14) Knowledge not only of the response and recovery rates of macrofaunal assemblages to human impacts, but also of the durability of artificial structures implemented on sandy beaches must be taken into account by scientists and decision makers, namely local authorities around the world.
15) Furthermore, evaluating not only the magnitude of engineering modifications to the community structure but also the changes in the ecological processes that occur in this system is a serious challenge for sandy beach ecologists.
16) have also stressed the need to assess the frequency and magnitude of both press and pulse disturbances, the importance of providing projections of future impacts and their magnitude, frequency and intensity, and the need to identify early warning indicators of disturbance.
17) We agree with Chapman and Underwood (2011) who ask for collaboration between ecologists and engineers to create infrastructures that will sustain biodiversity in such valuable ecosystems, but also the need for more experimental tests involving prediction about what happens when such impacts takes place.
Given the current trends and predictions for climate change and continuously rising sea level effects, shoreline stabilisation programmes should adopt an adaptive management approach that allows designs to be modified in line with changing conditions over time.
Artificial structures need to be well implemented; otherwise they will jeopardise the resilience of beaches on account of more frequently disturbed scenarios in the future.