The coastal environment is constantly changing as a result of the interaction between waves, wind and ocean currents.
A gradual landward movement of the shoreline is being observed in many parts of the world and it is estimated that eighty to
ninety percent of the sandy beaches in the United States are receding [18,23]. Simultaneously, there has been an increase in
the population density in coastal towns in the United States [30]. Recent population reports estimate that coastal counties
covering 17% of the land area – excluding Alaska – account for 53% of the US population, and the population in US coastal
counties grew by 33 million between 1980 and 2003 [26]. These two trends create a natural conflict, which has led to active
policy intervention to manage coastal erosion in economies that thrive on tourism and depend on the flow of beach amenities