Nations with coral reefs should design a coastal zone
management (CZM) regime that (1) allows only projects and facilities that need to be placed in the coastal
zone, and (2) establish greenbelts and other restricted
zones to protect beaches, mangroves, and coral reefs
and prevent resorts or other building development in
this restricted zone unless absolutely required. This
measure alone would save many existing beaches and
prevent proliferation of seawalls and groins to protect
luxury housing and other structures that could have
been sited elsewhere and out of harms way from storms,
high waves, tsunamis, etc.
Engineering on Coral Reefs with Emphasis on Pacific Reefs, Figure 9 Port construction at Barbers Point, Hawaii designed to
minimize impacts to coral reefs: (a) Before harbor construction in 1980, U.S. environmental laws and regulations required evaluation
of a full range of alternatives. (b) The two major options were to construct the harbor offshore, or . . . . . . (c) Quarry a harbor inshore
of the existing shoreline. The latter option was selected, and all excavation in the new harbor basin, and channel dredging outside
were completed before the barrier separating the two areas was removed to complete the harbor. This design minimized the
footprint of the harbor on coral reefs and also prevented turbid waters from discharging to offshore reefs during most of the
construction period. The project cost was also much less and generated fill material for future industrial and construction projects.
402
ENGINEERING ON CORAL REEFS WITH EMPHASIS ON PACIFIC REEFS
management (CZM) regime that (1) allows only projects and facilities that need to be placed in the coastal
zone, and (2) establish greenbelts and other restricted
zones to protect beaches, mangroves, and coral reefs
and prevent resorts or other building development in
this restricted zone unless absolutely required. This
measure alone would save many existing beaches and
prevent proliferation of seawalls and groins to protect
luxury housing and other structures that could have
been sited elsewhere and out of harms way from storms,
high waves, tsunamis, etc.
Engineering on Coral Reefs with Emphasis on Pacific Reefs, Figure 9 Port construction at Barbers Point, Hawaii designed to
minimize impacts to coral reefs: (a) Before harbor construction in 1980, U.S. environmental laws and regulations required evaluation
of a full range of alternatives. (b) The two major options were to construct the harbor offshore, or . . . . . . (c) Quarry a harbor inshore
of the existing shoreline. The latter option was selected, and all excavation in the new harbor basin, and channel dredging outside
were completed before the barrier separating the two areas was removed to complete the harbor. This design minimized the
footprint of the harbor on coral reefs and also prevented turbid waters from discharging to offshore reefs during most of the
construction period. The project cost was also much less and generated fill material for future industrial and construction projects.
402
ENGINEERING ON CORAL REEFS WITH EMPHASIS ON PACIFIC REEFS