Island Beach Research Articles

Giant trashcan crab also makes creepy noises

![Graphic][1] Imagine relaxing on an Indo-Pacific tropical island beach under a palm tree with a coconut drink in your hand. You hear a mysterious tapping noise above you, so you look up and see a meter-wide crab at the top of the palm tree, tearing a red-footed booby apart with its big,

Microplastic fragment and fiber contamination of beach sediments from selected sites in Virginia and North Carolina, USA

Microplastic particles (<5 mm) constitute a growing pollution problem within coastal environments. This study investigated the microplastic presence of estuarine and barrier island beaches in the states of Virginia and North Carolina, USA. Seventeen sediment cores were collected at four study sites and initially tested for microplastic presence by pyrolysis-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. For the extraction, microplastic particles were first separated from the sediment using a high-density cesium chloride solution (1.88 g/mL). In a second step, an oil extraction collected the remaining microplastic particles of higher densities. Under the light microscope, the extracted microplastic particles were classified based on their morphologies into fragments and fibers. Raman microspectroscopy chemically identified a subset of microplastic particles as polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, poly(4-vinylbiphenyl), polystyrene, polyethylene, and nylon. The results show a concentration of microplastic particles (1410 ± 810 per kg of dry sediment) even in protected and ostensibly unpolluted estuarine and beach sediments of Virginia and North Carolina.

Microclimate modelling of beach sand temperatures reveals high spatial and temporal variation at sea turtle rookeries.

The continual development of ecological models and availability of high-resolution gridded climate surfaces have stimulated studies that link climate variables to functional traits of organisms. A primary constraint of these studies is the ability to reliably predict the microclimate that an organism experiences using macroscale climate inputs. This is particularly important in regions where access to empirical information is limited. Here, we contrast correlative models based on both ambient and sea surface temperatures to mechanistic modelling approaches to predict beach sand temperatures at depths relevant to sea turtle nesting. We show that mechanistic models are congruent with correlative models at predicting sand temperatures. We used these predictions to explore thermal variation across 46 mainland and island beaches that span the geographical range of sea turtle nesting in Western Australia. Using high resolution gridded climate surfaces and site-specific soil reflectance, we predict almost 9°C variation in average annual temperatures between beaches, and nearly 10°C variation in average temperatures during turtle nesting seasons. Validation of models demonstrated that predictions were typically within 2°C of observations and, although most sites had high correlations (r2>0.7), predictive capacity varied between sites. An advantage of the mechanistic model demonstrated here is that it can be used to explore the impacts of climate change on sea turtle nesting beach temperatures as, unlike correlative models, it can be forced with novel combinations of environmental variables.

Manoeuvring SME beach resorts in choppy environment: entrepreneurs' perspective

This study seeks to understand how entrepreneurs of SME beach resorts mitigate challenges in their efforts to survive and simultaneously expand their businesses. SMEs in tourism related industry including beach resorts cater towards accommodating increased number of tourist arrivals. Malaysia targets to bring in 36 million tourists, with RM168 billion tourism receipts by the year 2020. The sun, sea and sand are naturally the magnets of tropical islands of Malaysia. The authors employed in-depth interview technique on two resorts located on Perhentian Kecil Island, offshore Terengganu, Malaysia. Observation of the premises complements data collected from interviews. Findings suggest that the resorts employed various strategies to manage their operations. Cost saving methods like employing family members, constructing additional resort features during monsoon period and smart business arrangement with resorts suppliers contributed towards resorts expansion. The study outcome would amongst others benefit policymakers in nurturing the SME sector, further facilitating Malaysia towards a developed nation. This study also contributes to the performance management literature particularly on island beach resorts.

User Generated Big Data Analysis of Customer Ratings of Beaches in Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India

In this study, we analyse user-generated content of beach tourist attractions across Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India to find the factors that influence tourist experience in terms of customer satisfaction in island beach destinations. The study is conducted to identify the specific attributes of beach tourism that has positive and negative influence over the high rating provided on online review portals. The study is conducted over the reviews obtained from online reviews over Trip Advisor. Text analytics and logistic regression is used to find the various attributing factors that affect the customer satisfaction in the form of rating. The online data is collected and the unique words are identified with respect to the frequency of occurrence of the unique words in the reviews and taken for analysis. The results indicate that there is more influence of factors such as cleanliness of the beach, the accommodation facilities available and the various beach activities in inducing better satisfaction among the tourists than the scenic beauty of the place. The study has policy implications as the tourism development activities undertaken by the government of Andaman &amp; Nicobar Islands must focus on the positive influencing factors and focus should be given on the factors such as better restaurant facilities, crowd management and shopping facilities in order to enhance the tourist experience at Andaman &amp; Nicobar Islands.

