Leatherman, S.P., 2012. Undertow, rip current, and riptide.

Undertow, rip current, and riptide are terms used to describe a variety of currents, all of which have different characteristics. However, much of the general public, news media, and even dictionary definitions confuse and misidentify these potential hazards at surf beaches. Many beachgoers use the terms interchangeably, when in fact they are distinctly different hazards. Furthermore, undertow, rip currents, and riptides occur for different reasons at different locations along the beach. Avoiding each of them and escaping their grip requires different strategies. Three-quarters of a century has passed since this issue was last addressed in the scientific literature, and rip currents are recently receiving much more attention by scientists and the general public because of a steady rate of fatalities, making this a timely issue.

Houston, J.R. and Dean, R.G., 2012. Comparisons at tide-gauge locations of glacial isostatic adjustment predictions with global positioning system measurements.

Glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) is routinely used to adjust sea-level trends determined from tide-gauge data to improve estimates of worldwide sea-level rise. This adjustment may be appropriate for formerly glaciated high-latitude (referred to as FGHL) areas where vertical land motions due to GIA are large compared with motions produced by other phenomena. However, since GIA is only one component of vertical motion, does adjusting for it outside FGHL areas improve sea-level rise estimates or bias them? We compare global positioning system (GPS) gauge measurements with the vertical land-motion component of GIA predictions at 147 worldwide locations that are near tide gauges and outside FGHL areas and find remarkably little correlation. We analyze the data in several ways to determine the source of the lack of correlation. We also find that the average vertical motion for the 147 locations measured by GPS is subsidence, whereas the average GIA prediction is zero.

Finkl, C.W.; Pelinovsky, E., and Cathcart, R.B., 2012. A review of potential tsunami impacts to the Suez Canal.

Tsunamis in the eastern Mediterranean and Red Seas, induced by earthquakes and/or volcanic activity, pose potential hazards to shipping and fixed harbor infrastructure within the Suez Canal. Potential vulnerabilities of the Suez Canal to possible tsunami impacts are reviewed by reference to geological, historical, archeoseismological, and anecdotal data. Tsunami catalogues and databases compiled by earlier researchers are perused to estimate potential return periods for tsunami events that could directly affect the Suez Canal and operational infrastructures. Analysis of these various records indicates a centurial return period, or multiples thereof, for long-wave repetition that could generally impact the Nile Delta, whereas numerical models indicate a multidecadal frequency. It is estimated that tsunami waves 2 m high would begin to break about 4 to 10 km down-canal, whereas a 10-m wave break would occur about 0.5 to 3 km into the Canal.

Oakley, B.A.; Alvarez, J.D., and Boothroyd, J.C., 2012. Benthic geologic habitats of shallow estuarine environments: Greenwich Bay and Wickford Harbor, Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, U.S.A.

An integrated mapping approach using high-resolution side-scan sonar, surface sediment grab samples, digital aerial and orthophotography, and underwater video imagery was used to map Holocene sediment cover and Late Wisconsinan glacial outcrop in two shallow embayments in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, U.S.A. The use of side-scan sonar to characterize the seafloor has become common in a variety of different marine environments. Challenges remain in classifying side-scan or other acoustic data into a naming convention that is useful to scientists and managers. We characterize the benthic geologic habitats of these areas utilizing a flexible naming convention that combines information about geologic processes, morphologic form, particle size, biota, and anthropogenic impacts. Benthic geologic habitats were separated into three habitat groups (depositional environments) (estuarine bayfloor, estuarine cove, and estuarine marginal habitats), and further divided on the basis of morphologic form, surface sediment texture, geologic features, biologic characteristics, and anthropogenic impacts. There is a general trend of decreasing grain size with increasing distance from the open water of Narragansett Bay; however, the types and distribution of facies is complicated, and this work adds to the developing sedimentary models of estuaries. The methods outlined in this paper have been successfully applied in other estuarine, lagoon, and shoreface environments, providing a concise method of imaging and characterizing benthic geologic habitats on the seabed.

Singh Chauhan, P.P., 2012. On the role of geomorphic forcing in tipping the sea-ice system.

