Coastal Dynamics and Erosion Management

Coastal margins represent dynamic interfaces where marine and terrestrial processes converge. Wave action, tidal currents and storm surges continually rework sediment alongshore and cross-shore, driving accretion and erosion at scales ranging from metres to kilometres. Sea-level rise, changing storm frequency under climate change and anthropogenic pressures such as coastal development exacerbate shoreline retreat, threatening residential, economic and ecological assets. Managing these evolving shorelines requires an integrated approach that combines rigorous monitoring, predictive modelling and adaptive engineering. Hard defences—seawalls, groynes and breakwaters—offer immediate protection but can disrupt sediment transport and alter natural morphodynamics. Soft solutions such as beach nourishment, dune restoration and living shorelines aim to mimic natural processes, enhancing resilience while preserving ecosystem services. Advances in remote sensing, coastal process modelling and socio-economic risk assessment underpin evidence-based strategies, facilitating the design of sustainable interventions. Globally, policy frameworks increasingly favour nature-based solutions and community engagement, stressing the importance of spatial planning that accommodates dynamic coastal change while safeguarding biodiversity and livelihoods.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have quantified the extent to which human infrastructure compresses sandy beaches, demonstrating that on average only a few hundred metres separate developments from the shoreline. Projections indicate that rising sea levels could further erode up to 30 % of this natural buffer by 2100, while protected areas alleviate coastal squeeze significantly more than unprotected zones, underscoring the value of conservation in spatial planning. Global satellite assessments spanning several decades reveal that nearly a quarter of the world’s sandy shorelines retreat at rates exceeding 0.5 metres per year, with erosion outpacing accretion twofold and a mosaic of stable and dynamic segments demanding tailored management. Analyses of extreme oceanographic forcing during major El Niño events show that unprecedented wave energy can drive shoreline retreat beyond historical maxima, highlighting the need for adaptive design criteria that account for rare, high-energy episodes alongside mean sea-level trends.

Coastal Dynamics and Erosion Management publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in coastal dynamics and erosion management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Coastal squeeze: The reduction of beach and intertidal zones due to fixed landward infrastructure and rising sea levels.

Littoral drift: The alongshore transport of sediment by wave-induced currents.

Bathymetry: The measurement and mapping of water depth beneath coastal and marine environments.

Swash zone: The area of the beach alternately covered and exposed by wave uprush and backwash.

References

1. A global analysis of how human infrastructure squeezes sandy coasts. Nature Communications (2024).
2. Global long-term observations of coastal erosion and accretion. Scientific Reports (2018).
3. Extreme oceanographic forcing and coastal response due to the 2015–2016 El Niño. Nature Communications (2017).
4. Nearshore satellite-derived bathymetry from a single-pass satellite video: Improvements from adaptive correlation window size and modulation transfer function. Remote Sensing of Environment (2024).
5. Global Coastal Characteristics (GCC): a global dataset of geophysical, hydrodynamic, and socioeconomic coastal indicators. Earth System Science Data (2024).
6. A review of practical models of sand transport in the swash zone. Earth-Science Reviews (2023).