SMEA alum Max Perkins has published his first lead-author paper in Ecosystem Services, titled “Exploring the disaster risk reduction and energy resilience benefits of coastal ecosystems and protected areas in Puerto Rico.” The paper was co-authored with SMEA Affiliate Faculty member Katir Arkema and colleagues.

In this research, Max applies a spatial model to identify where coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrasses help mitigate coastal hazard risks to nearshore energy infrastructure. The findings highlight the potential for new protected areas to strengthen the resilience of the electrical grid in coastal communities. By modeling coastal vulnerability across multiple conservation and degradation scenarios, the work offers a replicable approach that bridges the often-separated energy, disaster risk, and environmental sectors.

An interactive web application allows users to explore the model outputs

This publication represents the culmination of a project Max began as an undergraduate intern at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and carried forward through his senior thesis and capstone in the Program on Climate Change Graduate Certificate in Climate Science.

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