The variability in polar sea-ice extents is generally viewed through oceanographic and atmospheric perspectives and despite an obvious contribution of coastline intricacies in the form of land–water configuration and shallow submarine topography a geomorphic standpoint is lacking. This article explores the signs of criticality in the sea-ice variability of Arctic and Antarctic regions and investigates it in terms of the morphology of these two areas. The realization that the sea-ice system tends to attain a self-organized critical state in the two distinct regimes corresponding to ice retainment and replenishment further allows conceptualization of a framework for a “tipping” point. The intrinsic role of coastline configuration as the basis of geomorphic forcing in the threshold dynamics of sea-ice variability is hence advocated to indicate relevance in long-term climate change scenarios, whereas recognition of nonequilibrium criticality in the sea-ice system allows the temporal disparity in its fluctuations to be perceived as natural features.

Bonte, D.; Breyne, P.; Brys, R.; de la Peña, E.; D'hondt, B.; Ghyselen, C.; Vandegehuchte, M.L., and Hoffmann, M., 2012. Landscape dynamics determine the small-scale genetic structure of an endangered dune slack plant species.

Understanding the processes that determine genetic variation within landscapes is a crucial factor for successful management of threatened plant species that are sensitive to both environmental and genetic bottlenecks. While current insights point to the importance of historical landscape processes for the genetic structure of populations at large spatial scales, their relevance at small spatial scales has been largely neglected. In this context, coastal dunes are a typical example of dynamic and geologically young landscapes in which current and historical sand drift may have strong impacts on the spatial dynamics of a large number of plant species. One of these is the endangered plant species Parnassia palustris, typically inhabiting dune slacks formed by recent sand displacements in parabolic dune landscapes. Dune slacks originating from the same sand drift process are located within the same parabola unit. The species is known to suffer from dispersal limitation and from inbreeding when genetic exchange between populations is restricted. By means of amplified fragment length polymorphism, we demonstrate that the species shows a genetic substructuring both at the level of the metapopulation and the local landscape. Populations located within the same parabola unit are much more closely related than expected on the basis of geographic distance. Moreover, population size is related to genetic diversity within populations. The species' population genetic structure should consequently be regarded as a shifting mosaic of genetic variation, mediated by sand drift driven landscape formation. Therefore, the maintenance of sand dynamics is essential to preserve genetic diversity in dynamic dune landscapes.

Stevens, J.L.; Evans, G.E., and Aguirre, K.M., 2012. Human beach use affects abundance and identity of fungi present in sand.

To determine whether abundance and diversity of fungal species differed among very low use, residential, and commercial beaches and whether human use had a measurable effect on sand fungi, samples were collected for two consecutive years from South Carolina beaches along a continuum of human use. For both years, more fungi (colony-forming units [CFUs] per gram dry weight sand) were isolated from high-use beach sand samples than low-use beach sand samples (analysis of variance, p < 0.05), but there was no evidence of accumulation of fungi over a tourist season or from year to year. In fact, fungal abundance was greatest for all three sites in May and July and significantly decreased in September. A positive correlation was found between census of beach-goers and fungal CFUs. Potential pathogens (fungi which grew at 37°C) were selected, and DNA-based sequence identifications were made. These included two potential human pathogens—one of which was found on commercial beaches only. Sand grain size and color ranged from smallest/whitest in samples from very low use beaches to largest/darkest in those from higher use beaches, suggesting that relative oxygen, mineral, or nutrient content or extent of absorptive surface might also affect fungal niche occupancy. These data suggest that a mixture of parameters influence abundance and diversity of beach fungi, but that level of human use is one significant factor. The absence of year-to-year accumulation of fungi is a novel observation. This study adds to the growing number of reports of beach sand as a reservoir of fungal and other nonbacterial organisms that can affect human health.

O'Connell, M.J.; Shugart, H.H., and Okin, G.S., 2012. Measurement and monitoring of barrier island forest sensitivity to ecohydrological change using LIDAR remote sensing.

