Shorelines Over Time

How effective are the coastal management strategies used at present in your local beach area?

Sand dunes are a valid indication of the quality of the soil and the surrounding ocean. When vegetation is established in sand dunes, it stabilises it- i.e. gives the dunes structure. This structure helps prevent erosion by using the plant life to trap the sand. Without these plants (and ultimately the sand dunes) sand will be subject to many natural forces without protection, meaning any major storm could theoretically remove large amounts of sand from the beach with no natural means of replenishing it. Long Reef Beach is commendable in the amount of vegetation it has produced.

The Effects of Human Activity on Coastal Landforms Human activities add another layer of complexity to the natural processes of coastal lands and materials. These activities may have direct or indirect effects on our changing coastlines. They may effect sources of new sediment to the coast and the movement of sediment within the coastal environment. Sediment starvation caused by river and coastal management is one effect of human activities on the coast. For some coastal regions, such as the Pacific coast, a large part of their sediment is supplied by rivers.

The Year 10 geography field trip was an insightful experience into the workings and functioning of metropolitan coastlines here in South Australia. The day consisted of visiting various beaches in Adelaide that were influenced by some form of hard or soft engineering techniques that changed the natural processes of the beaches. What was evident from this trip was how much these beaches have been changed to an extent where it is unlikely that they will ever go back to the way they were prior to human settlement.

By identifying the sediment size at each station allows the amount of long shore drift happening at each stage of the beach to be assessed and evaluated. If the size of the rocks decrease in size closer to the harbour arm, it will help prove my hypothesis

Coastal Management in Hastings is effective economically, socially, environmentally and is sustainable for the future.

At Nudgee Beach, erosion was found to have occurred on the edges of the mangrove forest and along the mudflat shorelines. Erosion is typically influenced by natural factors and occurs when pieces of weathered rock or soil are moved – typically by wind and water – from one place to another. Shorelines with lots of sediment and sand are more inclined to be effected by erosional progression. Erosion may also be provoked and accelerated by human interference. For example, if the decision to clear trees and plants from an area is made, erosion is likely to occur as the root systems of plants work to hold the soil in place. If these root systems are removed and erosion does occur, environmental conditions – such as; landslides and flooding – are more likely to take place. Erosion may also cause other plants to tip over, have their underground roots exposed and damaged and contribute to the pollution of local waters; as a result of mud and soil runoff [26]. Erosion at Nudgee Beach was likely to have been influenced by natural factors; however, the development and extension of the Kedron Brook golfing course may contribute to the acceleration of erosional processes and further damage the mangrove

There are 2 types of beaches. One is erosion dominant and the other is deposition

* The sand dunes on the beaches. This area is affected by wind erosion as well as the tides if adequate vegetative cover is not present. The main type of erosion, from the sea, takes the sand from the sand dunes as well as the rest of the beach in a rip. The sand is then pulled out to sea where it forms a sand bar. On calmer days, the sand is brought back to the beach.

The more coastal erosion there is, the higher the chance is for saltwater contaminating freshwater resources and the salt from the ocean can cause soil to be uninhabitable to plants (Again this can affect agriculture). Coastal erosion is not only an issue for water resources, it’s also a direct issue for the communities. The communities on islands lay very close to the coast and important infrastructures are one of them. Islands cannot get all of their resources from the local farmers, so they import it via plane or boat. The problem with that is the airports and ports are all on the coast. Coastal erosion has the power to ruin airport runways and docks of the harbors and ports; this means that eventually communities will be starved of basic necessities and there will be no way of getting in basic needs. Not only will airports be ruined, so will our tourism industry. Coastal erosion will eventually ruin the beaches that attract tourists. Island communities depend on the tourism industry because that industry brings in a lot of money every year. Without tourists, communities will struggle financially. Lastly, the ecosystem of the islands will suffer the

tides. There are also many programs which help to ensure the stabilization of dunes, these include the planting of new vegetation to combat erosion, fencing and designated

If you have ever lived in proximity to coastal areas you may have seen coastline erosion first hand. The beaches you frequent during the summer may seem to be getting smaller and smaller every year. Why does your favorite beach seem to be disappearing? Coastal erosion is to blame. The waves, wind, tides and currents all play a part in the mechanism that is coastal erosion. When water and wind batter the shoreline sediments are carried out to sea and deposited on the sea floor or at other points along the coastline. This is called an erosional coastline. This erosion may be very apparent or seem to have happened overnight when it happens due to a large storm or extremely high tide.

9. What are the different types of shorelines? Describe each type briefly. There is a rocky coast, lowland beach and barrier island, as well as coral reef. A rocky coast describes the most common type of costal area. This is where there are vertical wave cut cliffs and horizontal bench cut cliffs. The erosion undermines the cliffs and sends the resulting debris into the ocean forming rough outcroppings. Beaches are not only the sand

The erosion of shorelines is a natural process that can have beneficial or adverse impacts on the creation and maintenance of habitats. Sands and gravels eroded from the shores of coastal bays maintain the beach as a natural barrier between the open water and coastal wetlands. Beaches move back and forth onshore, offshore and along shore with changing wave conditions. The finer-grained silts and clays derived from the erosion of shorelines are sorted and carried as far as the waters of wetlands or tidal flats, where benefits are derived from addition of the new material. However, excessively high sediment loads can smother submerged aquatic vegetation beds, cover shellfish beds and tidal flats, fill in riffle

The intertidal rocky shore of Caloundra Beach is inhabited by diverse range of biodiversity of animals and plants, many of which have developed high levels of adaptations throughout their existence. The very boundary of marine and terrestrial ecosystem, this environment is subjected to extremes of the physical environment such as temperature, desiccation, wave turbulence as well the ecological interactions that commonly occur in biotic communities (e.g. competition, predation). However Rocky intertidal shores are easily accessible by humans and provide an enjoyable opportunity for passive recreation and for science and environmental education as well.