Low-frequency infragravity waves shape shorelines, but exactly how they contribute is mysterious. A technique from Bayesian probability theory might change that.
beaches, coasts, & shorelines
Wastewater Can Take Harmful Algal Blooms from Bad to Worse
By modeling toxic diatoms and coastal processes, scientists have discovered the degree to which nutrients from Southern California’s densely populated coast affect these blooms.
Long-Term Datasets are Essential to Understanding Coastal Change
A multi-decadal field dataset combined with reduced-complexity modeling approach highlights the importance of shoreline change in controlling alongshore variability of dune evolution.
Patterns in time and space of fatal coastal cliff failures
A new analysis (Reiss et al. 2026) explores a global database of fatal coastal cliff failures, showing that these tragic events most frequently occur in the summer months when beaches are heavily populated. One significant type of fatal landslide is coastal cliff failures. Whilst I have recorded a number of these events through the years, […]
The Under-the-Radar Creeks That Are Sweeping Carbon Out of Salt Marshes
Transport via tidal creeks is a “major and often underrecognized” pathway of carbon in the coastal wetlands, and a gap in most blue carbon assessments, new research reports.
How Water Flows Toward Cities During Hurricanes
Topography is a key factor exacerbating compound flooding, while coastal wetlands help protect cities.
The Role of Tidal Wetlands in the Global Nitrogen Cycle Under Global Change
A new study of tidal wetland data highlights their capacity to sequester nitrogen (blue nitrogen), a function that could be weakened or even reversed by wetland area loss.
Confronting Salty Problems in the Coastal Plain
An interdisciplinary network of scientists and stakeholders is working to understand how saltwater intrusion and sea level rise are affecting rural communities and to help address the consequences.
Shoreline Migration, Sediment Accumulation, and Blue Carbon Storage
Autogenic processes of sediment storage and erosion regulate shoreline movement and therefore, where coastal wetlands develop, setting up subsurface areas of preserved organic matter, blue carbon.
Extensive Sand Dune Loss Threatens California Coast
Aerial photos combined with lidar data show the extent of the problem.
