Coasts, Volume 5, Issue 1 (March 2025) – 5 articles

Background: By 2050, most of the global human population will live in coastal regions, and the climatic impacts on these areas represent a significant concern for governments, private sector companies, and societies. Thus, environmental management of coastal regions plays a central role in the global climate agenda. Methods: The study employed a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative and qualitative techniques to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR). This included the construction of networks of related topics, time series analysis, literature mapping, and the identification of research gaps. The databases used were Web of Science, Science Direct, and Scopus. The inclusion and exclusion criteria encompassed articles published between 2014 and 2023, off-topic articles, unavailable articles, or paid access articles. At the end, 96 studies were included in this RSL. Results: The results revealed a predominance of studies addressing climate management in coastal regions, primarily focused on adaptation strategies. However, there is a notable deficiency in studies that address integrated mitigation and adaptation strategies. Time series analysis predicted an increase in the focus on coastal management and climate change in the coming years. Conclusion: The research underscores the central role of coastal management in addressing climate change and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It encourages multi-level management, integrating government officials, business leaders, and civil society in the development of more effective practices for climate change adaptation and mitigation. Full article

Microplastics (MPs) are polymeric particles, mainly fossil-based, widely found in marine ecosystems, linked to environmental and public health impacts due to their persistence and ability to carry pollutants. In São Paulo’s northern coast, geomorphological factors and anthropogenic activities intensify the deposition of these pollutants. Through multivariate techniques, this study aims to investigate the role of the morphometrical parameters as independent variables in quantifying the distribution of MPs on the region’s sandy beaches. Using beach face slope (tanβ) and orientation (Aspect) derived from remote sensing images, calibrated by in situ topographic profiles collected through GNSS positioning, and laboratory analyses, six machine learning models Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, Lasso and Ridge regression, Support Vector Regression, and Partial Least Squares regression were tested and evaluated for performance. The Gradient Boosting model demonstrated the best performance, indicating its superior capacity to capture complex relationships between predictor variables and MPs deposition, followed by Random Forest model. Morphometric analysis revealed, once again, that in this coastal section of São Paulo, beaches with Sloping profiles oriented toward the SSW are more susceptible to MPs accumulation, especially near urban centers. Ultimately, incorporating geomorphological variables into predictive models enhances understanding of MPs deposition, providing a foundation for environmental policies focused on marine pollution mitigation and coastal ecosystem conservation while also contributing to achieve SDG 14. Full article

The River Ter is one of the axes which, in a west-east direction, has historically articulated the population of the extreme north-east of the Iberian Peninsula. Although its upper, middle and part of the lower courses do not present any problems in its course, its mouth in the Mediterrane-an Sea has raised many questions due to the existence of two potential branches, one to the north that would flow into the Gulf of Roses and another to the south that would flow into the Bay of Pals. In 2016, an exhaustive documentary study on the potential southern branch provided exhaustive information on the existence of lake areas and their relationship with the settlement between the 9th and 11th centuries, but raised doubts about the existence of the river in the bay from Pals. Subsequently, between 2020 and 2022, geological studies have been carried out in this area which demonstrate the existence of the river in this area but with a variable course, with changes in the river channel (meandering, diffuse and braided), and with notable changes that conditioned the settlement of this sector of the coast and as was recorded in written documentation between the 9th and 11th centuries. Full article

Shoreline measurement techniques using satellite-derived imagery can provide decades of observations of shoreline change. Here we apply these techniques to the western south shore of Long Island, New York, which has three distinct beaches, Rockaway Peninsula, Long Beach, and Jones Beach Island, which are 18, 15, and 24 km in length, respectively. These beaches are recreation areas for millions of regional residents and include several groin fields, sediment dredging and nourishment operations, and a coastal wave climate that includes winter northeasterly storms and summer hurricanes. The shorelines along the western ends of these three beaches have been accreting at ~4 m/yr during the observation record (1984–2022) resulting from net westward longshore drift. The central 10–12 km of the beaches have lower shoreline change rates, and these rates are generally lowest within the groin fields (0.5–1.5 m/yr). Shoreline change observations also provide evidence for westward propagating accretion and erosion sediment waves that have durations of several years. Beach nourishment projects are shown to significantly influence rates of shoreline accretion, and this is commonly followed by significant shoreline retreat during the subsequent years. Full article

This study investigated the thermo-hydrodynamic groundwater environment of a sandy beach where a unique sand bathing method attracts many visitors. The discussed temperatures covered a wide range, from the normal to the boiling temperature of water. We, at first, examined the feasible conditions for sand bathing and found that the volumetric water content was the crucial factor. Comprehensive field observations were implemented to elucidate two physical quantities: the groundwater flow and the temperature in the sand layer. The latter one was found to be governed by the groundwater level and tidal fluctuations. The characteristics obtained were found to be consistent with the feasible conditions in the landward area. While in the offshore area, the temperature was proved to have suddenly dropped. These results strongly suggest that the underground heat source is distributed in specific spots. A numerical model to describe the groundwater flows and the heat transfer mechanism was developed based on a saturated/unsaturated seepage flow model. The computational results were found to adequately reproduce the observed spatial temperature distribution. The reproduction ability of the model was found to be limited in terms of temporal variations; it was good for the groundwater level, but not for the temperature in the sand. Full article