Hurricane Sandy Eroded Half of Fire Island’s Beaches and Dunes: New Report Quantifies Coastal Change
Beaches and dunes on Fire Island, New York, lost more than half of their pre-storm volume during Hurricane Sandy, leaving the area more vulnerable to future storms.
Sea Otters: Combat Water Pollution And Promote Recovery of Seagrass Beds
Seagrass meadows, which provide coastal protection and important habitat for fish, are declining worldwide, partly because of excessive nutrients entering coastal waters in runoff from farms and urban areas. Scientists studying the decline and recovery of seagrass beds in one of California’s largest estuaries have found that recolonization of the estuary by sea otters was a crucial factor in the seagrass comeback.
Where Sand Is Gold, the Reserves Are Running Dry
With inviting beaches that run for miles along South Florida’s shores, it is easy to put sand into the same category as turbo air-conditioning and a decent mojito…something ever present and easily taken for granted.
The Joy Of Beach Huts
A beach hut is a dream of escape, a shortcut to childhood longings…
Rising Ocean Acidity Will Exacerbate Global Warming
The slow and inexorable increase in the oceans’ acidity as they soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere could itself have an effect on climate and amplify global warming, according to a new study.
‘Street-View’ Comes to the World’s Coral Reefs
Scientists are taking the public with them to study the world’s coral reefs, thanks to 360 degree panoramas from Google’s underwater street-view format. Only 1% of humanity has ever dived on a coral reef and by making the experience easily accessible the survey will help alert millions of people around the world to the plight of coral reefs…
Worst Incident at Fukushima For Two Years
The seemingly endless torrent of scandals rushing from the damaged nuclear reactors at Fukushima continues with the news that a serious incident is underway at the stricken plant. Once again we see that Fukushima’s owner TEPCO is utterly unfit to deal with the ongoing disaster.
Old Bar Beach Residents Lose Bid For Wall To Keep Out Eroding Waves
Residents at Old Bar on the New South Wales mid-north coast have been blocked from building a permanent sea wall to protect their properties from coastal erosion. The NSW Coastal Panel can’t approve a solution for some houses that will exacerbate the impact on other houses…
A Guide to Understanding Mathematical Models Used to Predict Beach Behavior, For Those Who Had a Hard Time With Algebra
Many of you may have read environmental impact statements or engineering design documents or have attended public hearings about plans to engineer beaches. You suspect that the plan is flawed but you find yourself up against a brick wall in the form of a mathematical model. You are not the only one…