael Beck says it’s time to change that.
Value of US Reefs for Flood Risk Reduction
April 5, 2021
Coastal Resilience Lab
By Jessica Kendall-Bar
Coral reefs in the US prevent flooding to 53,833 people, economic damages by $5.3 billion, and additional flooding of 113 km2 (28,000 acres, 43.6mi2) of land for the 100-year storm. If 1m of reefs are lost, 100-year flooding zones increase by 23%, impacting 62% more people, 90% more property and increasing damages by $5.3 billion.
Can Disasters Save Habitats? UCSC EEB Seminar
January 29th, 2021
UCSC Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
By Michael W. Beck
Mike Beck, AXA Chair in Coastal Resilience at UC Santa Cruz presents on "Can Disasters Save Habitats: The Ecology, Engineering and Financing of Natural Coastal Defenses" for a Seminar with the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz
Coastal Resilience Lab Approach
December 1st, 2020
Coastal Resilience Lab
By Jessica Kendall-Bar
The Coastal Resilience Lab works to reduce risks to people, property and nature; find out more at at https://coastalresilience.ucsc.edu.
Reducing Caribbean Risk with Mangroves
October 21st, 2020
Coastal Resilience Lab
By Sarah and Michael Beck
This is a video abstract about a report by the UCSC Coastal Resilience Lab along with The Nature Conservancy and the global insurance firm AXA on Caribbean risk: Opportunities for cost effective Mangrove Restoration and Insurance.
How Our Reefs Protect Us: Valuing the Benefits of U.S. Reefs
July 20th, 2020
US Geological Survey
By Jessica Kendall-Bar & Michael W. Beck
This video illustrates how scientists quantify coastal flood protections afforded by coral reefs, a main focus of an ongoing, collaborative effort between scientists at USGS and the Coastal Resilience Lab at UCSC. To learn more about this collaboration, please visit: https://www.usgs.gov/media/videos/how-our-reefs-protect-us-valuing-benefits-us-reefs
Understanding the Protective Value of Nature
July 15th, 2020
National Wildlife Federation
By Borja Reguero, Mike Beck & Curt Storlazzi
A Discussion of the Science Behind the Effectiveness of Natural Infrastructure for Hazard Risk Reduction. Zoom webinar hosted by the National Wildlife Federation.
How Do Humans Depend on Coral Reefs?
December 28th, 2018
Cal Academy of Sciences
By Cal Academy of Sciences
We worked with Cal Academy on their planetarium video on the value of coral reefs, which featured a high res visualization of our storm wave models in Mexico. Half a billion people rely on coral reefs for food and income. But reefs provide more than food. They also provide protection.
At the Water's Edge
November 6th, 2018
The Nature Conservancy
By The Nature Conservancy
"Grenada is on the front line of climate change. Storms, flooding, sea level rise, and changing temperatures threaten lives and property."
Coral Reefs Prevent $4.3 Billion in Flood Damage Annually
June 20th, 2018
Pew Trusts
By the PEW Charitable Trusts
"We're in an era when we're losing coastal habitats and the risks to both those habitats and to people are increasing greatly."
