Utilising Natural Attributes of Tropical Islands for Beach Protection

Abstract

This study reveals the coastal protection benefits of small artificial reefs on tropical islands. A monitored case study involving field and computer modelling investigations, as well as construction of a 95 m long reef and 12,000 m3 of local sand nourishment in a tropical lagoon on the north-east coast of Mauritius, is presented. Monitoring showed that a large salient widened the beach by 50 m in one year. The salient has continued to grow slowly and has remained stable for four years, including during a cyclone. Only a simple and inexpensive artificial reef was needed in the shallow lagoon to rebalance the shoreline wave conditions, because most wave energy was lost by breaking further offshore on the natural reef. With rising sea levels, inshore reefs with nourishment can overcome increases in wave height, wave set-up and wave run-up at the shoreline, which are jointly responsible for erosion and the flooding of homes by erosion and over-topping. To find suitable nourishment sources, regional computer modelling identified the following dominant circulation patterns: currents both coming into the lagoon over the reef crest (driven by breaking wave energy) and exiting via relict river channels or zones of lower waves. Sand for nourishment may be extracted from the exit locations with reduced environmental impact, because net currents are driving sand out of the lagoon system into deeper water. These relict sands have the same grain size as the natural beach and are readily accessible.