Both sea-level rise and the attendant changes in wave overwash events can greatly modify or destroy coastal terrestrial ecosystems; thus, it is essential to have a priori identification of particularly sensitive forests (and other ecosystems). This article reports an application of airborne LIDAR (light detection and ranging) to study vulnerable coastal forests—the important case of natural mid-Atlantic maritime pine forests. We investigate the Experimental Advanced Airborne Research LIDAR (EAARL) for its accuracy in making detailed forest structural measurements, producing inferential statistics for remote monitoring, and detecting changes in barrier island forest ecohydrology. Results show that EAARL can be deployed with high confidence in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L) ecosystems for baseline biophysical descriptions. EAARL measurements predict plot-level volume, height indices, and basal area with coefficients of determination ranging from 0.72 to 0.95. EAARL data also provide one-dimensional vertical metrics: maximum canopy height, height of peak canopy density, and bare earth elevation at standard errors of 1.8, 1.3, and 0.3 m, respectively.

LIDAR-determined structural data are significantly correlated with environmental gradients on Assateague Island, thus providing an important reference state for continued ecological study. EAARL data model the plant area index (PAI) at an r² of 0.73 over the study area. Soil-water availability is estimated using the depth to water table, and a soil texture index is correlated with PAI at r_s  =  0.54, p  =  0.004. This basic ecohydrological relationship is monitored in a conceptual model predicting the structural changes expected with rising water over landscapes. The model predicts forest structural decline for most of the study area with incrementally higher sea surfaces. It is expected that the methods and theories developed here can be adapted to the LIDAR-based monitoring of similar habitats.

Caron, V., 2012. Geomorphic and sedimentologic evidence of extreme wave events recorded by beachrocks: a case study from the Island of St. Bartholomew (Lesser Antilles).

In spite of their preferential location inside tropical belts where extreme wave events occur, and in spite of their potential for rapidly lithifying coastal sediments and by doing so promoting their preservation, beachrocks have so far been poorly investigated for the record of tsunamis or storms. This contribution focuses on beachrock occurrences on the island of St. Bartholomew (French West Indies), which is located in a region at risk from such natural hazards. Geomorphic and sedimentologic criteria were used to characterize beachrocks from shores frequently exposed to extreme wave events. Besides known effects of waves on beachrocks, including exhumation and landward transport of broken slabs, this article reports less well-documented perturbations such as the immersion of beachrock layers and cementation of event deposits.

During recent hurricanes, unlithified sands flooring beachrock slabs were washed away by highly turbulent flows, causing the collapse, fragmentation, and displacement of an 80 m long beachrock from the intertidal zone to the subtidal zone between −2 m and −3 m below mean sea level, with broad preservation of its characteristic orientation parallel to the shoreline. This example shows that, in regions subject to episodic extreme waves, submerged beachrocks might not be good indicators of past low stands of the sea because of the possibility they could have been dislocated from their primary intertidal setting.

Using the magnitude of taphonomic imprint on reef-derived coarse clasts and their host sediments, rapid-burial event deposits and reworked event deposits cemented in beachrocks have been distinguished. The former represent high-energy wave sediments produced during a single short-lived event that could be a tsunami followed by permanent burial and rapid cementation; the latter contain coarse clasts produced during one or, more likely, multiple catastrophic events, and whose burial and cementation were delayed, thereby promoting their alteration and integration in time-averaged sediments, i.e., sediments produced during different time intervals but deposited together. This distinction is important for coastal-hazard risk assessments because establishing extreme event frequencies by dating event deposits must rely on single rather than composite events. The data collected during this investigation add to our understanding of the signature of extreme waves in beach systems undergoing early cementing processes, and by extension, their counterparts in the fossil record.

Suastika, K., 2012. Nonlinear-dispersion effects in modeling of blocking of Stokes waves.

Effects of amplitude dispersion are investigated in modeling of blocking of Stokes waves in deep water. Modeling results of the wave-amplitude evolution using, respectively, the linear- and Stokes third-order dispersion relation, are compared with experimental data. Two data sets with relatively small-wave steepness are considered because of model restriction to weakly-nonlinear waves. The wave period in Test 1 is 1.1 s and in Test 2 is 1.2 s. The initial-target wave amplitude in still water in Test 1 is 1.0 cm, which is the same as Test 2. It is found that inclusion of amplitude dispersion in the model results in a larger wave-group velocity, as expected, and gives a better fit to the experimental data as compared to the use of the linear-dispersion relation. More specifically, using the Stokes third-order dispersion relation instead of the linear-dispersion relation in the model, the root-mean-squared error ξ, used as a measure for the goodness-of-fit between the experimental data and model-results, decreases from 3.5 × 10⁻³ to 1.8 × 10⁻³ in Test 1 and from 3.4 × 10⁻³ to 2.4 × 10⁻³ in Test 2.

