Where to Restore? Combining Frameworks for Oyster Reef and Shoreline Restoration from Biologists with Maps of Emotional Attachment Data from Social Scientists

Keywords: Coastal Restoration, Florida, Geographic Information Systems, Inverse Distance Weighted Interpolation, Kernel Density Estimation, Volunteered Geographic Information
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Saturday
Session Start / End Time: 2/26/2022 11:20 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/26/2022 12:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 22

Abstract

In this presentation, we demonstrate how knowledge from community stakeholders about emotional attachment (as a key component of sense of place) collected from volunteered geographic information can be coupled with biological fieldwork data to inform and influence future coastal restoration priorities at various scales in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida (USA). We show how varying spatial patterns of emotional attachment as a primary component of sense of place within and across broader geographic regions can be represented, mapped, and visualized with kernel density and inverse distance weight measures to enhance future restoration priorities. We combine these data with biological field data and decision frameworks that rank future restoration site priorities based on biological and logistical constraints to influence the ways in which researchers and community stakeholders engage in the restoration of highly degraded and highly valued locations throughout the study site. Our interdisciplinary work demonstrates a framework for future coastal restoration projects to integrate both human systems level and natural systems level data into coastal restoration decision matrices. Through this combination of datasets, we provide opportunities whereby future restoration projects can balance the priorities of science teams and the community stakeholders who interact with these geographic locations.