Chapter 7 Summary
Many coastal areas are rapidly changing. Accelerated by rising sea levels worldwide, erosion is causing shorelines to retreat landward in most areas, often at rates of more than a meter a year. Sandy cliffs and barrier islands are especially vulnerable to erosion. Storms, with their associated surges and higher waves, cause especially rapid coastal change. Efforts to stabilize beaches are generally expensive, often ineffective over the long (or even short) term, and frequently change the character of the shoreline. They may also cause unforeseen negative consequences to the coastal zone and its organisms. Demand for development has led not only to construction on unstable coastal lands, but also to the reclamation of estuaries to create more land, to the detriment of plant and animal populations.
