Sea-level rise & coastal squeeze

Names and classification

Record type

threat

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Recorded state

Ongoing

Threats and conservation

Pressure source

Rising mean sea level interacting with fixed development/topography

Exposure pathway

Higher baseline water levels increase erosion, inundation, saltwater intrusion and landward habitat pressure

Consequences

Habitat loss or landward migration, erosion, salinization and inundation

Affected requirements

Beach/dune migration space, coastal wetland hydroperiod/salinity and lowland habitat

Susceptibility

Beaches/dunes, coastal wetlands, low-lying infrastructure and coastal biota

Reversibility

Not locally reversible; adaptation requires space, migration pathways and shoreline planning

Early warning indicators

Shoreline position; high-tide flooding; salinity; wetland migration; dune/beach width

Conservation interventions

Implementation limits

Magnitude, exposure and trend are not assumed uniform across Kauaʻi; local evidence governs.

Sources and further reading

• https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/occl/coastal-lands-program/
• https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/occl/coastal-lands/dune-restoration/

Connected Atlas records

• Coastal dry shrubland & grassland · Ecosystems
• Freshwater marsh & palustrine wetland · Ecosystems
• Brackish coastal wetland & lagoon ecosystem · Ecosystems
• Sandy beach & dune ecosystem · Ecosystems
• Rocky intertidal & tidepool ecosystem · Ecosystems
• Wetland hydrology restoration & adaptive water management · Threats & Conservation
• Dune restoration & native coastal vegetation · Threats & Conservation
• Soft shoreline management, setbacks & managed retreat · Threats & Conservation
• Protected-area expansion, easements & durable habitat protection · Threats & Conservation