Delgado, A.L.; Vitale, A.J.; Perillo, G.M.E., and Piccolo, M.C., 2012. Preliminary analysis of waves in the coastal zone of Monte Hermoso and Pehuén Co, Argentina.

Coastal geomorphology is significantly influenced by waves because they are a major agent in removing and transporting sediments. Furthermore, any kind of human coastal activity is influenced by waves. Consequently, it is essential to know about the wave distribution of the coastal areas. The aim of this study was to analyze the waves at Monte Hermoso and Pehuén Co coastal zone, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The study was based on data obtained from an oceanographic tower located on the coast of the study area, between April 2007 and July 2009, analyzed annually and seasonally. The major occurrence and frequency of the significant wave heights (H_s) and the period of significant waves (T_s) were studied. The main percentages of H_s occurred between 0.25 and 1.5 m and were related to T_s between 0 and 16 seconds. The highest H_s rates were observed in spring, whereas the lowest ones in winter. Theoretical distribution probabilities were applied and the Weibull distribution was the most appropriate fit for the data, presenting a shape parameter of 0.82 and a scale parameter of 1.73. Joint probability analysis of H_s and T_s showed that summer and spring have similar patterns with larger probabilities of locally generated waves, whereas, contrary to what it is normally expected, winter has the larger percentage of swells because of the large number of calm-wind days. Finally, the Ursell number and the flux intensity parameter were obtained to demonstrate that the waves have been able to transport the typical sediments at the tower site toward the sea.

Cahoon, L.B.; Carey, E.S., and Blum, J.E., 2012. Benthic microalgal biomass on ocean beaches: effects of sediment grain size and beach renourishment.

Benthic microalgal biomass was measured as sediment chlorophyll a at two open ocean beaches in southeastern North Carolina between December 2003 and December 2004, spanning beach renourishment projects in spring 2004 at both beaches. Sampling design included replicate sampling (n  =  6) at three elevations in the surf zone along paired transects at paired renourished and unnourished (control) sites at each beach 17 times during the study period. Grain-size analyses of beach sediments and measurements of water temperature were also conducted. Sediment grain size, expressed as mean grain size and percentage of total sediments <500 µm diameter, significantly affected sediment chlorophyll a values. Renourishment drove a small and temporary but significant increase in sediment chlorophyll a at one beach, which was interpreted as an effect of source material but otherwise had no detectable negative effects. The grain-size effects reinforce the importance of efforts to match material used for renourishment with existing beach sediments because benthic microalgae likely form a significant portion of the base of the food chain in surf-zone communities.

Jia, Y.G.; Li, H.L.; Meng, X.M.; Liu, X.L., and Shan, H.X., 2012. Deposition-monitoring technology in an estuarial environment using an electrical-resistivity method.

A new method using an electrical-resistivity probe was introduced to monitor sediment deposition. In laboratory and field experiments, a multielectrode probe was mounted in a tank and within a pit, respectively, to measure electrical resistivity with the Wenner array during sediment deposition. The observed positions of water–sediment interface were recorded synchronously. Based on the electrical-resistivity profiles, the positions of the water–sediment interface were interpreted and compared with the observed positions. Physical properties above and below the interface were analyzed as well. The results indicate that the water–sediment interface in the tank descends nonlinearly with time; the probe detects the interface well, with errors ranging from −0.4 cm to 1.7 cm and with a mean rate of 0.41 cm in the laboratory, and performs better in the field. Sediment concentrations in water and crucial parameters regarding sediment, which contribute to deposition or erosion analysis, can be derived from the electrical resistivity measured by the probe. This study presents a new way to investigate coastal sediment dynamics by monitoring sediment deposition and erosion comprehensively and with high resolution.

Gutiérrez, J.; Gómez-Muñoz, V.; Villa-Medina, F., and Porta-Gándara, M.Á., 2012. Wireless beach profiler.

