Sandy beaches are dynamic environments, governed by a variety of physical and biological factors at different temporal and spatial scales.
Unconstrained, beaches can be resilient, changing shape and size naturally in response to storms and variations in wave action and currents.
Human modifications of sandy beaches interfere with these natural processes, thereby limiting their resilience and typically having negative impacts.
Beaches in urban areas are now considered to be trapped in a ‘coastal squeeze’ between the impacts from human activities on the terrestrial side and the manifestations of climate change on the ocean side.