Coastal hazard mitigation considerations: perspectives from northern Gulf of Mexico coastal professionals and decision-makers

This paper reports on the process and results of stakeholder focus groups conducted as part of a larger multi-year, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-sponsored, transdisciplinary coastal resilience research project in the northern US Gulf of Mexico. The focus groups’ purpose was to better understand local coastal professionals’ and decision-makers’ (e.g., natural resource managers, community planners, extension and outreach specialists) views on mitigation options for coastal hazards (e.g., storm surge, nuisance flooding, sea level rise) including use of natural and nature-based features (NNBF; e.g., sand dunes, living shorelines, oyster reefs). Overall, results revealed that participants were aware of various mitigation options, had favorable views toward NNBF infrastructure, and perceived five major benefits and six major barriers or challenges with such approaches. Designing and implementing NNBF infrastructure was perceived as complex and requiring several types of ecological and socioeconomic considerations and information for decision-making. We conclude with a discussion of findings, practical implications for coastal resilience planning and management, and recommendations for future research.