Coastal Armoring Research Articles

Racial Composition and Homeownership Influence the Distribution of Coastal Armoring in South Carolina, USA

Racial Composition and Homeownership Influence the Distribution of Coastal Armoring in South Carolina, USA

Anthropogenic structure emplacement and sediment transport at King Herod's harbour, Israel: ED-μXRF (Itrax) data and foraminifer Pararotalia calcariformata as proxies of coastal development over millennia

The construction of harbours along high energy nearshore environments, which commonly include the emplacement of hard structures both as central features (e.g., piers, jetties) as well as protective measures (e.g., wave breakers, coastal armouring), can alter coastlines in a multitude of ways. These include reconfiguring the coast's morphology, introducing or redistributing exogenous and endogenous materials, and changing localized environmental substrate and structural conditions; and, as a result, impact the associated ecological communities. With growing coastal populations and associated coastal development, concerns over the long-term consequences of such projects are of global interest. Caesarea Maritima, a large-scale, artificially constructed ancient harbour built between 21 and 10 BCE, provides a rare opportunity to address these impacts and investigate its fingerprint on the landscape over 2000 years. To approach this, representative sediment samples were isolated and analyzed from two sediment cores (C1, C2), an excavated trench (W), and a sample of ancient harbour construction material (aeolianite sandstone and hydraulic concrete; COF). Geochemical (Itrax μXRF, magnetic susceptibility) and foraminifera analyses were conducted and results from both methods were statistically grouped into significantly similar clusters. Results demonstrated the increased presence of aeolianite-associated elemental contributions only after the construction of Caesarea as well as in particularly high concentrations following previously proposed tsunami events, during which shallower and deeper materials would have been transported and redeposited. The foraminifera data shows the appearance and eventual abundance dominance of Pararotalia calcariformata as an indicator of coastal hardening. Results suggest that they are an especially well-suited species to demonstrate changing environmental conditions existing today. In previous studies, this species was mistakenly presented as a recent Lessepsian arrival from the Red Sea, when in fact it has had a long history as an epiphyte living on hardgrounds in the Mediterranean and co-existencing with humans and their harbour-building habits. Specimens of P. calcariformata, therefore, are useful indicators for the timing of harbour construction at Caesarea and may be used as rapid and cost-effective biostratigraphic indicators on sandy nearshore coastline in future geoarchaeological studies. This has implications for future studies along the Israeli coast, including both paleoenvironmental and modern ecological assessments.

Coastal Armoring Impacts on Beaches and Sea Turtles

Close to 19.6 million people live in Florida, and 76.5% of them, or approximately 15 million, live on the coast. Florida’s coasts are attractive despite the increasing risks from sea-level rise and more frequent climatic events such as hurricanes and coastal flooding. At particular risk from these erosive events are Florida’s 825 miles of sandy beaches. Coastal armoring is a physical barrier placed with the intent of protecting structures from storm, surf, and erosion damage. This publication explains how coastal armoring works and the impacts it has on nearby beaches and sea turtle habitat.

Increasing coastal reclamation by Invasive alien plants and coastal armoring threatens the ecological sustainability of coastal wetlands

Coastal reclamation is becoming a common land restoration trend all over the world as a result of the rising demand for land. Though restoring coastal wetlands has significant economic advantages, a slew of adverse ecological effects threatens the carbon functions of coastal wetlands. For the objective of making appropriate land use policymaking, the ecological-economic trade-offs of reclamation initiatives must be carefully considered. In this study, we utilized appropriate models to estimate the ecosystem service values and economic benefits of invasive alien plants and embankment seawall coastal reclamation in China. We centered on three main ecology-related ecosystem services: greenhouse gas regulation, storm-flood-erosion control, and waste treatment/habitat preservation. Coastal reclamation intensity index and financial analysis were utilized to assess the trade-offs between ecological degradation and economic benefit resulting from land reclamation. Findings reveal that a total of 26,322 ha and 10,731 km of coastal wetlands were reclaimed by Spartina alterniflora and seawalls respectively from 2000 to 2020 in China. S. alterniflora reclamation resulted in a significant decline of ESV loss of 5,702,454 Yuan ha−1, while seawalls reclamation yielded some Ecosystem service value (ESV) gain of 4,800, 111 Yuan km-1 from 2000-2020. The combined effects of coastal armoring and invasive S. alterniflora reclamation led to a loss of about 32.2 billion Yuan in ESV for the study duration. Economic gains failed to make up for the ecosystem service value ESV loss, since the cumulative ESV loss significantly exceeded the economic gains across the period studied. This correlation of trade-offs emerged from reclamation development that favored quick economic gains over long-lasting ecological value, posing a potential long-term threat to the ecological integrity and carbon sinks in coastal wetlands. To establish an equilibrium between seawall reclamation and Invasive alien plant species spread in coastal wetlands, stakeholders could use this scientific knowledge as leverage to avert future irreparable losses.

