The data contains two Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) of the coastal zone in the south-east of Fuvahmulah, the Maldives (location: latitude -0.30° and longitude 73.43°). DEM files are in the file format *.tif (raster data georeferenced to WGS84). The DEMs contain elevation data on the area adjacent to the seaport. One DEM was measured in 2017, the other in 2019. The 2017 DEM is based on aerial imagery, recorded with the consumer-grade unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV, or drone) DJI Phantom 4 in 2017, while the 2019 DEM was recorded with a DJI Phantom 4 Pro. The data was then processed in Agisoft Photoscan with a Structure-from-Motion - MultiView Stereo algorithm (SfM-MVS). In addition, the data set contains elevation and location data of 4 transects from sections along the east coast of Fuvahmulah. The data is stored in *.csv files, containing longitude, latitude, height and distance. Finally, there are two further data files with gridded topographic and bathymetric data, ready for use in the depth-integrated Boussinesq type model BOSZ (see Roeber and Cheung, 2012; doi.org/10.1016/j.coastaleng.2012.06.001). Currently, the numerical wave model, incorporates lateral wave makers, so that the elevation data needs to be rotated to account for different wave directions \(\theta\). The bathymetry was recorded with a Dr. Fahrentholz LituBox 15/200 and truncated to 200 meters water depth. The coastal topography results from coastal DEMs, while the island's mainland is set to about 2-3 meters (no elevation information was available for the island's inland area). The data was gridded and interpolated onto the grid with The Generic Mapping Tools (GMT). The grid size is 7.5 x 7.5 meter. The files are in MATLAB® 5.0 file format *.mat, containing the variables 'length' and 'width' of the domain in meters, 'X' and 'Y' (computation grid \(x, y\) in degrees \(^\circ\) longitude and latitude), as well as 'BATHY', being the elevation data for the X,Y grid. In addition, friction values as used in the model is stored in the variable 'Friction', as well as the grid increments 'DX' and 'DY' (\(\Delta x\) and \(\Delta y\) in degrees \(^\circ\) longitude and latitude). Each folder contains either a README-file or Jupyter Notebook (Python 3). The Notebooks allow the user to access and view the files (Python 3 and Jupyter Notebook installation required)

The data was recorded within field campaigns on the reef island Fuvahmulah, the Maldives. The research team worked in the Priority Program (SPP-1889) 'Regional Sea Level Change and Society (SeaLevel)', and acknowledges funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG; grant number SCHL 503/17-1).