Coastal dune dynamics, current management trends, and interdisciplinary efforts to learn about beaches and dunes Seminar

This is a talk of 3 parts. The first part will explore our current understanding of coastal dune change at a range of spatial and temporal scales . Beach-dune systems are one of the most dynamic landscapes on our planet, and hence one of the most difficult ones to model. Despite their relevance to society and to coastal protection schemes, predictions of coastal dune evolution remain a major research gap, with both short-term and long-term socio-economic impacts. This section of the talk will discuss how our research contributes to understanding dune behaviour and thus to improving predictions of coastal change.

The second part of the talk will critically analyse recent shifts in coastal dune management leading to excavating and bulldozing coastal dunes and will question some of the assumptions underlying ‘the need for bare sand’. The focus will be on coastal dunes in England and Wales, but with references to other locations. The third and last part of the talk will introduce you to Coasts for Kids , a transdisciplinary team effort involving kids and their families, teachers, community artists, and coastal scientists, and aimed at empowering kids (and adults) to understand some of the complex interactions regulating coastal dynamics, and to trigger awareness and interest on coasts from an early age.

Speaker Information

Professor Irene Delgado-Fernandez from Edge Hill University