Conclusions

The coastal vulnerability index (CVI) provides insight into the relative potential of coastal change due to future sea-level rise. The maps and data presented here can be viewed in at least two ways:

1) as an indication of where physical changes are most likely to occur as sea level continues to rise; and

2) as a planning tool for the Point Reyes National Seashore.

As ranked in this study, geomorphology, regional coastal slope, and wave energy are the most important variables in determining the CVI for Point Reyes National Seashore. Tidal range, shoreline change, and rate of sea-level rise do not contribute to the variability in the coastal vulnerability index.

Point Reyes National Seashore preserves a dynamic natural environment, which must be understood in order to be managed properly. The CVI is one way that park managers can assess objectively the natural factors that contribute to the evolution of the coastal zone, and thus how the park may evolve in the future.