Shoreline Management CS: Selsey Bill to Beachy Head

Question 1

What is the definition of sustainable management?

Answer 1

• balance between preserving coastal envi. + sustaining economy for human needs

Question 2

General facts

Answer 2

• Brighton’s coastline is located on English Channel coast between E + W Sussex

Question 3

Draw a sketch of Selsey Bill to Beach head.

Answer 3

• sketch containing the diagram labels: Selsey Bill, groynes, Brighton, groynes + sea wall, Brighton’s Marina, Cuckmere + Beachy Head
• as well as showing where erosion + sediment deposition + transfers occur

Question 4

What are the problems w sustainably managing this stretch of coastline?

Answer 4

• disrupts sediment cell bc in order to sustainably manage Brighton’s coastline, which is of high eco value, + Beach Head, which is of high envi value, the protection + sustaining of Cuckmere from erosion, which is of lower eco + envi value, must be sacrificed
• defences (e.g. sea wall) are expensive to build + maintain, + require costly repairs if damaged over time so may be financially unsustainable + also disrupts sediment cell

Question 5

Why must Brighton be protected?

Answer 5

• has a high eco value resulting from heavy tourism + recreational use
• e.g. activities (e.g. sea swimming + jogging along sea front) generate a large visitor expenditure of around £886M
• shows income from Brighton is of higher importance than preventing disruption to sediment cell

Question 6

What solutions have been put in place in order to protect Brighton’s coastline?

Answer 6

• sea walls + groynes, however, as a result they disrupt sediment cell bc block movement of sediment brought in from LSD, leading to erosion further down coastline
• large sea wall (built in 1838 at a cost of £100,000) stretches along back of beach which reflects + refracts wave energy, protecting cliff base from undercutting + erosion
• concrete + timber groynes implemented to beach help counteract removal of material from beach bc groynes trap shingle, preventing it being lost to E by LSD, further disrupting sediment cell
• Marina (man-made structure projecting out into sea) causes shingle from LSD to build up, depriving material from being deposited onto beaches E of Marina (e.g. Cuckmere)

Question 7

Why must Beachy Head be protected + preserved?

Answer 7

• has a high envi. value bc of its high chalk sea cliffs + rich variety of wildlife (e.g. colourful nudibranchs [sea slugs], bootlace worms + cuttlefish)
• also is protected by law from damage to its flora + fauna bc it’s classifies as an SSSI (site of special scientific interest), by the Natural England, so must inevitably be sustained

Question 8

How is Cuckmere being sacrificed in order to preserve Beachy Head?

Answer 8

• Cuckmere is of low value bc of rising sea lvls + dec sediment supplies from deposits created during Ice Age + via cliff falls from Brighton’s coastline
• this has caused steepening + narrowing of shingle beaches in Cuckmere, despite having groynes, making them less effective as natural coastal defences
• so instead of maintaining defences, which would have to be made much wider + foundations made much deeper so are more stable against higher waves, they’ve been removed allowing area to erode
• this produces more sediment which is lost from Cuckmere + transported to E by LSD to replenish Beachy Head

Question 9

Why is the sacrifice of Cuckmere important in preserving Beachy head?

Answer 9

• Cuckmere, an area seen as less valuable w a lower relative importance bc of it’s low envi + eco value, has been allowed to retreat + erode as a compromise, to maintain equilibrium of overall system in sediment cell
• although coastline must be eroded, it is important in protecting areas of higher value, so is deemed worthwhile

Question 10

Evaluation.

Answer 10

• sediment cell demonstrates, at this moment in time, a compromise is essential to sustain/protect areas of higher value by disrupting an area of lower value
• highlights disruption to sediment cell is a sig aspect of this compromise + is mandatory to sustain a high income from Brighton + a species rich area in Beachy Head
• however, over time + space, continuous disruption to sediment cell may lead to more threatening damage in other areas that’s unavoidable in future, so areas being protected must be reassessed