Does coastal armoring affect biodiversity and its functional composition on sandy beaches?

Sandy beaches are increasingly squeezed due to the construction of backshore man-made structures (i.e., coastal armoring) and current global changes. Coastal armoring impacts beach sediment dynamics, inducing erosion and habitat loss, threatening biodiversity processes and the functional roles of sandy beach organisms. Here, we examine how the abundance, taxonomic richness, and functional richness of sandy beach fauna are affected by coastal armoring. We compared macrobenthic infaunal communities on five armored beaches (with backshore urban structures) and five vegetated beaches (not-armored). We also evaluated the abundance and biomass of upper-beach arthropods using pitfall traps, comparing armored and vegetated segments within the beaches. Infaunal richness and abundance were lower at armored beaches, mainly in the subtidal zones, because of a reduction in polychaete and molluscan abundance. There was no difference in overall functional richness between the armored and vegetated beaches. Nevertheless, we found that functional groups such as small suspension feeders were more associated with armored beaches, while large-bodied species and predators were more frequent at vegetated beaches. Pitfall traps showed that coastal armoring also reduced the abundance of the upper-beach coleopteran Phaleria testacea, leading to a loss of biomass. Therefore, our data suggest that coastal armoring can influence the functional composition of sandy beach biodiversity and significantly impact macrobenthic abundance and biomass.

Consequences of Coastal Wetlands Reclamation and the Need for Integrating Impact Assessment of Invasive Alien Plants Species and Coastal Armoring in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Consequences of Coastal Wetlands Reclamation and the Need for Integrating Impact Assessment of Invasive Alien Plants Species and Coastal Armoring in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

User Perceptions of the Pleasure Point Seawall in Santa Cruz County, California, U.S.A.

Anderson, R.B.; Carter, O.T.; Pearce, K.G., and Capdevila, L.A., 2022. User perceptions of the Pleasure Point seawall in Santa Cruz county, California, U.S.A. Journal of Coastal Research, 38(4), 828–843. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Communities up and down the California coast face the looming threat of rising seas, coastal erosion, and shoreline retreat. In this paper, the researchers use anthropological methods and a user survey to explore the social dimensions of the Pleasure Point seawall to assess some of the longer-term implications of coastal armoring in California and the U.S. more broadly. The users surveyed had an overall positive to neutral opinion of a coastal retention structure (in this case a seawall). About 35% had positive opinions of the seawall, 30% had neutral opinions, and 18% had negative opinions. While these results trend positive to neutral, they also reveal divided community opinions about and experiences with the seawall. The open-ended portions of the survey, combined with participant observation and follow-up interviews, add another qualitative dimension to this data. The participants in the survey and research expressed concerns about engineering and ecological issues, whether questions about how long the structure will last or observations/opinions about its impacts on local surf conditions, backwash, and loss of beach sand. Participants also expressed concerns about the social impacts of the seawall, including access issues, crowds, growing risks, problems with increasing numbers of inexperienced users, tourism growth, and fears about gentrification and local displacement. Combined, these insights illustrate how seawalls and other coastal armoring structures can and should be understood as engineered structures with critical social impacts that intersect with their physical, material, and environmental impacts.