Daily apportionment of stranded plastic debris in the Bintan Coastal area, Indonesia

Abstract This study aims to provide a baseline report of the apportionment of stranded plastic debris (macro) in Bintan Island beaches. Their quantity and composition were assessed during a 45-day survey demonstrating the occurrence of the 3378 plastic fragments, which were, in decreasing order, constituted by LDPE (22.9%), PS (19.5%), PP (16.6%), PET (10.4%), HDPE (9.2%), PVC (7.2%), PU (4.9%), polyester (4.7%), polyamide (4.3%), and styrene/butadiene (0.3%). The abundance ranged from 1.2 to 4.7 items/m2. Additional apportionment ranged from 0.03 to 0.15 items/m2 per day with an arithmetic mean of 0.09 ± 0.05 items/m2 per day, mainly related to domestic waste influenced by hydrodynamic action such as longshore current and wind dynamics. Furthermore, we suggested mitigation measures focused on local action to address the plastic debris problem in Bintan beaches, which are typical of the coasts of small islands in Indonesia.

Marine Debris Polymers on Main Hawaiian Island Beaches, Sea Surface, and Seafloor.

Polymeric differences of plastic debris were assessed across four compartments of the Main Hawaiian Islands (sea surface, windward beaches, leeward beaches, and seafloor) to better describe sources and fate. Plastic debris pieces (n = 4671) were collected from 11 beaches, three sea surface tows, and three seafloor dives. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy identified the polymers of 3551 pieces. Significant differences (p < 0.05) in concentration, types, polymer composition, and weathering were found among four compartments. Windward beaches had 1-2 orders of magnitude more plastic pollution (g/m2) than leeward beaches, despite smaller human populations on windward sides. Sea surface and windward beaches were dominated by severely weathered, less dense floating polymers (polyethylene and polypropylene comprised 92.7 and 93.5% on average, respectively, of the total debris mass), while leeward beaches and the seafloor debris consisted of less weathered and more dense sinking polymers (e.g., 41.0 and 44.7% of total mass consisted of the sum of polystyrene, nylon, cellulose acetate, polyethylene terephthalate, and additive-masked debris). These results are some of the first to provide evidence of polymeric stratification in the marine environment and emphasize that the majority of marine debris in Hawaii is floating in from distant sources rather than from Hawaii's residents or tourists.

Drivers of island beach evolution: insights from an island‐scale study at Boa Vista (Cabo Verde)

ABSTRACTBeach erosion poses significant threat to small island economies which are generally highly dependent on coastal tourism. This work investigates the evolution of the low‐lying sandy coast of Boa Vista through an integrated characterization of coastline and shoreline indicators (over the past four decades) based on aerial imagery. It was found that tandem use of the two indicators was important to obtain a reliable perspective of the Boa Vista low‐lying coastal evolution across a wide range of coastal environments. Results indicate that between 1968 and 2010 the coast was relatively stable, although some spatial variability was recognized. The largest changes were observed at the tips of embayed beaches and a clear coastal progradation was found at the southern (downwind) coastal sectors. Coastal evolution has been dominated by sediment budget and the results put in evidence the sedimentary connections between the beaches across the island, either through bypass and overpass processes. Findings show that understanding coastal evolution at low‐lying islands should be supported on island‐scale observations, being the only scale capable to capture the sedimentary connections between beach systems, that often control coastal evolution. © 2019 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd. © 2019 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Social Representations of Suntanning and Conditional Beach Practices in China

Abstract Pale skin in China seems to be a norm and the use of face-kinis on the beaches effectively implies that suntanning frightens. However other practices can be observed which raise questions. The aim of this article is to study the social representation of suntanning and the normative aspects of the representation with the conditionality of practices, among adepts of new beach practices in China. Interviews were carried out among a Chinese population who regularly follow these new beach practices on three Zhujiajian island beaches (Zhejiang Province). A free associations test and a conditionality questionnaire were filled out. The results show on one hand that the social representation of suntanning differs between men and women; on the other hand that conditionality differs little between men and women. Regression analysis shows that several sociodemographic variables such as age, can explain the conditions of acceptability of suntanning. Cross-checking the results shows up some contradictory elements which reflect the existence of an ongoing transformation in the identity of Chinese culture.

