Beach renourishment sand could affect coral reefs off Broward; Fla.

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Beach re-nourishment. Photo source: © SAF — Coastal Care

Excerpts;

Dump trucks returned to the Fort Lauderdale beachfront this month to finish a $55.6 million job rebuilding eroded beaches.

But beneath the surface just offshore, the new sand could bury and harm acres of coral reef and extinguish tiny life forms that cling to the reefs or hover around them…

Read Full Article, The Sun-Sentinel (11-25-2016)

Study: Sand nourishment linked to fewer marine life, Palm Beach Daily News (04-2016)
A recent study examining the impact of beach nourishment projects on marine life should provoke further research by local scientists, according to a Palm Beach Atlantic University biologist…

Palm Beach Sea Turtles Killed During Beach Renourishment Project, Broward Palm Beach New Times (04-28-2015)

Coastal geologist criticizes beach renourishment efforts; By Robert S. Young, PhD; The State (08-17-2016)

Palm Beach Mid-Town Dredge Project, A Youtube Video (02-04-2015)
“Beach nourishment projects like this have become commonplace along the US East and Gulf Coasts. These projects have immediate environmental impacts through burial of nearshore habitat and increased turbidity during project placement.The cumulative environmental impacts of doing this repeatedly on the same beach while conducting projects from Maine to Texas is unknown. But, we should be concerned. ” —Robert S. Young, PhD, Director, Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, Professor, Coastal Geology, Western Carolina University

Beach replenishment may have far reaching impacts on ecosystems;” Phys.Org (03-29-2016)
UC San Diego biologists who examined the biological impact of replenishing eroded beaches with offshore sand found that such beach replenishment efforts could have long-term negative impacts on coastal ecosystems…

Economy Winner, Environment Loser in Renourishment; Pensacola News Journal (12-02-2015)

Sand’s end, The Verge (11-17-2016)
Miami Beach has run out of sand. Now what?…

Is Beach Renourishment Worth The Money? WWAY News (02-16-2015)

Column: The future of Florida’s beaches and the public’s right to know; Op Ed. by Orrin Pilkey (12-07-2015)

Editorial: Beach Replenishment is No Cure-All, Asburry Park Press (05-14-2015)

What Happens to a Coral Reef When an Island is Built on Top? the Washington Post (07-11-2015)

The Conservation Crisis No One Is Talking About, TakePart (09-21-2016)
Beaches around the world are disappearing. No, the cause isn’t sea-level rise, at least not this time. It’s a little-known but enormous industry called sand mining, which every year sucks up billions of tons of sand from beaches, ocean floors, and rivers to make everything from concrete to microchips to toothpaste…

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