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Tracking Beach Erosion Could Help Management, Maine Sea Grant

Maine Sea Grant Publications

Although sandy beaches represent only about one percent of Maine's 3500-mile coastline, they are vitally important to the state's economy as recreational resources, provide crucial wildlife habitat, and buffer the coast against storms. However, many of Maine's beaches are threatened, mainly by erosion from coastal engineering and natural forces. Engineering structures-such as jetties and seawalls-built to create navigable harbors and protect, beachfront property, may impact the recreational beach. They can interfere with the natural distribution of sand and cause beaches to erode more rapidly or sand to accumulate in unwanted places. Some towns try, often without success, to fix their …