Island Engineers, Engineering Islands

Anthropogenic islands, such as South Florida’s Mound Key and Nan Madol in Micronesia, serve as model systems for understanding human environmental impact. These sites demonstrate how islanders engineered landforms and shorelines through monumental construction, contributing to community resilience against environmental and social stressors. The study argues that these efforts were conscious resource management strategies, representing precursors to modern attempts at artificial island construction. With climate change and rising seas, similar investments in infrastructure and social resilience—such as coastal defenses or floating cities—may become necessary for modern coastal communities.

Fitzpatrick, S. M., & Thompson, V. D. (2024). Island Engineers, Engineering Islands. Sustainability in Ancient Island Societies, 276–299. https://doi.org/10.5744/florida/9780813069975.003.0011