Sea Turtle Egg Poaching Legalized in Costa Rica: The Debate
An unusual project installed in 1990, to stabilize the population of Olive Ridley sea turtles in the coastal town of Ostional on Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula, that led the government of Costa Rica to legally permit an exemption to the 1966 nationwide ban on harvesting sea turtle eggs, remains controversial.
Shifting Sands and Rising Seas
“In a time of rising seas, it is senseless and dangerous to build on barrier islands.” World-renowned coastal geologist Orrin H. Pilkey and artist Mary Edna Fraser, an internationally recognized master of the textile art of batik, bring an understanding of coastal geology and global change to the public in a way that is scientifically astute and visually intriguing. By Celie Daily and Orrin Pilkey.
Sandbagged: The Undoing of a Quarter Century of North Carolina Coastal Conservation
Men cannot build houses upon sand and expect to see them stand now anymore than they could in the olden times… Many developers, homeowners, and local politicians refuse to believe the evidence that the ocean’s transformation of the shore is inevitable. By Gary Lazorick.
HidroAysén’s Approval Takes Chile in the Wrong Direction
The reasons why HidroAysén should not be constructed are numerous but sadly, the authorities showed recently that they prefer to move in the opposite direction, at the expense of Patagonia. By Amanda Maxwell, NRDC.
The Cherry Blossoms will Soon Be Blooming: Japan’s Recovery Efforts in the Wake of the 2011 Tsunami, by Mark Edward Harris
Japan was rocked by the strongest earthquake in its recorded history on the afternoon of March 11, 2011. Yet it was the ensuing tsunami that brought the most devastation. A poignant testimony, written and photographed by Mark Edward Harris.
A Fiscal Analysis of Shifting Inlets and Terminal Groins in North Carolina
The debate about terminal groins, shore-perpendicular structures built at inlets in attempt to slow erosion, is worth keeping an eye on, whether you live in western North Carolina or in a coastal community, because it could cost you and our state a pretty penny.
Are there any natural beaches remaining in the United States?
Abstract, by Robert Young, Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina, United States.
Sea Level Rise And The World’s Beaches, by Orrin H. Pilkey
Of all the various anticipated impacts of global climate change, sea level rise will likely be the first to produce a human catastrophe on a global scale. If our beaches are to survive for our grandchildren’s enjoyment, the time has come to plan the big withdrawal.
Blue Flag or Red Herring: Do beach awards encourage the public to visit beaches?
Surveys of beach visitor motivation in Ireland, Wales, Turkey and the USA indicate that beach awards play an insignificant role in motivation to visit beaches.