Is shoreline armoring a response to marsh migration? Modeling relationships between coastal marshes and private adaptation decisions

The value and vulnerability of salt marshes has led to efforts to ensure their preservation, including the preservation of marsh transgression zones (uplands onto which marshes can migrate) and restrictions on shoreline armoring. Coastal armoring involves the placement of hardened structures such as revetments and bulkheads along the shoreline. These structures can prevent coastal marshes from migrating onto adjacent uplands as sea levels rise, thereby causing marsh loss over time. Hence, efficient targeting of efforts to ensure marsh sustainability requires an understanding of where and why coastal armoring is likely to occur. This article develops a random utility model that characterizes residential landowners’ shoreline armoring decisions for beachfront and non-beachfront residential property, focusing on whether armoring is influenced by features related to marsh migration. The model is illustrated using parcel-level data from Accomack County, Virginia with armoring observations on each parcel for two time periods, 2002 and 2013. Independent models for the two time periods suggest that landowners in the case study area do not tend to construct armoring in ways that impede marsh migration—all else equal armoring is less likely to occur in areas suitable for marsh migration. Rather, armoring appears to be motivated primarily by factors associated with shoreline erosion risk such as high wave energy. • Ensuring marsh preservation requires an understanding of coastal armoring patterns. • A Random Utility Model characterizes residential homeowners' armoring decisions. • Results indicate that armoring does not occur in order to impede marsh migration. • Results indicate that armoring occurs to prevent shoreline erosion.

Local perceptions of socio-ecological drivers and effects of coastal armoring: the case of Moorea, French Polynesia

This paper presents a transdisciplinary study focusing on the socio-ecological mechanisms at play in the alteration of Moorea’s (French Polynesia) coastline. Building on a previous study synthesizing the results from monitoring efforts of the island’s coastline from 1977 to 2018, we offer a joint analysis of scientific and local perceptions of coastal changes and of the impacts of coastal armoring in Moorea. Drawing on ecological and ethnographic data (111 semi-structured interviews of Moorea residents and representatives from local authorities), we analyze the drivers invoked by near-shore residents to modify their coastline as well as the perceived effects of coastal artificialization on the near-shore marine biodiversity and topography. We also address the broader economic and political contexts under which the island’s coastline is being increasingly transformed. Overall, our study highlights how the perceptions of increased erosion coupled to poorly enforced regulations drive the progressive armoring of the coastline through a diversity of private-based developments. We discuss how the latter have, both for scientists and residents, controversial community-wide economic, social, and ecological impacts.

Investigation of Changes in Beach Morphology due to Coastal Armoring

The Tsunami, which struck the east coast of India on 26th December 2004, caused huge damage to life, property and environment. Beyond the heavy toll on human lives, it had caused an enormous environmental impact. Kalpakkam located in the south east coast of India is one of the areas affected by the tsunami. At some locations along the coast around Kalpakkam, morphological changes, vegetation loss and fatality were reported. Later, a slew of remedial measures were initiated at Kalpakkam in 2006 and construction of coastal armoring in the form of Tsunami Protection Wall (TPW) of 3.2 km length was one of them. A study was undertaken to assess the impact of this TPW on the surroundings based on periodic measurements of High Water Line (HWL) before and after construction of the wall. Also beach profiles were made at selected locations to observe seasonal changes in sedimentation pattern (i.e. accretion and erosion). As the residential area at Kalpakkam is located between fishing hamlets at northern and southern side, it is necessary to understand the impact of TPW, if any, in the surrounding area and on the fishing hamlets. Towards this assessment, high resolution satellite data such as Quickbird and IKONOS were employed (for the years 2002, 2003, 2009 and 2011) to measure the HWL. In addition, monthly beach profiles were carried out to measure the sedimentation pattern at selected transects with the help of N3 Precision Level survey instrument for the year 2009. The detailed investigations and analysis revealed no significant impact on the beach morphology and sedimentation patterns due to the construction of TPW, within the residential areas as well as at fishing hamlets. The average variations in the position of HWL along the coast was 4.6m and sedimentation changes were in the range of ≈ 0.5m in the berm of backshore region and ≈ 1.7m in the swash zone of the foreshore region all along the study area. No adverse effect is observed and the variations observed are similar to that in an unarmored control beach. The study provides the confidence that multi-dated satellite monitoring together with the profiling of beach would suffice the need for understanding the changes in the beach morphology due to the construction of beach armoring.

