The state of the beach affects everyone's lives

 Pembrokeshire archaeologists are racing against accelerating coastal erosion to uncover an ancient cemetery.

 Stones from cist (stone coffin) graves can be seen eroding from the bay’s low cliffs and archaeologists are recording what remains before it too is washed away by the sea.

 Removing sand and other materials from beaches and dunes due to tidal storm surges and construction purposes causes erosion and land loss of seashores, thus destroying the natural heritage of the coast and reducing the vibrancy of the tourism industry.

Coastal Erosion Management

 Uprooting vegetation from coastal areas destabilises beaches and clearing sites inland results in increased soil and dirt particles being washed offshore and smothering coral reef systems.emission.

Beach Re–Nourishment Projects–also referred to as beach replenishment

 It’s important to identify precursory signals (e.g., changes in sea surface temperature) , including long term effects of sea-level rise; continued erosion , ineffective sand and dune management practices; and insufficient shoreline construction setbacks resulting in coastal erosion, and coastal–restoration projects.

 None of these erosion methods is right for all situations. Erosion prevention should match the type of coastal erosion, and lakeshore environment, to the control channels.

 Nonetheless there are ways we can help to slow down the rate of coastal degradation via these beach renourishment projects.

 These Best Management Practices (BMPs) supply the three types of standard erosion control:

Vegetative Vegetative coastal erosion control is the use of native plants and trees to stabilize the soil near the shore. Cattails and reeds can be used in the water to lessen the effects of wave action. These plants are very hardy and can withstand changes in lake water levels. Using ecological principles to determine vegetation and other materials to soften the edge, known as soft shoreline engineering, this technique stabilizes the shoreline and can create wildlife habitat, cleanse stormwater, improve public access and make the shoreline more attractive. Structural & Non structural Structural :  Within this category are steel bulkheads, timber bulkheads, vinyl bulkheads, concrete walls, stone masonry walls, stone revetments, and stone reinforcement. Non structural shore erosion control projects are those that use bioengineering to create protective vegetative buffers. Combination Provider of sources for consulting services in the field of bioengineering for erosion control, water quality and habitat restoration.… read more

Yet the degradation of "coasts" is threefold

Coastal Shoreline (Non–Structural & Structural). Freshwater(streams, river deltas,lakeshore) Ocean & Intertidal areas

Ocean & Intertidal Areas The ocean is an eternal force. Slowly but surely its waves crash upon coastlines and erode the land.1 But the Army Corps of Engineers is testing a possible solution to the beach erosion that combines cost–effectiveness with environmental savvy, simply by using sand. Please … read 'Curb Erosion'

FRESHWATER Two types of water pollutants exist; point source and nonpoint source. Point sources of pollutio occur when… read more Non–point source (NPS) pollution is… read more

COASTAL SHORELINE Erosion is unsightly and speeds up eutrophication (the aging process of your aquatic ecosystem) Biological shore protection techniques are comprised of living and/or organic materials, such as native grasses, sedges and forbs; live stakes and posts; jute... Please visit Protect the Wetlands

 Draining into coastal shorelines is an important subset of waterways. Most are degraded biologically, physically and chemically and therefore require appropriate methods to be developed for health assessment.

Coastal Protection Products

Coastal erosion is the wearing away of land or the removal of beach or dune sediments by wave action, tidal currents, wave currents, or drainage. … read more

References

1. Geography4Kids.com!
   The web site that teaches physical geography and earth science basics to everyone
2. Shoreline and streambank erosion

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