A wireless beach profiler was designed using a vertically aligned accelerometer to estimate slopes along several points of the beach. The accelerometer output from each point was measured as a tilt angle by a microcontroller and transmitted to a personal digital assistant via a radio frequency wireless link. The digital assistant was used to store the data file for subsequent analysis. The device was mounted on a metal board and pulled along a perpendicular path to the beach, where the sampling points were located. The system included a global positioning system (GPS) receiver to record the actual path traversed. The results of this proposed profiling system were compared with an electronic distance meter and with the Emery method. The wireless beach profiler was also evaluated on a robotic vehicle to automate the process. Results showed that this profiler system is a reliable alternative because of its accuracy, portability, and cost.

Se diseñó un dispositivo inalámbrico para perfilar playas, basado en un acelerómetro alineado verticalmente, que permite estimar las pendientes de diversos puntos a lo largo de una trayectoria en la playa. La salida del acelerómetro es el ángulo de inclinación de cada punto que se mide con un microcontrolador y se transmite a un asistente personal digital, mediante un enlace inalámbrico de radiofrecuencia. En el asistente digital se almacena un archivo de datos para su análisis posterior. El dispositivo se coloca en una placa de metal y es jalado a lo largo de una trayectoria perpendicular a la playa, donde se encuentran los puntos de muestreo. El sistema incluye un GPS para registrar la ruta muestreada. Los resultados de este sistema perfilador de playas se compararon con otro sistema como el medidor de distancia electrónico y con el método de Emery. El perfilador inalámbrico también se evaluó en un vehículo robótico para automatizar el proceso. Los resultados mostraron que este sistema propuesto es una alternativa confiable debido a su precisión, portabilidad y costo.

Corman, S.S.; Roman, C.T.; King, J.W., and Appleby, P.G., 2012. Salt marsh mosquito-control ditches: sedimentation, landscape change, and restoration implications.

Mosquito ditches are a prolific physical feature of Atlantic coast salt marshes, dug most intensely since the 1930s to control the breeding of salt marsh mosquitoes. Removal of ditches by filling or other methods is under consideration as a restoration alternative at a Fire Island, New York, salt marsh. This study evaluated sediment dynamics and marsh landscape structure of the ditched marsh, thereby providing information to better support efforts to predict marsh responses to restoration alternatives. Field surveys, historic and recent aerial photography analysis, and radiometric dating techniques were used. The estimated average natural sedimentation rate within the ditches was 0.52 cm y⁻¹, a rate greater than the accretion rate of the adjacent marsh surface. The average time for a Fire Island ditch to naturally fill would be 175 years from present, but spatially this is highly variable, with some ditches completely filled and others showing no evidence of natural filling. Active filling of ditches may be a feasible restoration alternative, pending the findings of pilot studies, but given concerns for marsh submergence with accelerated rates of sea level rise, restoration design should provide a hydrologic network to facilitate adequate marsh drainage.

Charlier, R.H.; Finkl, C.W., and Krystosyk-Gromadzinska, A. 2012. Throw it Overboard: A Commentary on Coastal Pollution and Bioremediation.

The belief that rivers and oceans cleaned themselves faded as humanity expanded and wastes took on an ever more diversified character. The pollution of waterways, bays, inlets, and gulfs made many of them unusable for water transport. The solution commonly applied is to dredge, an expensive approach but also one that de facto substitutes land pollution for water pollution. Availability of land is not limitless either. Hence, in situ bioremediation is gathering an increasing number of adepts. Alleviating damages caused by green tides and cleaning up waterways, estuaries, inlets, and bays are continuous coastal and river concerns that have been variously approached. This paper reviews and summarizes several experiments. Treatment of sludge is necessitated, over several decades, by the diminishing space on land to deposit the dredgings, but also by the need to protect human and subsidiarily animal and plant health. Substantial advances have been made in the area of bioremediation including, but not limited to, the hydrological realm. Nevertheless, some frequently occurring compounds remain recalcitrant. Pilot projects have been conducted for some time in the United States and European countries.