Mapping refugee litters in the eastern coast of Lesvos using UAS, an emerging marine litter problem

Abstract. In the last year, the Greek islands of the eastern Aegean Sea were the main entrance points used by refugees arriving in the EU. The crossing between Turkey and the eastern Aegean islands is carried out using mostly small inflatable boats. Additionally, wooden and plastic vessels of various sizes are abandoned at the beaches upon arrival together with other items such as life jackets, inflatable tubes, and clothing. In many cases, these boats are sunk offshore, and their wrecks litter the seabed. This new type of marine litter has overwhelmed many of the eastern Aegean island beaches. In this study, a methodology using Unmanned Aerial Systems (widely known as UAS, UAVs or drones) are used for surveying and mapping of the location and the concentration of marine litter in the coastal areas. More specific is presented the methodology of the mapping of two beaches in Lesvos Island that were surveyed for marine litter, and immigration-related items. One beach is located in the southeaster part and is named Kratigos, and the other one is in the Northeast part of Lesvos close to Korakas cape a widely used "destination" for immigrants due to the lighthouse that is located in this area. The data acquisition has been performed with the use of a Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) quadrotor configuration and the creation of detailed orthophoto maps by processing the aerial photos using Structure from Motion methods and algorithms. The final results of sea marine litter mapping are two very detailed with a high spatial resolution orthophoto maps that are depicting the location, the density and the size of selected litter located underwater and, on the shore, (Figure 1). The main scope of this work was to evaluate: (i) the extent of the refugee arrival related marine litter problem along the eastern coast of Lesvos; and (ii) the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of new technologies to provide quick, accurate cartographic visualizations of the marine litter distribution in order to plan efficiently the clean-up operations. The study has shown that the eastern coast of Lesbos faces a very significant environmental problem. Wide stretches of the coastline are overwhelmed by marine litter, such as ship wrecks, and PVC boat remains, lifejackets, discarded clothing and personal items, boat engines and engine fragments. It was also found that litter concentrations varied along the coastline in terms of their distribution over the “dry” (land) beach and the nearshore seabed. In some areas, there was extensive littering of the dry beach but not of the nearshore seabed, whereas other areas, both with good and very poor (or no) access, showed small quantities of litter on the dry beach but extensive littering on the nearshore seabed. The nearshore seabed offshore of cliff coasts which due to complete lack of access have been not used as entrance points was found to be full of different litter as located from the cartographic representations and observed by dedicated dives.

PEMBINAAN PENINGKATAN ENGLISH CONVERSATION DI PANTAI INDAH SETOKOK

Setokok island beach is one of representative destinations in supporting the marine tourism area in Batam. The strategic location of Batam, which is close to neighboring Singapore and Malaysia, is a distinct advantage for this island, with many foreign tourists coming and going on vacation. The phenomena found that the coast guards and people around who should be directly involved in communicating with foreign visitors couldn’t hardly communicate using English at all. The impact of that problem would narrow down the opportunity for coast guards to get additional benefits from this strategic situation. Therefore, the community team took the initiative to provide an English conversations training for coast guards, MSMEs, photographer services, managers, and people around the coast. The method taught was in the form of guidance and practice of English conversations according to the needs and conditions of the training participants. The materials given were in the form of greeting, directing, asking and answering questions, asking for clarification, offering, persuading, and daily vocabulary. The results obtained through community service at Pantai Setokok could be seen from the ability of the speaking conversation practice skills, the addition of vocabulary related to the beach, and the motivation of self-confidence using English.

