Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
In this part 2 of 2 lecture, we analyze the current and future state of global sandy beaches using historical photography and modern satellite tools, revealing that while roughly half of the world's beaches are currently stable, 24% are experiencing significant erosion (drawing from Luijendijk et al. 2018). Sandy shorelines are most concentrated in mid-latitude regions and face complex, compounding threats collectively referred to as "coastal squeeze," driven by the combination of sea level rise, intensifying storms, and sediment starvation from dams and/or sand mining. Human interventions, particularly ("grey infrastructure" like seawalls and breakwaters) often exacerbate this erosion by locking shorelines in place and preventing natural inland migration. To preserve these dynamic ecosystems, we need to work towards decarbonizing our global economy, restoring natural sediment inputs, and embracing managed retreat by removing static back beach barriers.
You can view part 1 here: youtu.be/pHJmPGR9oSs
In this part 2 of 2 lecture, we analyze the current and future state of global sandy beaches using historical photography and modern satellite tools, revealing that while roughly half of the world's beaches are currently stable, 24% are experiencing significant erosion (drawing from Luijendijk et al. 2018). Sandy shorelines are most concentrated in mid-latitude regions and face complex, compounding threats collectively referred to as "coastal squeeze," driven by the combination of sea level rise, intensifying storms, and sediment starvation from dams and/or sand mining. Human interventions, particularly ("grey infrastructure" like seawalls and breakwaters) often exacerbate this erosion by locking shorelines in place and preventing natural inland migration. To preserve these dynamic ecosystems, we need to work towards decarbonizing our global economy, restoring natural sediment inputs, and embracing managed retreat by removing static back beach barriers.
You can view part 1 here: youtu.be/pHJmPGR9oSs