A Holistic Framework for Evaluating Adaptation Approaches to Coastal Hazards and Sea Level Rise: A Case Study from Imperial Beach, California

Sea level rise increases community risks from erosion, wave flooding, and tides. Current management typically protects existing development and infrastructure with coastal armoring. These practices ignore long-term impacts to public trust coastal recreation and natural ecosystems. This adaptation framework models physical responses to the public beach and private upland for each adaptation strategy over time, linking physical changes in widths to damages, economic costs, and benefits from beach recreation and nature using low-lying Imperial Beach, California, as a case study. Available coastal hazard models identified community vulnerabilities, and local risk communication engagement prioritized five adaptation approaches—armoring, nourishment, living shorelines, groins, and managed retreat. This framework innovates using replacement cost as a proxy for ecosystem services normally not valued and examines a managed retreat policy approach using a public buyout and rent-back option. Specific methods and economic values used in the analysis need more research and innovation, but the framework provides a scalable methodology to guide coastal adaptation planning everywhere. Case study results suggest that coastal armoring provides the least public benefits over time. Living shoreline approaches show greater public benefits, while managed retreat, implemented sooner, provides the best long-term adaptation strategy to protect community identity and public trust resources.

Ten Commandments for Sustainable, Safe, and W/Healthy Sandy Coasts Facing Global Change

Sandy coasts represent about one-third of the global coastline and are among the most valuable and most vulnerable areas for humans and many other species. Socio-economic development and climate change impacts, together with traditional engineering for shore protection, have pervasively resulted in coastal squeeze, thereby threatening coastal life and economic activities, and the very survival of coastal ecosystems. In the past, the responses to problems such as land loss, coastal erosion and flooding were primarily reactive, through gray engineering solutions, with little interest shown in the ecosystem processes impacted by coastal armoring. In recent decades, coastal management strategies have become more diverse, embracing traditional engineering solutions alongside ecosystem-based measures. Even so, many of these new strategies still fail to meet sustainability criteria. Inspired by Per Bruun’s “The Ten Demands for Coastal Protection” from 1972, this article attempts to consider these changes and knowledge acquired since the 1970s, in order to tentatively formulate “Ten Commandments” for the sustainability of sandy coasts in face of climate change and socio-economic development. As such, the paper offers a new vision and briefly summarizes good practices for the management of sandy coasts, particularly useful for those who, at whatever level of influence, could contribute to the long-term realization of this new vision.

Assessment of beach erosion susceptibility based on geo-indicators and soft management policies: a Patagonian case study (Argentina)

Puerto Madryn city (Chubut province, Argentina) has strongly increased its population since 1970, but a lack of coastal management strategies has favored physical changes in the natural landscape. This situation has led to a deficit in sediment supply sources, which increases beach erosion susceptibility. This paper aims to evaluate beach erosion susceptibility through the use of geo-indicators. It also provides a susceptibility map based on geomorphological evidence and the weighting of physical geo-indicators. The final objective is to propose soft solutions that consider a comprehensive coastal management. The main anthropogenic disturbances identified were beach cleaning with bulldozer, coastal armoring, removal of dune fields (about 90% between 1942 and 2019), foredune segmentation, installation of resorts on backshore, and artificial rainfall drains towards the beach. The natural and most sensitive geo-indicators affected by human pressure—and thus the most useful for determining susceptibility—were foredune conservation and width, and backshore width. We estimate a high to moderate susceptibility to beach erosion along the coast of Puerto Madryn. As regards management policies, we propose mainly restoration, prevention, and adaptation strategies, such as the use of sand fences and new techniques for beach cleaning, all of which are aimed at promoting sedimentary balance within the dune-beach system. Besides these procedures, we recommend the consideration of preventive actions, such as a future-oriented urban planning and a program to raise popular awareness of coastal problems. The diagnostic approach based on a geo-indicator survey has provided a useful tool to help decision-making in coastal conservation initiatives.

Adapting to shoreline retreat: Finding a path forward

Global sea level is rising at an increasing rate and communities and cities around the planet are in the way. While we know the historic and recent rates of sea level rise, projections for the future are difficult due to political, economic, and social unknowns, as well as uncertainties in how the vast ice sheets and glaciers of Antarctica and Greenland will respond to continued warming of the atmosphere and the oceans. It is clear, however, that sea level will continue to rise for centuries due to the greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere as well as those we continue to produce. A rising ocean leads to a retreating coastline, whether gradual inundation of low-lying shoreline areas or increased erosion of cliffs, bluffs, and dunes. Coastal armoring and beach nourishment have been the historical approaches to address coastal or shoreline erosion, but these are laden with economic and environmental costs, often short-lived, and have significant impacts on beaches; their approval by permitting agencies is also becoming more difficult, at least in California (Griggs and Patsch 2019) but also in a number of other states. Coastal communities and cities are already experiencing the impacts of rising seas and more will experience these impacts in the decades ahead. Many cities in California are beginning to discuss, consider, and plan for how they will adapt to higher sea levels, but not without controversy, especially concerning managed retreat. However, over the long run, they all will respond through relocation or retreat of some sort, whether managed or unmanaged. Sea level rise will not stop at 2050 or 2100. Effective adaptation will require a collaborative process involving many stakeholders, including coastal home and business owners, local governments, and state permitting agencies in order to develop and implement policies, plans and pathways for deliberate adaptation to the inevitable future. For many reasons, this is a complex problem with no easy or inexpensive solutions, but the sooner the science is understood and all parties are engaged, the sooner plans can be developed with clear trigger points for adaptive action, ultimately relocation or retreat.