La pollution par des marées vertes pose depuis des décennies de sérieux problèmes aux régions côtières, et aussi à des lacs, et ont des impacts économiques—et physiques—négatifs, particulièrement sur le tourisme. Celui-ci souffre aussi fréquemment de la mauvaise qualité de l'eau. La communication se penche sur ces fléaux. Mais il y a plus. Les côtes, golfes, estuaires et voies navigables, parfois réceptacles de boues, sédiments et déchets polluants ne sont plus à même de remplir le rôle de purificateurs et on en est réduit à draguer ces chenaux et plans d'eau afin de pouvoir les utiliser et de protéger la santé. Ce procédé est onéreux et dégage souvent des odeurs nauséabondes; mais, qui plus est, les matériaux dragués ne peuvent, en principe, être déversés en mer et sont déposés sur des espaces terrestres côuteux et qui pourraient être dévolus à des fins autrement utiles. Des démarches nouvelles sont donc indiquées et parmi elles la bioremédiation est prometteuse et conforme aux procédés naturels. L'article la discute, avertit qu'elle n'est pas une solution miracle, que certains composés y résistent, mais que toutefois elle s'est avérée efficace dans de nombreux cas qui géographiquement ont fait la preuve des avantages de la méthode lors d'essais et d'applications entre autres aux Pays-Bas, en Belgique et aux Etats-Unis d'Amérique.

Wraz z postępem opinia, iż rzeki, morza i oceny oczyszczają się same przestała być aktualna. Proces ten ma dużo bardziej złożony charakter. Zanieczyszczenie dróg wodnych, spowodowało, iż wiele z nich nie może być wykorzystywanych do transportu wodnego. Stosowane tradycyjne metody oczyszczania, polegające na usunięciu zanieczyszczeń szlamowych z dna z wykorzystaniem specjalistycznego sprzętu, są drogimi metodami, ponadto nie jest to dobre rozwiązanie, gdyż są one składowane na lądzie, a dostępność obszarów lądowych nie jest nieograniczona. Zagadnienia bioremediacji in situ (w miejscu) gromadzą obecnie rosnącą liczbę ekspertów. W pasie wybrzeży i na rzekach prowadzone są różne działania mające na celu ograniczenie szkód spowodowanych przez “zielone pływy” i inne zanieczyszczenia.

W publikacji dokonano przeglądu i oceny prowadzonych w Europie i USA badań możliwości zastosowania bioremediacji in situ. Oczyszczanie wód ze szlamu jest koniecznością ze względu na ograniczone obszary jego składowania, ale również by chronić życie i zdrowie ludzi, zwierząt i roślin.

Dokonano znaczących postępów w dziedz

Park, L.E., 2012. Comparing two long-term hurricane frequency and intensity records from San Salvador Island, Bahamas.

Climate and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) patterns are thought to be the main drivers of hurricane occurrence and intensity, based on modern and historical data. However, a paucity of data exist examining longer-term hurricane records, particularly the variability of such records from geographically distinct locations. Two long-term records from San Salvador Island, Bahamas, were recovered from sediment cores and compared, identifying storm-activity trends, periods of hurricane hyperactivity, and Caribbean dryness. The sedimentological records from both Clear Pond and Storr's Lake (San Salvador Island, Bahamas) indicate that the hurricane recurrence interval from the western side of the island is comparable to the overall rate reported for the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean region but is less than the rate recorded from the eastern part of the island, suggesting that records can vary, even from a single island. The records from both lakes indicate external drivers for hurricane activity, most notably the influence of ENSO and longer-term climate change and support the previously documented hurricane hyperactivity period (1000–3400 YBP) in the Gulf of Mexico. The Clear Pond, Bahamas, record documents a major facies shift from laminated mud to bioturbated sand at approximately 540 AD (1460 YBP), corresponding to the end of a Caribbean dry period.

Barnard, P.L.; Hansen, J.E., and Erikson, L.H., 2012. Synthesis study of an erosion hot spot, Ocean Beach, California (USA).

