Central South Coast Of England Research Articles

Perceptions of rip current myths from the central south coast of England

Rip currents (rips) are the global leading cause of fatalities on surf beaches, yet numerous long-standing misconceptions exist. Evidence of the prevalence of these myths is largely anecdotal. This opportunistic, exploratory study presents perceptions on rip current hazards (n = 187), of members of the public attending an open day at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton. The survey was undertaken as a fun but informative quiz, aimed at families attending the research-facility. It also explored using such events as a conduit to gain valuable knowledge on the understanding of rip currents and other hazards. While most respondents (81%) knew appropriate escape strategies (swim parallel and stay afloat), only 11% identified what makes rips dangerous (panic), with 44% incorrectly saying that rips suck you under. Rip identification is poor, and many are unaware of the meaning of beach safety flags. This study identifies that safety communication messaging needs to focus on debunking rip current myths, to improve understanding of safe swimming areas; and to reduce panic if caught in a rip.

The impacts of anchoring and mooring in seagrass, Studland Bay, Dorset, UK

Studland Bay, Dorset, on the central south coast of England is shallow and well protected from the prevailing south-west winds, making it an ideal habitat for a dense seagrass bed of Zostera marina. The shelter and proximity to the port of Poole make it a popular anchorage. Bare patches in the seagrass habitat associated with boat anchoring and mooring are described. Shear vane stress of the seabed was measured in situ by SCUBA divers. When comparing the undisturbed seagrass sediment with the bare, impacted areas, the latter sediments are less cohesive, contain less organic material and have a lower silt fraction, infaunal organism number and taxa. A mechanism for the progression of an anchor scar is suggested, involving storm wave induced mobilisation and dispersion of the impacted sediments exposing the underlying rhizome mat, which is further undermined by crabs. Results from this work and studies on other seagrass species suggest that the recovery is far from straightforward. It may take many years, leading to the decline of the Studland Bay seagrass habitat and associated species.

Persistent border: an analysis of the geographic boundary of an intertidal species

The biological performance of species close to their biogeographic boundaries is of critical interest in a period of rapid climate change and can inform predictions of future patterns of distribution. The classic view is that performance attributes (reproduction, growth, survival) will gradually decline from the centre towards the edge of a species range. A persistent discontinuity in the distribution of the intertidal barnacle Chthamalus montagui on the central south coast of England has enabled us to test hypotheses about its performance and recruitment as the range edge is approached. Although adult density was reduced by over 5 orders of magnitude along a 200 km dis- tance, there was little evidence of impaired performance at the range edge. There have been fluctu- ations in abundance over the last 50 yr at shores approaching the border, which are associated with changes in temperature and suggest thermal sensitivities. A study of recruitment in C. montagui and in other intertidal barnacles revealed a region of very low recruitment for all species close to the bor- der of C. montagui. We propose that reductions in larval supply caused by complex regional hydrog- raphy and suboptimal habitat quality, not adult performance, is most likely responsible for a steep gradient in recruitment as the border is approached, although possible reductions in larval perfor- mance cannot be totally discounted. The location of 'low recruitment cells' caused by oceanographic processes that obstruct the dispersal of propagules needs to be identified when modelling the rate of change of biological assemblages and the location and spacing of reserves.

Coastal management in the Solent: An introduction

Abstract This paper introduces the Solent as a dynamic estuarine complex located on the central south coast of England. The physical and socio-cultural geographies of the Solent are described and the difficulties of managing the multiple uses of the area are discussed. The Solent Forum, a partnership of Solent stakeholders, is then presented as the facilitator of an integrated approach to coastal management in the Solent. The Solent Forum Coastal Management Conference, held in Portsmouth in 2004, is introduced as the source of the papers in this special issue. The Conference highlighted the link between the science and management aspects of the Solent in light of a suite of emergent pressures, including in physical terms development pressure and sea level change, and in legal terms the UK Marine Bill, Water Framework Directive and English ICZM Strategy. The article ends with an overview of the papers in the special issue.

