The abstracts of this issue are below. Note that ASBPA members now have access to a full digital edition of Shore & Beach (click here). Become a member now to get immediate access to the latest issue!
From the Editors’ Desk: From grain’s to governance: Making coastal resilience work
Bret Webb and Tiffany Roberts Briggs
https://doi.org/10.34237/1009330
Techniques in coastal observations: Challenges and insights for studying estuarine dynamics
E.N. Lakmali, K. Huguenard, and N.R. Fisher
https://doi.org/10.34237/1009331
Coastal observations play a vital role in advancing our understanding of coastal processes and in validating numerical models at regional scales. With the growing reliance on analytical and numerical models in coastal and estuarine science, the collection of high-quality datasets is essential — not only for fundamental coastal research, but also for effective coastal engineering practice. This work presents a methods-focused study that customizes conventional field deployment techniques to improve the efficiency and accuracy of data collection in estuarine environments. Data processing methods are presented to analyze and interpret tidally varying free surface elevation and velocity data. The research includes a field campaign conducted in a macro- tidal estuary, characterized by unique features such as bridges, dams, and sediment contamination. The findings focus on water levels and velocities, particularly under extreme conditions observed during Hurricane Lee. The results reveal that extreme conditions, such as Hurricane Lee, can generate stronger subtidal velocities — reaching up to 1 m/s-due to high river discharge occurring during the post-storm rainy periods. This, in turn, can lead to enhanced transport of materials such as sediments, nutrients, and contaminants. Additionally, bed shear stresses increase during these high-flow events, potentially enhancing sediment re-suspension, which can impact marine habitats and ecosystems. This research emphasizes the importance of high- quality estuarine data and aims to streamline future oceanographic and estuarine field investigations, reducing time and effort in data collection and processing.
Evaluating coastal vulnerability and resilience in northeastern Florida and the St. Johns River
Madison Heppe, Cigdem Akan, Angela Schedel, Raphael Crowley, Beyza Aslan
https://doi.org/10.34237/1009332
Coastal and riverine communities with anthropogenic congestion and natural and economic resources are vulnerable to climate change impacts, including rising sea levels and increasing severity and frequency of storms. Coastal habitats are increasingly being recognized as natural infrastructure that provides resilience against these stressors. However, few studies have analyzed coastal vulnerability at the landscape scale with finely resolved spatial data that account for habitats and demographics. This study aims to assess the coastal vulnerability of the St. Johns River and the adjacent Northeastern Florida Atlantic shoreline within the St. Johns River Water Management District. Unique to this study is that natural habitats, different sea level rise scenarios, and human demographics were considered. Specifically, the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST)® coastal vulnerability model with seven metrics (geomorphology, relief, natural habitats, sea level change, wave exposure, wind exposure, and surge potential) was used to create a coastal exposure index for shore points. Results from three sea level rise scenarios (current, 2050 Intermediate-High, and 2100 Intermediate-High, (Sweet et al. 2017) showed spatial correlations between coastal exposure indexes and habitat role values. Rising sea levels increased coastal exposure and habitat protective roles, while vulnerability in population density and poverty grew without habitats. Conversely, low vulnerability areas had high concentrations of mangroves. The results can help prioritize beneficial habitat types and areas where protection and/or restoration are needed to protect shorelines and disadvantaged communities. This type of coastal vulnerability study could aid resiliency planning efforts in Northeastern Florida and could be expanded upon for other socioeconomic, infrastructure, or ecosystem queries.
Spatial and temporal variations in sediment size along the New Jersey coast
Taylor Cerafice, Jon K. Miller, Matthew S. Janssen, and Laura Kerr
https://doi.org/10.34237/1009333
Sediment size is an important characteristic of beach and dune systems and is linked to beach stability, slope, breaker type, and habitat suitability among other important characteristics. Existing literature is sparse with comprehensive sediment characterizations over statewide spatial scales. Often, sediment size is determined on an “as needed” project basis and is rarely cataloged. Herein, an extensive analysis of grain size at New Jersey beaches is presented and compared with two sets of historical data from 1950 and 2011. Sediment samples are collected at 171 profiles along New Jersey’s 210-km-long coastline during the summer of 2023 and spring 2024. Based on the data collected, a statewide average median grain size of 0.49 mm is obtained. Geographically, larger sediments are found along the northern New Jersey coast and finer sediments are found along the southern coast. Sorting mechanisms associated with nodal points in longshore sediment transport and tidal inlets have more localized effects. When compared to historical data sets collected in 1950 and 2011, grain sizes are found to be larger, nearly doubling in some locations. Beach nourishment is one of the factors thought to influence this trend.
