Possible Topics for Coastal Investigation

Coastal Lowland Inundation

• Sea levels are slowly, but steadily, rising. A coastal investigation can be performed to study the effects of this change of sea level on coastal lowlands. Many coastal ecosystems that formed around low-tide of low sea level conditions are being inundated as a result of sea level rise. This investigation looks into how much of the coastal lowlands have become inundated over a set number of years and how the biological organisms in those ecosystems have changed, migrated or adapted to the changes. Choose a specific part of the world to investigate.

Offshore Renewable Energy Development

• Much of the research done concerning renewable energy sources focuses on offshore renewable energy developments. A possible research topic can be the impact of these offshore developments on coastal ecosystems. Large scale effects involving non-renewable energy development are seen in instances like the 2010 Deep Horizon oil spill, which involved offshore oil drilling and widespread ecological damage. Consider looking at the highly and slightly visible effects on coasts by offshore renewable energy developments, such as wind farms or geothermal energy development.

Coastal Wetlands

• Coastal wetlands are responsible for acting as filters between saltwater oceans and seas, and freshwater bodies. Research can be done to look into the accumulation of nutrients, metals and other particles. The amount can then be compared to that found in connecting bodies of water in order to mark the efficiency of the coastal wetland. Similar studies can be conducted in coastal floodplains and along riverbanks near the coast.

Coastal Management and Protection

• As humans encroach onto coastal areas of the world, it becomes necessary to implement coastal protection programs and coastal zone management. Research the ways that humans can use natural processes to help them maintain and protect coasts in their community. Other possibilities along the same vein involve researching the effectiveness of current management and protection policies against weather phenomena like hurricanes or tsunamis, or the effect these plans have on coastal ecosystems.