Ranking the ecological effects of coastal armoring on mobile macroinvertebrates across intertidal zones on sandy beaches

Coastal armoring is widely applied to coastal ecosystems, such as sandy beaches, in response to shoreline erosion and threats to infrastructure. Use of armoring is expected to increase due to coastal population growth and effects of climate change. An increased understanding of armoring effects on those ecosystems and the services they provide is needed for impact assessments and the design of these structures. We investigated the following hypotheses: 1) impacts of coastal armoring on beach macroinvertebrates increase from lower to upper intertidal zones and 2) location of an armoring structure on beach profiles affects the number of intertidal zones, using comparative surveys of armored and unarmored beach sections in Chile and California. The effects of armoring were greater for upper intertidal (talitrid amphipods) and mid-intertidal species (cirolanid isopods) than for lower shore fauna (hippid crabs). Our surveys of sections of armoring structures located higher and lower on the beach profile (with and without interactions with waves and tides), showed loss of upper zone talitrid amphipods and mid-zone isopods and a reduction of lower zone hippid crabs in sections where the structures were lower on the beach profile and interacted with waves, compared to non-interacting sections. Our results support the hypothesis that impacts of armoring on intertidal macroinvertebrates increase from the lower to the upper intertidal zones of sandy beaches and also suggest that the relative position of an armoring structure on the beach profile, determines the number of intertidal zones it affects. Our findings also imply that by altering the position of existing armoring structures on the shore profile and increasing the amount of interaction with waves and tides, sea level rise and regional factors, such as coseismic coastal subsidence, can be expected to exacerbate the impacts of these widely used coastal defense structures on sandy beach ecosystems.

Coastal Morphology and Human Intervention in Golfo Nuevo, Patagonia Argentina

Bunicontro, M.P.; Marcomini, S.C., and Lopez, R.A., 2020. Coastal morphology and human intervention in Golfo Nuevo, Patagonia Argentina. Journal of Coastal Research, 36(4), 780–794. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.The Patagonian coastal zone is a complex and dynamic macrotidal environment that is sparsely urbanized, except locally where large cities are located. This human occupation has affected the natural beach dynamics and induced drastic coastal changes in the past 40 years that demand a redirection of initiatives to provide a basis for management efforts. This study analyzes the coastal morphology and beach characteristics of Golfo Nuevo (Chubut, Argentina) for modelling coastal behaviour through field measurements along 17 beach profiles. Beaches were classified into four types according to their sediment grain size, morphology, and morphometric parameters (beach width and gradient). Also, the coast was divided into five categories according to the coastline morphologies and environmental quality: (1) littoral pediments, (2) cliff-top dunes and aeolian ramps, (3) active cliffs, (4) beach ridge terraces, and (5) dunes. Additionally, different human interventions were analyzed to determine how they have affected the natural coastal equilibrium. The coast was divided into low, moderate, and high levels of intervention according to the status of the landscape modification. The most shocking activities were identified as mining (gravel and sand extraction), coastal armouring with hard defences, and urban building. Indeed, the most affected and vulnerable coastal areas have been beach ridge terraces and coastal dunes. It was determined that the coastal extension affected by these human activities reaches at least 37% of the study zone, increasing beach and coastal erosion susceptibility. The coastal classification and the evaluation of human intervention were combined and used to perform an accurate zoning map of the coastal environment. This map represents an essential tool for decision makers of Puerto Madryn city, showing clearly the most vulnerable places where coastal planning strategies urgently need to be applied for a sustainable use of resources.

