HUMAN INTERACTION WITH MARINE PROCESSES. Use examples.
In this answer I have chosen to write about Coastal Management.
The case study that I examined dealt with part of the Wexford coastline, north of Rosslare harbour.
Humans have always interacted in some way with the landscape in this region. This area has been managed particularly since the 1800s.
The North and South Slobs were reclaimed and are now a bird sanctuary.
Rosslare harbour was developed in the 1860s. Here a viaduct was constructed to an offshore pier to accommodate the long shore drift to pass under it.
However, instead of allowing passage of the sediment it actually provided protection and caused sediment to build up in the harbour. This sediment then required dredging.
This was carried out and the material was deposited at sea and was thus lost to the coastal system for good. This had a major knock-on effect for the whole coast north of Wexford harbour.
In 1978 the viaduct was closed off and the pier system was developed further. The pier now acted as a huge groyne which trapped vast amounts of sand behind it. Sand was also pushed out of the normal coastal system and removed out to sea.
The beaches were no longer being nourished north of the newly constructed pier.
The process of erosion has become a problem on Rosslare Strand. Efforts have been made to halt the process through management schemes, which included rock and wooden groynes being placed on the beaches - to halt sediment loss. This, however, affected other beaches along the coast, for example Curracloe.
Some 160,000 m3 of sand was added to the beach systems. This was the largest beach nourishment scheme carried out in Ireland to date.
Some soft structures such as sand dunes were strengthened with marram grass; they were also re-contoured.
This is an eco-friendly way of managing coasts. Management of the Wexford coastline is an example of how human interaction in one area has a knock on effect further along the...