Erosion and overwash risk to loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nests on a South Florida nesting beach
Lisa A. Esposito, Tiffany Roberts Briggs, and Sarah L. Milton
https://doi.org/10.34237/1009334
In Boca Raton, Florida, USA, loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nesting season runs from April through October, which overlaps with hurricane season. Loggerhead turtles prefer to nest on beaches between the mean high water line (MHWL) and the mid-beach. This leaves eggs vulnerable to overwash from high tides and storm surge. The Boca Raton beach has an intermediate slope, and is a dynamic beach with the potential for significant morphological change, which can affect the flood risk for sea turtle nests. Turtle conservation managers may relocate nests laid near the MHWL higher up on the beach to minimize flooding and washout risk; however, relocation may also negatively impact nest success. In this study, we determined hatch and emergence success for nests that were laid near the MHWL and either were relocated or left in situ, and compared nests that received overwash to those that were not flooded. Monthly transects from the dune toe to the MHWL determined changes in beach morphology to assess the risk of nest washout. Nest success was higher in 2021 than 2022, and nests that experienced one to three days of overwash in 2022 had higher success than dry nests. In areas of the beach with significant morphological changes, relocation preserved nests that would wash out or repeatedly flood. Relocation did not decrease nests success either year. Relocation can thus preserve nests, but not all nests should be relocated as a matter of course, as some overwash may cool nests and improve hatch success.
Using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveys and traditional methods to examine influences on loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nest site selection
Summer L. Manestar, Tiffany Roberts Briggs, and James Gammack-Clark
https://doi.org/10.34237/1009335
Florida beaches are a critical nesting area for loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), accounting for 90% of loggerhead sea turtle nests in the southeastern United States. Climate change, sea level rise, and other anthropogenic impacts pose a severe risk to beach nesting habitat, altering the limited range of environmental conditions that marine turtles rely on to identify a suitable nesting site. This study examined the environmental and anthropogenic factors that could influence loggerhead sea turtle nest site selection and how these factors varied between successful nesting attempts and false crawls on a high-density sea turtle nesting beach in Boca Raton, Florida. Beach morphology, sand texture, and nests’ proximity to artificial structures were measured using a combination of drone-based photogrammetry, traditional surveys with Real Time Kinematic Global Positioning System (RTK GPS), and sediment granulometry. Generalized linear models and t-tests were used to assess the significance of each variable in nest presence. Average beach slope and proximity to dune crossover stairs were the most important variables in the model. Additionally, proximity to dune crossover stairs was significantly different between nests and false crawls, and the probability of a false crawl occurring decreased as proximity to dune crossover stairs increased. The results of this study will provide researchers with a new tool for nest monitoring and a better understanding of the microhabitat cues that may influence loggerhead sea turtle nest site selection and aid in guiding beach and sea turtle management decisions.
Coastal Observations: What is a resilient coastal community in a changing climate?
Gary Griggs, Chase Davenport, and Lida Davar
https://doi.org/10.34237/1009336
“Resilience” has become a central yet inconsistently defined concept in the discourse around coastal hazard planning. Although widely invoked by planners, researchers, and funding agencies, there is no consensus on what makes a coastal community “resilient.” To investigate how the term is understood in practice, we surveyed 52 individuals actively involved in coastal management, including engineers, geologists, attorneys, property owners, coastal agency managers, and policy-makers. Respondents were asked to define a resilient coastal community, to identify a reasonable planning horizon for resilience, and to share any examples of resilient coastal communities. Ten distinct definitions emerged, covering a spectrum that ranges from recovering after disasters to resisting their effects to continuously adapting over time. In the discussion, we group responses into three broad categories of resilience, including recovery, absorption, and adaptation, to help coastal decision-makers better under- stand the range of “resilience” definitions currently in use. These findings highlight the need for shared understanding and flexible approaches as coastal communities face the combined effects of accelerating short-term and long-term coastal hazards.
O’Brien Award Winners: An interview with Jerry Mohn
Kate Gooderham
https://doi.org/10.34237/1009337