Preparing for the Impacts of Climate Change on the Central South Coast of England: A Framework for Future Risk Management

ABSTRACT There has been considerable research into the science of global climate change, however, there is presently little guidance for coastal authorities on accounting for the physical impacts of ongoing climate change in future land use planning and coastal defence policy. For the central south coast of England, this paper briefly identifies ‘coastal climate change scenarios’for the next 80 years. A qualitative geomorphological appraisal of the potential impacts of these changes on coastal landforms and processes is presented, based upon generic ‘coastal behaviour systems’ that take account of the various sensitivities to change of the natural and managed coastline. Functions such as the sensitivity of coastal slopes to increasing effective rainfall, and barrier beaches to increased water levels, are considered. The likely future ‘behaviour’ of these systems, and in particular the potential for climate-induced changes, are identified. The likely response of the coastal systems then provides an objecti...

Decline of Radionuclides in the Nearshore Environment Following Nuclear Reactor Closure: A U.K. Case Study

Radioactive discharges from nuclear facilities are frequently made into the marine environment and their fate during and after cessation of discharges is a matter of interest and concern. This study examines the decline of the radionuclides 60Co and 65Zn along the southern U.K. coast, over the period 1988−1998, following the closure of the steam-generating heavy water (SGHW) reactor at AEA Winfrith, Dorset, UK. 60Co and 65Zn (and other activation products such as 63Ni and 55Fe) were widely dispersed in the marine environment off the central south coast of England, due to authorized releases from AEA Winfrith. Significant interaction occurred with clay-rich sediments and biota. A general exponential decline in 60Co activities (and in 65Zn activity) is found in intertidal mudflat sediments, seaweed and marine fauna in different areas along the south coast following closure of the reactor in 1990. Effective half-lives are determined which vary from 1 to 4 years in surface sediments (60Co only), 1−4 years in seaweed and 0.5−2.5 years in crustaceans, bivalves and molluscs. Physical mixing and bioturbation largely control the rate at which 60Co declines in surface sediments. Both 60Co and 65Zn show a relatively slow rate of decline in seaweed and in marine fauna, showing that even after the virtual cessation of discharge from nuclear facilities, contamination of these organisms may persist for a number of years, albeit at reduced activities. Reasons for this persistence are likely to include absorption of radionuclides from sediment, and release and recycling of radionuclides via breakdown of contaminated organic material.

Sediment transport analysis as a component of coastal management— a UK example

Detrimental effects of engineering works on the coast and a wish to conserve parts of the coastline have increased realization among coastal managers of the need to examine shoreline problems and proposals for protection in a wider spatial context than the site itself and over a longer time scale than the past few years. This paper outlines the approach taken in one region of the United Kingdom, the central south coast of England, to provide that wider perspective. Authorities responsible for coastal protection and sea defenses formed a coastal group, which, among other activities, commissioned research aimed at providing a greater understanding on which to base shoreline management decisions. A major project undertaken was a sediment transport study in which all existing information relating to coastal sediment processes in the region was collated and analyzed. All inputs, flows, and outputs of sediment were documented. Links between processes were examined for each part of the region. Finally, nine littoral cells of sediment circulation were identified and were suggested as forming a framework for shoreline management. The methods of compilation and analysis are outlined here and are exemplified for one area in the region. The approach is recommended as a cost-effective basis for strategic management of the coast in developed regions.

Dunlin Calidris alpina alpina in The Solent, southern England

The numbers of dunlin Calidris alpina alpina counted in Britain and Northern Ireland in winter declined by 50% between 1973/74 and 1987/88, although they have since increased somewhat. In The Solent, an estuarine system on the central south coast of England, numbers declined in some estuaries but were maintained in two large intertidal basins, Langstone and Chichester Harbours. We examine the physical characteristics of The Solent estuaries and conclude that those in which dunlin declined were suboptimal habitat because of their tidal and geomorphological peculiarities and, in one case, because of the loss of the main roost site. Recently it has been suggested that the spread of cord-grass Spartina anglica in individual estuaries was causally implicated in the national decline through a reduction in the area available for feeding. This was not so in The Solent, where Spartina is in decline. This tends to suggest that although the spread of Spartina may have been a proximate cause of dunlin declines in individual estuaries it is less likely to be the ultimate cause of the national decline. We review the population history of the dunlin in The Solent and conclude that the dominant influence on numbers this century was hunting mortality. Since the 1950s there has been a progressive increase in dunlin numbers in The Solent, which we suggest reflects release from hunting pressure. We speculate that in the context of this long-term trend the recent decline may prove to be a short-term oscillation.

