Survey respondents: Mangroves, dunes protected property
The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation reported that as of Sept. 27, nearly 250 coastal property residents in Southwest Florida said that mangroves or dunes protected their homes or businesses last year during Hurricane Ian — from storm surge, debris, flooding and wind.
The results are part of the SCCF’s survey that sought to gather qualitative data about perceptions of these ecosystems and their role in storm protection. The survey was created by SCCF’s Pfeifer Fellow and University of Florida’s Levin College of Law Professor Emeritus Thomas T. Ankersen and SCCF Coastal Resilience Manager Dr. Carrie Schuman.
“It was interesting to see the high percentage of respondents who noted the ‘debris trapping’ value of mangroves,” Ankersen said. “This is an under-appreciated ecosystem service in the broader literature on storm protection provided by mangroves.”
The survey closed on Sept. 28. The complete results will be forthcoming later in the year.
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