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Science
Friday > Archives
> 1998
> July
> July 3, 1998:
Hour Two: The Beach
 | Gearing up for the holiday weekend? Maybe you've set up the badminton net, dusted off the backyard grill, and started chopping veggies to make a big batch of potato salad. Or maybe you're one of the thousands that will celebrate the holiday by heading to the beach, throwing down a towel, and catching some sun, sand, and sea.
But don't ignore the science while you're there. Take a look at the shoreline - does it seem different than it was last year? | Perhaps your favorite sunning spot, once a generous expanse of sand, was ripped apart by winter storms and carried down the coast. Or maybe your beach was on the receiving end of the sand transport, and is much more luxurious this year than last. It's also possible that your beach was the recipient of some human help - state and federal governments spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year on beach "nourishment" and erosion control. | Over half of all Americans live in coastal areas, and more move to the coasts each year. At the same time, more and more beaches are being threatened by erosion - the effects of increasing sea levels, storms, and (most importantly) overdevelopment. And as our understanding of coastal processes improves, scientists are learning that many of the early efforts to shape beaches had it all wrong. Dune grass, often ripped up or trampled by unknowing developers, is one of the best protections against erosion. On the other hand, jetties and seawalls can actually can make shoreline erode more quickly. In some cases, the only options are to spend millions each year to replenish the sand on a beach, or to retreat and allow the water to move in. |  | On this hour of Science Friday, discover the science of the beach, from Maine to California - and even some places in between! Plus - find out where some of the best beaches in America are!
Guests:
Guy Meadows
Professor, Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
Director, Ocean Engineering Laboratory
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI
Tony Pratt
Program Manager, Shoreline Management Branch
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
Dover, DE
Stephen Leatherman
Director, Laboratory for Coastal Research and International Hurricane Center
Florida International University
Author, "America's Best Beaches"
Miami, FL
Gideon Bosker
Co-Author, "The Beach: The History of Paradise on Earth"
Assistant Clinical Professor
Yale University School of Medicine
New Haven, CT
Books/Articles Discussed:
"The Beach: The History of Paradise on Earth" by Lena Lencek and Gideon Bosker.
"America's Top Beaches" by Stephen Leatherman
Related Links:
The American Shore and Beach Preservation Association
The Coastal Coalition
Great Lakes Information Network
Army Corps of Engineers
Coastal Engineering Research Center
Sea
Grant College Program
America's Top Beaches
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