A synthesis of multiple coastal morphodynamic research efforts is presented to identify the processes responsible for persistent erosion along a 1-km segment of 7-km-long Ocean Beach in San Francisco, California. The beach is situated adjacent to a major tidal inlet and in the shadow of the ebb-tidal delta at the mouth of San Francisco Bay. Ocean Beach is exposed to a high-energy wave climate and significant alongshore variability in forcing introduced by varying nearshore bathymetry, tidal forcing, and beach morphology (e.g., beach variably backed by seawall, dunes, and bluffs). In addition, significant regional anthropogenic factors have influenced sediment supply and tidal current strength. A variety of techniques were employed to investigate the erosion at Ocean Beach, including historical shoreline and bathymetric analysis, monthly beach topographic surveys, nearshore and regional bathymetric surveys, beach and nearshore grain size analysis, two surf-zone hydrodynamic experiments, four sets of nearshore wave and current experiments, and several numerical modeling approaches. Here, we synthesize the results of 7 years of data collection to lay out the causes of persistent erosion, demonstrating the effectiveness of integrating an array of data sets covering a huge range of spatial scales. The key findings are as follows: anthropogenic influences have reduced sediment supply from San Francisco Bay, leading to pervasive contraction (i.e., both volume and area loss) of the ebb-tidal delta, which in turn reduced the regional grain size and modified wave focusing patterns along Ocean Beach, altering nearshore circulation and sediment transport patterns. In addition, scour associated with an exposed sewage outfall pipe causes a local depression in wave heights, significantly modifying nearshore circulation patterns that have been shown through modeling to be key drivers of persistent erosion in that area.

Kim, D.; Lee, C.-W.; Choi, S.-H., and Kim, Y.O., 2012. Long-term changes in water quality of Masan Bay, Korea.

This study investigated the annual variation in nutrients, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and dissolved oxygen (DO) at three stations in Masan Bay from 1995 to 2005. The dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentration decreased significantly at all stations after 2001, whereas the dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) concentration showed no distinct annual variation. The DIN/DIP molar ratio also decreased tremendously at all stations after 2001. The COD decreased at all stations after 2001, whereas the DO concentration increased slightly. The decreases in DIN and COD and the increase in DO may have been associated with the almost doubling of the treatment capacity of the Masan wastewater treatment plant, which considerably improved the water quality in the bay.

Huang, J. and Klemas, V., 2012. Using remote sensing of land cover change in coastal watersheds to predict downstream water quality.

Land cover and land use data are important for watershed assessment and runoff modeling. Satellite and airborne remote sensors can map land cover/use effectively. Whenever a strong linkage exists between land cover/use and runoff water quality, remotely sensed land cover trends can help predict long-term changes in water and habitat quality of downstream estuaries and bays. This paper reviews practical remote sensing techniques for land cover change monitoring and presents a case study that relates land cover/use, landscape patterns, and temporal scales to the water quality of runoff from a coastal watershed in SE China. The results of the case study show that the percentage of built-up land was a good predictor for downstream water quality and that the linkage among , COD_Mn, and landscape variables during wet precipitation years was stronger than during dry precipitation years.

Guillou, N. and Chapalain, G., 2012. Modeling penetration of tide-influenced waves in Le Havre harbor.

The access channel to Le Havre harbor (France, English Channel) experiences significant tide-induced variations of wave height associated with current refraction. The present study analyzes the penetration of these modulated waves in the harbor basin Hubert Raoul-Duval of the new Port 2000 infrastructures. A numerical approach is adopted on the basis of a phase-resolving model driven by external-predicted height, period, and direction of approaching waves submitted to tide-induced variations. Numerical results of wave height are compared with field data collected at two wave buoys in the access harbor channel and the inner basin. The propagation of tide-influenced waves within the harbor induces semidiurnal variations of wave height in its inner basin with slight influence of local ambient tidal currents. Tide-influenced changes in the incident wave directions result in an increased exposition of the northern wharves at high tide and the eastern interior breakwater at low tide for the period of simulation. Finally, modeling is further exploited through a sensitivity study that analyzes different forcings of the model by external measurements at a single location in the entrance harbor channel.

Les hauteurs de houle dans le chenal d'accès au port du Havre (France, Manche) sont influencées par la marée à travers le phénomène de réfraction par les courants. La présente étude analyse la propagation de cette modulation dans le bassin portuaire Hubert Raoul-Duval des nouvelles infrastructures de Port 2000. Une approche numérique est adoptée sur la base d'un modèle à résolution de phase forcé par les prédictions externes des hauteurs, périodes et directions de la houle soumises à l'influence de la marée. Les prédictions numériques de la hauteur de houle sont comparées aux observations de deux houlographes disposés dans le chenal d'accès à Port 2000 et son bassin portuaire. La propagation des houles modulées par la marée à l'intérieur du port induit des variations semi-diurnes de la hauteur de houle dans le bassin portuaire avec une influence négligeable des courants de marée locaux. Les changements de la direction de la houle incidente induits par la marée conduisent à une exposition accrue du quai nord à marée haute et de l'extrémité est de la digue de protection à marée basse au cours de la période de simulation. Enfin, la modélisation est exploitée à travers une étude de sensibilité destinée à analyser la possibilité de forcer le modèle d'agitation par des mesures ponctuelles réalisées au niveau du chenal d'accès au port.

