Case study: Seabourne Bay

Seabourne is a fictional town on the east coast of England. Waves and longshore drift move beach material along the coast. In recent storms, cliffs near the northern end have retreated, while the town centre and its road are at risk of flooding. The council has a limited budget and wants to protect homes without making erosion worse elsewhere. Four methods are being considered: • A strong concrete barrier reflects wave energy. It can protect valuable buildings, but is expensive and may increase erosion at its base or nearby. • Large boulders absorb and dissipate wave energy. This approach is usually cheaper than a concrete barrier, but the boulders can be displaced in severe storms and may restrict beach access. • Barriers built at right angles to the shore trap sediment moved by longshore drift. They can widen the beach on the up-drift side, but reduce sediment reaching the down-drift coast. • Sand or shingle is added to widen the beach. The beach absorbs wave energy and remains attractive to visitors, but material needs replacing and may be washed away.

Investigate the options