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What Are the Effects of Beach Erosion?

Beaches naturally erode as the waves and tides shift sands up and down coastlines across the world. Due to increased population densities near the coast and other man-made factors, beaches are starting to disappear faster and are not being replenished by sands from other areas. This is a major problem for both the coastal ecosystem and the people who live and work near the sea.
  1. What is Causing the Erosion?

    • There are many factors which have lead to increased beach erosion around the coast. The first is the use of beach sand in construction. This has meant lorry's full of sand are simply collected off the beach and sold. This leaves a huge gap for nature to fill through natural means, which it cannot do. Secondly, human activity around the coast has lead to the sea having a greater effect on land forms as the land mass and soil structure has been weakened.

    Disappearing Ecosystems

    • The first major problem here is the destruction of the marine ecosystem. Rock pools contain huge amounts of life which is vital both for the beaches environmental balance, but also for the oceans. Many other creatures also rely on the beach for various reasons. Seals, turtles and shellfish come on land to mate and to lay eggs. As the beaches are being eroded faster, there are fewer of these areas available which can cause a drop off in population or a migration of animals to other areas.

    Coastal Erosion

    • The sand and rocks that make up the coastline are not solid structures. Centuries of waves and tides have weakened cliff faces and other coastal landmarks. Eventually this causes serious erosion and the sea front starts to recede. This puts local populations in danger as towns and villages start to find themselves closer and closer to the ocean itself. Rising sea levels, as a result of global warming, also result in stronger waves and tides which accelerate the erosion fo both the beach ad the surrounding coast.

    Controlling Erosion and its Effects

    • Many suggestions have been put forward over the years as to how to stop this force. Barriers have been put up around coast lines to stop excessive sand movement, sea walls and tide gates have been erected to stop flooding and higher tides and dams have been built in river tributaries to stop flooding further upstream. Unfortunately, all of these have in fact made the situation worse as these barriers stop the natural evolution of the coastline. Damming rivers stops sediment flowing down the river, which is vital for regenerating the coastline due to the nutrients contained. Tidal gates and sea walls stop sand and animals coming in from the sea and beach barriers block any lateral movement of the sands.

    Economic Effects

    • Protecting coastal areas from these effects is a very expensive task as shoring up sea cliffs is a complex task. Towns which relied on the tourism trade generated by being next to the sea may also see revenues drop off as people become aware of how unstable the area is because of erosion.


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