Coastal Erosion

Ali Pitarresi
Table of Contents
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………
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Impact of Coastal Erosion
What Causes Coastal Erosion ……………………….……………………………...
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Property Damage……….……………………………………………………..
……………………….…………….…...3
Impact on the Economy………………………...………………………………..
…………………………………4
Combatting Coastal Erosion
Beach
Nourishment......................................................................................................................4
Structures Preventing Erosion………………………………………..……...
……………………...………..5
Effects of Prevention
Methods……………………………………………………………………………………………
…5
Conclusion………..
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…………………...6
References…….………………………………………..
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Table of Figures
Figure 1…………………..
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Figure 2.………………..
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Figure 3.………………..
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Figure 4…………………..
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Figure 5………………..
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Abstract
Coastal erosion is not what most people think of when they think of erosion. It is a different form that
occurs at a faster rate when compared to the erosion of rock or stone. Dixie County, Florida is the county
with the worst coastal erosion in the United States. The projected erosion rate is the loss of 10 yards per
year and it is projected that the coastline will erode 802 yards in 80 years (‘What are the Worst Places in
the U.S. for Coastal Erosion?’, 2021). While coastal erosion is inevitable, there are structures that can be
installed on the shoreline and offshore. These solutions will help communities who suffer from coastal
erosion.

Impact of Coastal Erosion

What Causes Coastal Erosion
There are multiple causes of coastal erosion. Waves are one of the strongest factors for coastal erosion.
There are four main types of erosion caused by waves: hydraulic action, compression, abrasion, and
attrition (‘Coastal Erosion’ 2021). Human intervention also affects the natural course that sediment takes
and increases the rate of erosion. Man-made structures like dams, and river modifications reduce the
amount of sediment that passes through to the coastlines. (‘What are the Worst Places in the U.S. for
Coastal Erosion?’, 2021). This prevents new deposits of sediment from settling on the coast. When
natural causes like waves break down the coastline, there is limited sediment coming to re-populate the
shores.

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 Property Damage
Coastal erosion is extremely expensive because it happens at such a fast rate. According to the U.S.
Climate Resilience Toolkit, the average coastline recedes 25 feet per year. The amount of property
damage caused by coastal erosion is estimated to be $500 million per year and roughly one inch of
flooding in a home can cost up to $25,000 in damage (‘What are the
worst places in the U.S for Coastal Erosion, 2021). It is more cost
effective to proactively prevent erosion.

That dollar amount does not include any preventative measures Figure 1: This figure shows Cape Hatteras
taken to protect existing structures. Figure 1 shows a lighthouse that Lighthouse being relocated.
was built on Hatteras Islands in the Outer Banks, North Carolina in
1870. The lighthouse was constructed roughly 1,500 feet from the
ocean. In 1980 the lighthouse was a mere 120 feet from the ocean (National Park Service, 2021). In 1998,
the National Park Service Department made the executive decision to relocate the lighthouse. Preparation
for the move took over a year. The actual move was 23 days long and cost $12 million (National Park
Service, 2021). This is only a temporary solution because the coastline will continue to shrink over the
years, so more permanent solutions need to be implemented.

Impact on the Economy

Coastal erosion also affects the economy. Many coastal communities rely on tourism. As the coasts
become smaller, there is less space for tourist attractions like restaurants, boardwalks, etc. It can also
affect fishing, ports, and offshore refineries (‘What are the worst places in the U.S for Coastal Erosion,
2021). Coastal erosion can also affect the housing market, so there is risk that comes along with the long-
term investment of owning a home. Because coastal erosion can be so costly, it is important to counteract
it.

Combatting Coastal Erosion

Beach Nourishment
Dredging is the main method for beach nourishment. Materials like sand, silt, and gravel are removed
from borrow sites (‘Dredging’). Borrow sites are located off-shore from the coast that is being rebuilt,
this helps keep the material within the active sediment system (‘Dredging’). The sediment from the
borrow sites will be naturally replenished by the moving water. Dredging does pose some environmental
issues, so in some cases subaqueous nourishment,
additional materials taken from mounds, is added
to the sediment from borrow sites (‘Dredging’).
Figure 2 models part of the dredging process. It is
important to note that dredging is a retroactive
solution, not a proactive one. It is also extremely
expensive.

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Figure 1: This figure shows dredging off the coast of Ship
Island.
Structures Preventing Erosion

Figure 3: A jetty off the coast of Nantucket

Island.

Jetties, shown in figure 3, are long structures built

perpendicular to the shoreline and are constructed out of
stone, concrete, steel, or timber (Gunter, 2021). They are
designed to trap sand along the jetties that will later be
distributed along the coastline naturally (Gunter, 2021).
Figure 4: Shows a breakwater out off the
While jetties are helpful for one portion of the coast, they coast.
cause erosion to occur at a faster rate down current (Gunter,
2021). Groins are another method to prevent erosion and are
very similar to jetties. Groins again are built perpendicular
to the beaches and extend into the ocean. Groins slow down
the movement of the longshore current, which causes the
sand to be deposited along the length of the wall (Gunter,
2021). This affects the downstream coast just like jetties; it
causes erosion to occur faster (Gunter, 2021). Breakwaters,
shown in figure 4, are another method. They are constructed
of stone offshore and parallel to the coastline (Gunter, 2021).
They act as a barrier to the waves and prevent them from
deteriorating the shore (Gunter, 2021). The downside of
breakwaters is that they only prevent erosion on the coast
they are directly in front of (Gunter, 2021). Vegetation can
also be used to prevent erosion. The roots of coastal plants
anchor into the sand and prevent it from being carried off by
waves (Gunter, 2021). The downside to this solution is that
large portions of the beach are unusable for tourists.

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Effects of Prevention Methods
The different methods of combatting coastal
erosion discussed earlier, have proven
repeatedly to be successful. The National Park
Service is currently undergoing the second
largest environment restoration project in the
past 100 years (Perez, 2019). Ship Island is a
small barrier island off the coast of Mississippi
and in 1969, Hurricane Camille created a 2.4-
Figure 5: Shows the Camille Cut on Ship Island.
mile-wide break in the island, which is known
as the Camille Cut, shown in figure 5 (Perez,
2019). There is a five-phase plan set in place
to reconstruct the island that will cost $400
million and take roughly 3 years to complete. This is a large undertaking, but it people have the ability to
repair the coast like never before.

Conclusion
There are so many elements and deciding factors that go into combatting coastal erosion, but it is
important that the public understands the severity of this. Many people often think of environmental
issues and think that it won’t affect them, when coastal erosion affects everyone. Be aware of the
environment around you and look to see how you can help coasts near you.

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 References
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