Assessing Reef-Island Shoreline Change Using UAV-Derived Orthomosaics and Digital Surface Models

This study presents an analysis of shoreline change on reef islands using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-derived orthomosaics and digital surface models (DSMs) collected on Sipadan Island, Sabah, Malaysia, and Sasahura Ite Island, Isabel Province, Solomon Islands. The high resolution of UAV-derived orthomosaics enabled changes in the position of the base of beach to be detected with confidence. The accuracy of the UAV-derived DSMs was assessed against equivalent topographic profiles via root-mean-square error, and found to be &lt;0.21 m in all but one case; this demonstrates the potential for using UAV-derived DSMs to interpret three-dimensional island beach morphology and detect patterns of geomorphic change. The correlation between planimetric and volumetric change along selected beach transects was also investigated and found to be variable, indicating that a multifaceted approach including both planimetric (two-dimensional) and volumetric (three-dimensional) metrics is of value when analysing reef-island change. However, interpretations of UAV-derived data must carefully consider errors associated with global positioning system (GPS) positioning, the distribution of ground control points, the chosen UAV flight parameters, and the data processing methodology. Further application of this technology has the potential to expand our understanding of reef-island morphodynamics and their vulnerability to sea-level rise and other stressors.

Estimating the Economic-Tourist Value and Factors affecting the Tourists’ Willingness to Pay to Use Recreational Services of Kish Island Beaches

Estimating the Economic-Tourist Value and Factors affecting the Tourists’ Willingness to Pay to Use Recreational Services of Kish Island Beaches

Tourism for surf and marsh fishing in coastal Louisiana: effects of site closure, travel cost decrease, and entrance fee increase

ABSTRACTWe apply the generalised corner solution model to understand recreational behaviour for surf and marsh fishing trips to six sites in coastal Louisiana. Results showed statistically significant effects of individual’s demographic characteristics and site physical and environmental characteristics. The closure of the three most used recreational sites (Grand Isle, Elmer’s Island, and Port Fourchon) caused a welfare loss in an amount ranging from $592 to $2,101 per traveller per year. The welfare impact of the reduction in travel cost was $390 per traveller per year. An increase in the recreational site entrance fee caused welfare losses. This study has implications for site closure and welfare losses, such as those that resulted from the Deep Horizon Oil Spill that closed many Louisiana coastal recreational sites for about one year (May 7, 2010 to June 15, 2011) and the Elmer’s Island beaches that were temporarily restricted for fishing access during the Caminada Headland restoration project construction in 2016.

Carbonate Beach Sand of Abaiang Atoll, Kiribati: Geochemistry, Biogenic Sources, and Properties

Sandy beaches are critical resources for low-lying Pacific atoll communities, providing protection during storms, and land area for many coastal villages. Information on the nature of atoll beach sediment, its geochemistry and composition, can help to establish priorities to effectively protect the sources of Pacific island beach sediment. To understand sand sources, this study evaluated its physical characteristics including grain-size, geochemistry and composition, from windward and leeward beach profiles around Abaiang Atoll, Kiribati. Beach sand was &gt;99% carbonate, averaging 37% coral fragments, 30% mollusc shells, 12% foraminifera, and 20% calcareous algae. Significant differences were found between reef and lagoonal sites in proportions of coral and mollusc fragments and foraminifera tests, with lagoon beaches having higher mollusc and coral proportions and lower foraminifera relative to reef beaches. This is attributed to high foraminiferal productivity offshore of reef beaches, and taphonomic durability of coral fragments in longshore drift into the lagoon. Mean sediment diameter increased from the upper to lower beaches at all sites, but fine sediment was lacking, attributed to its dissolution by rainfall and groundwater outflow. Geochemical analysis showed a mean of 84% Ca-Mg carbonates, of which 80% was calcium carbonate. There was no significant difference in the mean calcium percentage or calcium carbonate composition of the sediment between lagoon and reef beach sediment sources. Magnesium and magnesium carbonate content were significantly higher at reef sites relative to lagoon sites, attributed to higher proportions of foraminifera. Sediment-producing near shore habitats are critical to village protection through provision of beach sand, and this study shows the need to better conserve and manage coral reefs and habitats such as lagoon seagrass beds, to ensure continued atoll beach sand supply.

Sedimentary characteristics of some island beaches and their effects on nesting numbers of marine turtles, Red Sea, Egypt.

Sedimentary characteristics of some island beaches and their effects on nesting numbers of marine turtles, Red Sea, Egypt.

