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, […]
beaches, coasts, & shorelines
Posted inResearch Spotlights
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.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How Water Flows Toward Cities During Hurricanes
Topography is a key factor exacerbating compound flooding, while coastal wetlands help protect cities.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
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.
Posted inScience Updates
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.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
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.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Extensive Sand Dune Loss Threatens California Coast
Aerial photos combined with lidar data show the extent of the problem.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Mangroves May Be Losing Their Grip on Carbon Storage as Sea Levels Rise
Locally, mangroves can sometimes adapt to rising seas, but global trends look troubling.
Posted inNews
Oysters Clean Up More Nitrogen Pollution Than We Thought
New research has revealed that significant amounts of excess nitrogen in coastal waters are buried as oyster reefs grow and that some reefs trap more nitrogen than others.
Posted inScience Updates
Melting Glaciers Make the Coastal Ocean More Sensitive
Fresh water from retreating ice does more than raise sea levels. It affects how the ocean responds to acidification and other environmental changes.