Coastal ecosystems are being crushed by rising sea levels linked to urbanization.
Beaches across the globe are experiencing a form of “crushing,” a process driven by rising sea levels linked to climate change, along with the growing development of coastal regions. These pressures disrupt the wide variety of species that live in sandy environments, reduce opportunities for tourism and fishing, and increase the risk faced by coastal cities as the ocean moves inland.
This concern was highlighted by Uruguayan marine scientist Omar Defeo, a professor at Uruguay’s University of the Republic (UdelaR), during the FAPESP Day Uruguay symposium, which opened on November 13 in Montevideo.
“Almost half of the beaches will disappear by the end of the century. We in Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina share these resources. Therefore, we must work in partnership with Brazilian scientists to manage and conserve coastal ecosystems,” Defeo said in his presentation.
Defeo explained that coastal environments include three interconnected areas. The first is the dune (post-beach), located above the high tide line where wind builds up sand into ridges or “sand mountains.” The second is the beach (beach face), a sandy stretch that is uncovered during low tide and covered again at high tide. The third is the submerged part (foreshore), which runs from the lowest point of the tide to the place where waves begin to break.
“These zones form an interconnected coastal ecosystem that’s essential for environmental balance. How are they interconnected? The wind carries sand from the dry area to the surf zone [the submerged part]. And when the waves advance, they bring the sediment back to the beach. This bidirectional movement generates a constant exchange in which one zone feeds the other. When a storm comes, the dune acts as a buffer. So when urbanization eliminates the dune, the result can be the destruction of seaside homes,” said the scientist.
