Research team investigates threats to sandy beaches
Residents of south-east Queensland could be loving their sandy beaches to death, according to researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast.
A team of USC scientists, led by Dr Thomas Schlacher, have found that human activities like 4WD vehicle use, dune destruction and overcrowding are placing escalating pressure on coastal ecosystems.
Dr Schlacher said this posed a substantial threat to the region’s prime recreational asset – its sandy beaches – and also to the regional economy.
“Beaches are increasingly becoming trapped in a ‘coastal squeeze’ between burgeoning human populations from the land and the effects of global climate change from the sea,” he said.
“Society’s interventions to combat changes in beach environments, such as erosion and shoreline retreat, can result in severe ecological impacts and loss of biodiversity.
“The weight of evidence of information obtained to date points towards substantial detrimental impacts on key ecological resources, which presents a formidable challenge to sustainable uses of our coasts in the future.
“The regional economy relies, to a great extent, on beaches as the prime recreational assets, yet human impacts and accelerated beach erosion due to global climate change could destroy the very foundation on which this region relies.”
Dr Schlacher said the research by USC, in collaboration with Noosa and Redlands shires and regional natural resource management organisations, could assist in the continued existence of beaches as functional ecosystems.
The team’s research will be presented at USC’s annual University Research Conference on Wednesday 21 November. This event will showcase and celebrate USC’s research and promote the impact of this research to academic colleagues and the community.
The free conference is open to the public, but bookings are required by contacting Ashleigh Rees on (07) 5459 4526 or emailing <researchconference@usc.edu.au>.
— Terry Walsh