Coastal Management Strategies

Question 1

What are sea walls

Answer 1

Commonly a concrete structure placed at the top of a beach or foot of a cliff to act as a physical barrier to the sea, preventing erosion or flooding

Question 2

What is a concrete structure placed at the top of a beach or foot of a cliff to act as a physical barrier to the sea, preventing erosion or flooding

Answer 2

A sea wall

Question 3

How much do sea walls cost

Answer 3

Up to £1 million per 100m

Question 4

What are the advantages of sea walls

Answer 4

Effective and often has a walkway or promenade for people to walk along

Question 5

What are the disadvantages of sea walls

Answer 5

Can look obstrusive and unnatural, very expensive and high maintenance costs.

Question 6

What are groynes

Answer 6

Timber or rock structures protruding into the sea at right angle to the coast

Question 7

What are timber or rock structures protruding into the sea at right angle to the coast

Answer 7

Groynes

Question 8

What are the 4 hard engineering starategies

Answer 8

Sea wally, groynes, rock armour and gabions

Question 9

What are Sea wally, groynes, rock armour and gabions

Answer 9

Hard engineering stratagies

Question 10

How much do groynes cost

Answer 10

£150,000 each at 200m intervals

Question 11

What are the advantages of groynes

Answer 11

Create wider beach, which can be popular with tourists, provide useful structures for people interested in fishing and not too expensive

Question 12

What are the disadvantages of groynes

Answer 12

They starve beaches further along the coast, often leading to increased rates of erosion elsewhere, groynes are unnatural

Question 13

What is rock armour

Answer 13

Large, extremely tough boulders placed at the foot of a cliff or against a sea wall, forcing waves to break early, reducing their energy and protecting the coast from their full force

Question 14

What are large, extremely tough boulders placed at the foot of a cliff or against a sea wall, forcing waves to break early, reducing their energy and protecting the coast from their full force

Answer 14

Rock armour

Question 15

How much does rock armour cost

Answer 15

£200,000 per 100m

Question 16

What are the advantages of rock armour

Answer 16

Relatively cheap and easy to maintain, can provide interest to the coast and often used for fishing

Question 17

What are the disadvantages of rock armour

Answer 17

Expensive to transport and do not fit with the local geology

Question 18

What are gabions

Answer 18

Wire cages filled with rocks commonly built up against a cliff to add support and reduce erosion

Question 19

What are wire cages filled with rocks commonly built up against a cliff to add support and reduce erosion

Answer 19

Gabions

Question 20

How much do gabions cost

Answer 20

£50,000 per 100m

Question 21

What are the advantages of gabions

Answer 21

Cheap to produce and improve drainage of cliffs

Question 22

What are the disadvantages of gabions

Answer 22

Unattractive and only last 5-10 years before they rust

Question 23

What are the 3 soft engineering stratagies

Answer 23

Beach nourishment/reprofiling, dune regeneration and dune fencing

Question 24

What is beach nourishment/reprofiling

Answer 24

The addition of sand or pebbles to a beach to increase its height and/or width

Question 25

What is the addition of sand or pebbles to a beach to increase its height and/or width

Answer 25

Beach nourishment/reprofiling

Question 26

How much does beach nourishment/reprofiling cost

Answer 26

£500,000 per 100m

Question 27

What are the advantages of beach nourishment/reprofiling

Answer 27

Cheap and easy to maintain, blends in with existing beach, increases tourism potential

Question 28

What are the disadvantages of beach nourishment/reprofiling

Answer 28

Needs constant maintenance unless structures are built to retain the beach  

Question 29

What is dune regeneration

Answer 29

Plants such as marram grass can be sown to stabilise sand dunes and encourage them to develop, acting as a natural buffer to the sea

Question 30

What is it called when plants such as marram grass are sown to stabilise sand dunes and encourage them to develop, acting as a natural buffer to the sea

Answer 30

Dune regeneration

Question 31

How much does dune regeneration cost

Answer 31

Approximately £2,000 per 100m

Question 32

What are the advantages of dune regeneration

Answer 32

Maintains a natural coastal environment that is popular with people and wildlife, relatively cheap

Question 33

What are the disadvantages of dune regeneration

Answer 33

Time-consuming to plant the marram grass and fence areas off, can be damaged by storms. 

Question 34

What is dune fencing

Answer 34

Fences used to protect dunes from human use, to prevent erosion from trampling and other activities

Question 35

What are fences used to protect dunes from human use, to prevent erosion from trampling and other activities

Answer 35

Dune fencing

Question 36

How much does dune fencing cost

Answer 36

£2,000 per 100m

Question 37

What are the advantages of dune fencing

Answer 37

Minimal impact on natural systems, can control public access to protect other ecosystems

Question 38

What are the disadvantages of dune fencing

Answer 38

Can be unsightly especially if fences become broken, regular maintenance needed specially after storms

Question 39

What is an example of managed retreat

Answer 39

Coastal realignment and monitoring

Question 40

What is coastal realignment and monitoring an example of

Answer 40

Managed retreat

Question 41

What is managed retreat

Answer 41

Deliberately allowing the sea to erode or flood an area in a controlled way

Question 42

What is deliberately allowing the sea to erode or flood an area in a controlled way

Answer 42

Managed retreat

Question 43

How much does managed retreat

Answer 43

Depends on land value, between £5,000 and £10,000

Question 44

What are the advantages of managed retreat

Answer 44

Cost-effective so hard and soft management strategies are targeted at more expensive land

Question 45

What are the disadvantages of managed retreat

Answer 45

Loss of natural habitats