We report cross-shore profile evolution at Palanga, eastern Baltic Sea, where short period waves dominate. Cross-shore profile studies began directly after a significant coastal erosion event caused by storm “Anatol”, in December of 1999, and continued for a year. Further measurements were undertaken sixteen years later. Cross-shore profile changes were described, and cross-shore transport rates were calculated. A K-means clustering technique was applied to determine sections of the profile with the same development tendencies. Profile evolution was strongly influenced by the depth of closure which is constrained by a moraine layer, and the presence of a groyne. The method used divided the profile into four clusters: the first cluster in the deepest water represents profile evolution limited by the depth of closure, and the second and third are mainly affected by processes induced by wind, wave and water level changes. The most intensive sediment volume changes were observed directly after the coastal erosion event. The largest sand accumulation was in the fourth profile cluster, which includes the upper beach and dunes. Seaward extension of the dune system caused a narrowing of the visible beach, which has led to an increased sand volume (accretion) being misinterpreted as erosion

Journal of Coastal Research publishes content relevant to natural and engineered coastline environments and the protection/management of their resources.

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Parnell, K.E. and Smithers, S.G., 2020. Regional and local variability in coastal processes in Torres Strait, Australia, and its importance for climate change planning. In: Malvárez, G. and Navas, F. (eds.), Global Coastal Issues of 2020. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 95, pp. 616–620. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.In small island states or regions, climate change planning is frequently undertaken at a country or regional level, and it is assumed that problems are common and that remedial actions can be widely applied. Community members observe treatments such as seawalls elsewhere and demand similar interventions even though they may be inappropriate. Torres Strait lies between mainland Australia and Papua New Guinea and has communities on a diverse range of islands including low muddy, coral cay, volcanic and continental island types. Approaches to solving problems caused by changing coastal processes on these varied shorelines are discussed at scales from regional to specific sites. Torres Strait has two distinct wind seasons which influence wave-driven processes and lead to seasonally reversing alongshore sediment transport, with shoreline dynamics also controlled by coastal orientation and the beach / reef flat interactions. The low muddy islands have limited management options, requiring shore protection and elevation. Shorelines on coral cay islands and the volcanic and continental islands change shape seasonally. In these settings, planning must allow for the seasonal shoreline adjustments, with structural treatments to manage longer-term shoreline trends used only to protect high-value assets and important cultural sites where alternative management responses are not possible.

Parnell, K.E. and Soomere, T., 2024. Geomorphic metrics for implementing a ‘rights of nature’ approach in coastal management. In: Phillips, M.R.; Al-Naemi, S., and Duarte, C.M. (eds.), Coastlines under Global Change: Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2024 (Doha, Qatar). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 113, pp. 38-42. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. Although the approach is decades old, Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) set within a sustainability framework, has been largely unsuccessful beyond small-scale ‘feel-good’ projects. A Rights of Nature / earth jurisprudence approach to environmental management is being tested, with some jurisdictions embracing it in legislation and policy, and others (such as the European Union) taking a few tentative steps, despite the approach frequently being regarded as extreme. While the concept is broadly understood, the actual rights that must be protected specifically for the coastal environment need to be defined, and they need to be at least partially quantifiable. Eleven rights are proposed. These are a right to a) natural hydrodynamic drivers (waves, tides etc.); b) transport sediment and maintain a balanced sediment budget; c) morphological integrity and natural geodiversity; d) morphologically adjust irrespective of property rights; e) evolve; f) operate at a natural (sediment compartment) scale, spanning human borders; g) be healthy, maximizing resilience; h) be recognized as having inherent worth, regardless of perceived aesthetic, economic or strategic value; i) the integrity of supporting systems and processes; j) be free of structures that impede normal functioning; and k) be restored morphologically and functionally from the impacts of human actions. Many of these rights can be conceptualized and tested in the context of an appropriately scaled coastal sediment budget, and an example is given from the Baltic Sea.