Project Description: Coastal erosion and accretion in the form of changes in beach width and elevation are directly related to sediment transport in the nearshore. This sediment transport is driven primarily by tidal currents and waves and this study will directly measure those processes while monitoring beach formations. Sediment transport coupled with tidal currents and waves directly affect physical, biological and chemical processes on the seafloor, which in turn can create positive (or negative) feedback that can further impact sediment transport. This feedback cycle can be started, altered, stopped and restarted based on numerous variables. This study will seek to document the links between nearshore sediment transport and coastal evolution.
The main priority addressed with this study is the quantitative and rigorous documentation of sediment transport processes to illustrate the relationship between coastal oceanographic processes and the onshore manifestation of those processes in the form of erosion and accretion throughout the study area in general, and Herring Cove Beach, Cape Cod National Seashore, Provincetown, Massachusetts, in particular. This beach is one of the most highly visited beaches in the park and has undergone significant erosion in recent years. Due to the clear erosion impacts to this area, the seashore has already begun implementing climate change adaptation strategies.
A transdisciplinary study from Long Point to Race Point in Provincetown Massachusetts is proposed that will help managers better understand the short-, medium- and long-term evolution of this area in general, and Herring Cove Beach in particular. This study will integrate coastal oceanographic measurements with ecological habitat data that will provide the foundation for detailed analysis with regards to possible future conditions along the 8 miles of shoreline.
Lead Principal Investigator: Dr. Mark Borrelli, Center for Coastal Studies
Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. Graham Giese,
Partner Institution: Center for Coastal Studies
Federal Agency: National Park Service
Federal Agency Technical Contact: Geoffrey Sanders
Project Type: Research
Project Discipline: Natural Resources
Start Year: 2016
End Year: 2021
Initial Funding Amount: $122,134.00
Federal Grant Number: P16AC01502
Amendments
- Amendment Number: 01, Year: 2017, Amount: $89,230.00
- Amendment Number: 0002, Year: 2019, Amount: $112,141.00
- Amendment Number: 0003, Year: 2020, Amount: $62,423.00
National Park or Protected Area: Cape Cod (NPS)
State(s): Massachusetts
Products Associated with this Project:
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