Coastal Erosion
Definition
Coastal Erosion is defined as the wearing away of land, or the removal of beach and dunes caused by wave action, wave currents and tidal currents.
When and how much a coastline is eroded depends on many factors. Coastal land use, coastal management, few or no coral reefs; breaking wave and tidal currents and actions; longshore drift; hurricanes; tsunamis; tropical cyclones; and storm surge, are just a few of these factors.
How does coastal erosion affect me?
If coastal erosion isn’t addressed, visible changes within a beach can be seen rapidly. It is the most widespread and continuous process of erosion which occurs at varying rates throughout the world. The most easily seen erosion occurs after a hurricane. Without question we have experienced and will continue to experience an increase in hurricane activity unprecedented in the 100 years of existing hurricane records. Most forecasters predict this pattern to continue over the next 30 years.