Coastal armoring and sinking property values: the case of seawalls in California

Rising sea levels necessitate careful consideration of different forms of coastal protection but cost-benefit analysis is limited when important non-market social costs have not been measured. Seawalls protect individual properties but can potentially impose negative externalities on neighboring properties via accelerated beach loss. We conduct a hedonic valuation of seawalls in two coastal California counties: San Diego and Santa Cruz. We find no strong evidence to suggest that the presence of a seawall is positively correlated with the value of the home protected. However, we find that seawalls are strongly negatively correlated with the value of neighboring properties in Santa Cruz but not in San Diego county, suggesting that the effect of seawalls depend on certain geographical attributes. Our results are robust to accounting for the public-good nature of locational attributes and the potential spatial dependence of housing prices. Simulation reveals that doubling the extent of seawalls in San Diego and Santa Cruz could reduce property tax revenues by $7 million and $54 million, respectively.

Coastal Armoring and Sea Turtles: Beachfront Homeowners’ Opinions and Intent

Florida’s dynamic beach-dune ecosystem and the structures built along the shore face threats from coastal (or shoreline) erosion, sea level rise, and inadequate regulatory protection efforts. In light of these threats, private property owners are choosing to install coastal armoring on their property to protect upland structures which can negatively impact sea turtles and their nesting habitat. Coastal armoring can significantly degrade the beach-dune ecosystem which serves as a vital economic and recreational resource and as crucial habitat for threatened or endangered sea turtle species, nesting shorebirds, and other endemic species. This study explored both Florida coastal property owner’s opinions of coastal armoring, and its impact on sea turtles and their nesting habitat. A quantitative survey was administered to beachfront property owners that live within a mile of a protected section of beach (e.g, state park, preserve, wildlife refuge). In total, 373 of 1,274 distributed surveys were returned and analyzed. The presence of a neighbor with coastal armoring was the most influential factor on a property owner intending to, or already having installed coastal armoring. Additionally, higher assessed property values and lower levels of education were also associated with intent to armor, or current presence of coastal armoring on a parcel.

Conservation easements and coastal armoring: Protecting sea turtle nesting habitat through property ownership

To determine the relationship between the intent of owners of homes located near sea turtle nesting beaches in the state of Florida to engage in coastal conservation easements (CCE), the theory of planned behavior (TPB), environmental identity (EI) and relevant demographics were analyzed. As CCEs are a novel application of a proven conservation tool, a statewide survey was administered to 1274 property owners living within a mile of a protected section of sea turtle nesting habitat (e.g. state park, preserve, wildlife refuge). Multiple linear regression showed coastal property owners were more likely to engage with a CCE if they believed they had the ability and opportunity, held positive attitudes about entering into a CCE, and identified more favorably with potential CCE motivators for property owners. These motivators include receiving assistance from a conservation organization to manage their beachfront land; conserving beach habitat; obtaining annual tax deductions; and trusting the organization administering a CCE. Knowing these motivators and demographics of coastal property owners can help aid coastal land conservationists in crafting strategies to conserve sea turtle nesting beaches.

The burrow resetting method, an easy and effective approach to improve indirect ghost-crab population assessments

Abstract Sandy beaches are sensitive ecosystems subjected to intense and variable human pressures. Among several potential indicators of beach environmental quality, ghost crabs present a good balance between low costs (burrows are easily identified and counted) and benefits (responding to both chronic and acute threats). However, such indirect assessments may be biased because the occupation rate of burrows differs within and among beaches and over time. Here we propose and analyze a new, simple approach to reduce this bias, the burrow resetting method (BRM). This consists of sampling the same areas twice: the first time corresponding to the traditional method (TM), after which the surface of the burrows are gently covered with sand and reassessed after 12–24 h, corresponding to the BRM. Excavation after BRM revealed a higher accuracy of the proposed method in relation to TM (higher similarity between number of open burrows and number of crabs − 94%), while not injuring the animals. BRM was applied in 16 beaches, classified according to morphodynamics and presence of coastal armoring. Results showed a significant difference, up to 69%, between the TM and BRM regarding abundance, and this difference of estimative between methods varied significantly across beaches. TM overestimation of crab size was higher in beaches without armoring, a critical point in making inferences regarding beach quality from population structure. BRM simplicity, low cost and accuracy elects it to improve temporal and, notably, spatial comparisons of crab abundance and size, a main constraint hindering so far a wider use of ghost crabs as indicator and monitor of environmental quality in sandy beaches worldwide.