Global Coasts: A Baroque Embarrassment of Riches

Abstract

Coasts form the universal stage on which people interact with the global ocean. Our history is inextricably intertwined with the seashore, being a rich tapestry of archaeological sites that paint a vivid picture of people hunting, foraging, fishing and scavenging at the edge of the sea. Seascapes inspire diverse art forms celebrated through the ages. The world’s sandy beaches have a flummoxing duality of anthropocentric purpose—ranging from the horrors when being theatres of war to first love under a rising moon. ‘Man’s Love of the Sea’ continues to draw people towards the shore: the narrow coastal strip contains everything from holiday cottages to mega-cities. This coastal concentration of the human population is problematic when shorelines erode and move inland, a geological process fastened by climate change. Society’s response is often a heavy investment in coastal engineering to complement and enhance the natural storm protection capacity of beaches and dunes. The coast’s immense cultural, social, and economic significance are complemented by a wealth of natural riches. In the public’s eye, these ecological values can pale somewhat compared with more imminent ecosystem services, particularly protecting human properties from storm impacts. To re-balance the picture, here we illustrate how peer-reviewed science can be translated into ‘cool beach facts’, aimed at creating a broader environmental appreciation of ocean shores. The colourful kaleidoscope of coastal values faces a veritable array of anthropogenic stressors, from coastal armouring to environmental harm caused by off-road vehicles. Whilst these threats are not necessarily unique to coastal ecosystems, rarely do the winds of global change blow stiffer than at the edge of the sea, where millions of people have created their fragile homes on shifting sands now being increasingly eroded by rising seas. Natural shorelines accommodate such changing sea levels by moving landwards, a poignant and powerful reminder that protecting the remaining natural land is primus inter pares in coastal management. There is no doubt that coastal ecosystems and coastal communities face august trials to maintain essential ecosystem services in the face of global change. Whilst bureaucracies are not always well equipped to counteract environmental harm effectively, using measures carrying a social license, many communities and individuals have encouragingly deep values connected to living coastlines. Building on these values, and harnessing the fierce protective spirits of people, are pivotal to shaping fresh models that can enhance and re-build resilience for shores that will continue to be a ‘baroque embarrassment of coastal riches’.