Suwandana, E.; Kawamura, K.; Sakuno, Y.; Evri, M., and Lesmana, A.H., 2012. Hyperspectral reflectance response of seagrass (Enhalus acoroides) and brown algae (Sargassum sp.) to nutrient enrichment at laboratory scale.

Coastal environments are prone to nutrient contamination as a result of excessive use of fertilizers in paddy agriculture on the land. To detect nutrient increases in coastal areas, researchers have used hyperspectral reflectance response to examine some coastal plants, which have proved to be effective as bioindicators. In this study, field hyperspectral technique was evaluated as a tool to detect nutrient concentrations in two coastal plants, i.e., seagrass (Enhalus acoroides) and brown algae (Sargassum sp.), taken from Banten Bay Indonesia, at laboratory scale. Although our initial experiments are still too few in elucidating an accurate relationship of nutrients and spectral signature, we are pleased to communicate that there is scientific evidence that hyperspectral measurement can be used to detect nutrient concentrations in coastal vegetation. Two types of fertilizers—urea, which contains 46% nitrogen, and triple super phosphate (TSP), which contains 14–20% soluble P₂O₅, commonly used by the local paddy farmers—were applied to both coastal plants in the aquarium experiment. The results of factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests and pigment-related indices have proved that some significant differences exist in several wavelengths in response to the fertilizer treatments. This study revealed that brown algae were more sensitive to the same amount of fertilizer applied than seagrass.

Kázmér, M. and Taborošl, D., 2012. Rapid profiling of marine notches using a handheld laser distance meter.

A rapid, single-user profiling method for rocky shores is described. The Leica Disto D8 handheld laser distance meter measures distance up to 100 m and inclination in 360°. It automatically calculates horizontal distance and vertical elevation. Memory storage accommodates data for 30 measurement points, allowing easy plotting of shore profiles. This technique allows even inaccessible, dangerous, and overhanging cliff faces to be evaluated faithfully and within minutes. It is a major improvement over standard methods that often involve risky coasteering and climbing. Examples are given from marine notches in Thailand.

Hardin, E.; Kurum, M.O.; Mitasova, H., and Overton, M.F., 2012. Least cost path extraction of topographic features for storm impact scale mapping.

A raster-based, spatially distributed implementation of the storm impact scale, designed to assess barrier island vulnerability, is presented. The two core topographic parameters of the scale, dune ridge and dune toe elevation, are extracted from a high-resolution, light detection and ranging (LIDAR)-derived digital elevation model (DEM). In addition, the beach slope, necessary to compute wave run-up, is extracted from the beach face. Innovative implementation of least cost path analysis and a physics-based model of an elastic sheet are used to map the dune ridge and dune toe. The robustness and efficiency of the topographic feature extraction method is demonstrated along 4 km of shoreline in Pea Island, Outer Banks, North Carolina.

Finlayson, B.L.; Peel, M.C., and McMahon, T.A., 2012. Discussion of: Finkl, C.W. and Cathcart, R.B., 2011. The “Morning Glory” Project: A Papua New Guinea–Queensland Australia undersea freshwater pipeline, Journal of Coastal Research, 27(4), 607–618.

Finkl and Cathcart have proposed a macroengineering project to deliver water from the Fly River in Papua New Guinea via an undersea pipeline into northeast Australia, routed down the Diamantina River and thence into Lake Eyre. The proposal has historical antecedents but its scientific basis is very weak. No case is made for the usefulness or demand for the water in Australia. Little consideration is given to the environmental, social, and political issues that such a scheme would involve. Scientific papers that are referenced in support of the arguments in the paper in many cases do not deal with the issues on which they are quoted. The authors appear to have little understanding of the geography of the areas they are discussing, which leads them to make many erroneous assertions about these places. The paper contains a considerable amount of irrelevant and trivial material, such as the life history of HMS Fly. The subject matter of the paper lies well outside the stated subject area of the Journal of Coastal Research.