beaches

Dune scarps at a beach in Noosa. Credit: Javier Leon, Author provided Australians along the east cost are bracing for yet another round of heavy rainfall this weekend, after a band of stormy weather soaked most of the continent this week. …

It's an island that is closer to France than to England — yet it is part of the British Isles. It's home to miles of tunnels built during World War II — but by German rather than British soldiers.And it has lower taxes than the U.K. and its own financial rules.The island of Jersey, in the English Channel, is only five miles long and nine miles wide but has plenty for visitors to see, according to Amanda Burns, CEO of tourism agency Visit Jersey."We pack quite a big punch," Burns told CNBC by phone. "What's really…

I watched everyone’s favorite summer movie, Jaws, again on the weekend. Fortunately, our relationship with sharks has come a long way from what we saw in the film. We’re getting the facts straight and shifting away from outdated protection methods. And the most valuable tool in preventing shark bites is tech.  Shark bites are incredibly rare Incidents of sharks biting humans are infrequent. According to the International Shark Attack File, 137 alleged shark bites occurred last year.  Most…

Although there's no doubt that marine plastic waste pollution is a major environmental problem, there may be at least a small sliver of hope. According to a new study, plastic trash on Australian beaches has actually decreased by almost a third in recent years.The study was conducted by a team from Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), led by Dr. Kathryn Willis. Based on 563 hands-on coastal inspections, and interviews with waste managers in 32 municipalities, it follows up on a…

According to a new study, two of the main glaciers that make up the Antarctic ice sheet are now melting faster than they have over the past 5,500 years. Ironically, the conclusion is based on how sea levels have seemingly dropped in the region over time.The study was conducted by scientists from the University of Maine and the British Antarctic Survey.It involved the radiocarbon-dating of seashells and penguin bones found in what were at one time beaches near the present-day Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers. Given the…

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Giant concrete barriers separate a field of jagged rocks from a grassy playground at Rogers Park Beach on Lake Michigan. There is no white sand. Only "do not swim" signs spray-painted on the uninviting blocks. …

A new research study finds that extreme weather events could actually help protect beaches from the impact of sea level rise – by bringing in new sand from deeper waters or from nearby beaches.Images in the wake of violent coastal storms usually focus purely on the extensive damage caused to beaches, dunes, property, and surrounding infrastructure.However, a new international research study has shown that extreme weather events could help protect beaches from the impact of sea level rise – by bringing in new sand from…

Flinders Beach has been growing since the 1950s. Credit: Kevin Welsh, Author provided In a warmer world, rising sea levels could render many coastlines, beaches, and reef islands uninhabitable, or destroy them altogether. The 1.09℃ Earth has warmed since pre-industrial times has already heightened seas by 20 centimeters. …