The distribution of Zostera and its exploitation by wildfowl in the solent, Southern England

In the Solent estuarine system on the central south coast of England, Zostera marina L. occurs both in mainly sublittoral beds on firm substrate around the low-water mark of spring tides, and in large eulittoral beds on mudflats between the low-water mark of neap tides and the uppermost level of the shore. Zostera noltii Hornem. occurs with eulittoral Z. marina on uppershore mudflats and also on exposed sandy shores near the low-water mark of spring tides. Since 1960 the eulittoral Zostera beds have spread widely on mudflats in Portsmouth, Langstone and Chichester Harbours, where they now occupy 430–450 ha. The Zostera beds at the bottom of the shore remain winter-green, but the mudflat Zostera beds shed most of their leaves between November and January. Comparisons are made with localities further east, which show earlier and greater leaf loss. The uppershore Zostera beds in the three harbours comprise an important and favoured autumn and early winter food for Dark-bellied Brent Geese, ( Branta bernicla bernicla (L.)) and Wigeon ( Anas penelope L.), which consume the leaves and rhizomes, and Teal ( Anas crecca L.) which consume the seed. The pattern of occurrence of these three species of birds is, to some extent, related to the availability of Zostera.

Brent geese Branta bernicla bernicla and their food in the solent, Southern England

The Solent, a large estuarine system on the central south coast of England, is an important wintering ground for the dark-bellied brent goose Branta bernicla bernicla: peak winter counts there rose from 300 in 1951–1952 to 23 000 in 1979–1980. Until 1973–1974 the geese remained in the intertidal zone, where they fed on eelgrass Zostera and green algae Enteromorpha and Ulva lactuca. The increase in goose number coincided with the spread of these plants in parts of the Solent. The spread of algae has been linked with increased discharges of sewage. However, only part of the annual production of Zostera and algae is available to geese because of autumn and winter die-back, storm damage and other factors. From 1973 to 1974 geese fed on permanent pasture, playing fields and autumnsown cereals, the last being especially important in 1978–1979 and 1979–1980. The evidence suggests that in some estuaries terrestrial feeding is increasingly attractive even though the intertidal zone could still sustain most of the goose-days spent in the area. The habit appears to be stimulated by large numbers of first winter birds in the population. The geese have evoked great public interest and generated concern for estuarine conservation. However, terrestrial feeding conflicts with farming. Nature conservation organisations have encouraged a policy of scaring from valuable crops by proven methods, whilst seeking to provide alternative terrestrial refuges.

The examination of surge-tide interaction at two ports on the central south coast of England

When only a few years of sea level observations are available to the coastal engineer concerned with the design and maintenance of coastal defences at a location, a method other than that of annual maxima analysis must be used for the estimation of the frequency of occurrence of exceptional high sea levels. The most attractive and suitable method is that of joint surge-tide probability analysis. Negligible surge-tide interaction at the location enables the simplest kinds of joint probability methods to be applied and investigated, but, if the tide and surge components cannot be regarded as independent, it does entail computations of increasing complexity and length whilst of diminishing accuracy. It is shown how a detailed tide and interaction analysis for two major ports in close proximity can reveal substantial differences in interaction behaviour and hence the applicability of joint probability methods.

The application of wave refraction diagrams to shoreline protection problems: with particular reference to Poole and Christchurch Bays

Summary Wave refraction has an important role in the evolution and day-to-day behaviour of shorelines and beaches. It is often the major factor in dictating the magnitude and direction of the littoral drift. The development of a wave refraction model for a particular site, (Poole/Christchurch Bays in the central south coast of England), is described. The computational technique is very powerful and an area of 2500 km 2 of sea bed has been reproduced with the refraction behaviour superimposed for various wave directions and periods in deep water. In assessing the results, regard must be paid to the simplifying assumptions and the effects of offshore shoals.