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Coastal Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

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Abstract

Planning for sea level rise (SLR) is a complex process that involves scientific uncertainty and local and regional political tradeoffs. As part of a 6-year transdisciplinary research project in the northern Gulf of Mexico, we conducted focus groups with coastal stakeholders (natural resource managers, community planners, and environmental communicators) to gain a better understanding of their planning and adaptation activities for SLR. This paper reports on participants’ perceptions about adaptation and their current adaptation activities and strategies. While stakeholders were concerned about SLR and thought adaptation had challenges, they still shared optimism and a commitment to planning. The findings identify different types of SLR adaptation initiatives in which participants were involved as well as types of perceived barriers to adaptation planning, and major recommended strategies to address them. The paper concludes with a discussion of findings, connections to related SLR adaptation literature, practical implications for coastal resiliency, and directions for future research.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Ecological Effects of Sea Level Rise Program (awards NA10NOS4780146 and NA16NOS4780208) and the Louisiana Sea Grant Laborde Chair. The statements and conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of NOAA. We wish to thank management and staff of the National Estuarine Research Reserves of Apalachicola, Grand Bay, and Weeks Bay as well as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Coastal Management.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of English, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA

    Sonia H. Stephens

  2. Department of Environmental Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

    Denise E. DeLorme

  3. Center for Coastal Resiliency, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

    Scott C. Hagen

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  1. Sonia H. Stephens
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  2. Denise E. DeLorme
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Correspondence to Sonia H. Stephens.

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Stephens, S.H., DeLorme, D.E. & Hagen, S.C. Coastal Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Environmental Management 66, 407–418 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-020-01315-3

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