Reef Gazette

Purpose

The Daily Shore

Beaches in Florida and across the nation are running out of sand, as it is being carried away by water and humans alike. Humans are the ultimate shapers of landscapes, and without the presence of sea oats and other plants holding the sand with their roots, beach erosion is a hard to avoid reality. My goal with this presentation is to educate the audience about beach erosion, its effects, and how we can combat it in our community and state.

$1.25

Tuesday, April 1st, 2014

Vol XCIII, No. 311

Rising sea levels

What if there were no beach?

The rising sea level is due to polar ice caps melting. If the sea rises, there is less beach.

This could be our future.

Coastal erosion is inevitable, dangerous, and costly

Science behind erosion

Wind and water carry sand away

• Man made structures also hurt beaches
• Jetties protect property but accelerate waves

• Physical, geological, and weather science

Erosion- Erosion is the process by which soil and rock are removed from the Earth's surface by exogenic processes such as wind or water flow, and then transported and deposited in other locations.

Wind and water- these forces carry away sediment

Ocean waves- the waves move the sand

• Sand is not being replenished as fast as it is being taken away
• Too many rivers in the US are being dammed, blocking natural flow of sand
• Jetties disturb currents and cause more sand loss
• Lack of plant systems to hold sand with their roots is also a factor
• Storms/ hurricanes/ strong wind can carry sand away

So, what can we do about it?

Sources

Conclusion

Beach nourishment

Sand is not being replenished fast enough, sea levels are rising because of the melting polar ice cap, and it is very expensive to help beaches.

Alvarez, L. (2013, August 25). Where Sand Is Gold, the Reserves Are Running Dry. New York Times, sec. A, p. 14.

Fact Sheet - Limited Sand Resources for Eroding Beaches [Fact sheet]. (2013, May 6). Retrieved January 28, 2014, from USGS website: http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/wfla/factsheet/

National Assessment of Hurricane-Induced Coastal Erosion Hazards. (2014, January 7). Retrieved January 28, 2014, from USGS website: http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/erosionhazards/

Shuler, B. D. (2008, November). How Not to Save a Beach: Beach Nourishment in the Age of Big Development. E Magazine, 19(6).

Vaidyanathan, G. (2013, August 16). Florida Beaches Are Running Out of Sand. Retrieved January 28, 2014, from Discovery News website: http://news.discovery.com/earth/oceans/florida-beaches-are-running-out-of-sand-130816.htm

• Not much we can do without costing a lot of money
• Costs over $60 million to dredge sand from other places to redistribute
• Don't build seawalls and jetties
• Protects property, but accelerates crash of wave and makes it stronger
• Abandonment and land regulation
• Leaving a beach to prosper by itself for a while could help
• Regulate how far buildings have to be built, and what can be built
• Plant plants that help, like dunes, sea oats, etc

• Why should you care?
• Beaches are places many people use for recreation, especially tourists. If beaches are gone, it would affect the Florida tourist economy. Beaches also protect the land behind them from storms, and to conserve the ecosystem of a beach.