Yucatan coastline

The coastline of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula is susceptible to wave erosion, but the coral reef and sea grass beds protect the coastline. The importance of this ecosystem service was assessed using wave energy and coastal erosion information. The Earth observation-derived data on benthic habitats and depths were compared to a scenario without these habitats. The map displays coastal vulnerability in the absence (right) and presence (left) of marine vegetation and coral reefs. Red marks high vulnerability and green low.