Analisis Tingkat Kepuasan Konsumen Berdasarkan Kualitas Pelayanan pada Pengunjung Objek Wisata Pantai Pulau Merah Kabupaten Banyuwangi

This article aim to anayze the level of satisfaction of customer on the quality of services that includes physical evidence, dependability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy on subjects tourist Red Island Beach. The population in this research was visitors of The Red Island Beach. Sampling method used was non-probability sampling namely purposive sampling with the number of respondents as much as 108 people. Variables used the quality of services. The analysis methode uses Service Quality (SERVQUAL).The results demonstrates that 1) physical evidence has eight indicator which all indicators showed satisfaction visitors of Red Island Beach.2) dependability indicator having two roomates they showed satisfaction visitors of Red Island Beach. 3) responsiveness indicator having two roomates they showed satisfaction visitors of Red Island Beach. 4) assurance indicator having two roomates they showed satisfaction visitors of Red Island Beach .5) empathy have five indicator roomates showed satisfaction reviews those five visitors of coastal islands red.&#x0D; Keyword: Consumer Satisfaction, Quality of Service, Servqual, Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test.

Marine Debris Trends: 30 Years of Change on Ventura County and Channel Island Beaches

The persistence of plastics in marine ecosystems and the physical hazards marine debris pose to wildlife have become issues of global concern. The Santa Barbara Channel is home to a number of important marine and coastal ecosystems, including the 5 islands of Channel Islands National Park, and has a variety of factors that influence marine debris accumulation. We examined the spatial variation of marine debris density and composition across the Santa Barbara Channel by quantifying marine debris on beaches of Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands and the Ventura County mainland. Debris from surveyed beaches was cataloged, weighed, and measured to compare differences in island and mainland marine debris abundance, density, and composition. Derelict fishing gear accounted for a higher proportion of marine debris on island beaches compared to mainland beaches, and marine debris items on island beaches were significantly heavier compared to debris items on mainland beaches. The majority of debris on mainland beaches comprised smaller plastic fragments and single-use plastic items, and debris accumulation rates varied by season and location. Microplastics (plastic fibers and particles 25 mm) that were collected during marine debris cleanups. We compared our data from 2015 and 2016 with historical surveys performed from 1989 to 1994 to examine the temporal variation of marine debris on Santa Rosa Island. We found that there has been a significant increase in the amount of derelict fishing gear found on Santa Rosa Island over the past 27 years, which mirrors expansion of the California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) fishery. This study highlights the importance of marine debris monitoring, as local changes in policy, fisheries, and consumer culture are reflected in accumulations of marine debris found on the California mainland and the uninhabited Channel Islands. Monitoring marine debris can provide insight into anthropogenic impacts and is a useful mechanism in monitoring the health of coastal and marine ecosystems.

Anthropogenic marine debris over beaches: Spectral characterization for remote sensing applications

Anthropogenic Marine Debris (AMD) is one of the most important pollutants in the oceans. Millions of tons of debris across oceans have created a critical environmental problem. This study presents a novel method aimed to improve the identification of macroplastics through remote sensing over beaches, combining AMD hyperspectral laboratory characterization and digital supervised classification in high spatial resolution imagery. Several samples were collected from the Chiloé Island beaches, Chile. Spectral signature samples and physical properties were assessed through laboratory work. HyLogger3® (CSIRO), PS-300 Apogee and ASD Field Spec hyperspectral systems were used to characterize each sample. Using those measurements, a spectral library was generated by processing, filtering and sorting the spectral data gathered, determining distinctive spectral bands for digital classification. By using this spectral library, a digital classification method was implemented over World-View 3 imagery, covering the three beaches selected as test sites. Distinct classification methods and geospatial analyses were applied to determine land cover composition, aimed for the detection of Styrofoam and the rest of anthropogenic marine debris. Four field campaigns were carried out to validate the AMD classification and mass retrievals, performed on >300 ground based points. The AMD hyperspectral library was successfully applied for an AMD digital classification in satellite imagery. Support Vector Machine method showed the best performance, resulting in an overall accuracy equivalent to 88% and over 50 tons of debris estimated on the pilot beaches. These results prove the feasibility of quantifying macro-AMD through the integration of hyperspectral laboratory measurements and remote sensing imagery, allowing to estimate anthropogenic influence on natural ecosystems and providing valuable information for further development of the methodology and sustainable AMD management.

Nesting Patterns of Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta caretta): Development of a Multiple Regression Model Tested in North Carolina, USA

Numerous environmental conditions may influence when a female Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) selects a nesting site. Limited research has used Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and statistical analysis to study sea turtle spatial patterns and temporal trends. Therefore, the goals of this research were to identify areas that were most prevalent for nesting and to test social and environmental variables to create a nesting suitability predictive model. Data were analyzed at all barrier island beaches in North Carolina, USA (515 km) and several variables were statistically significant: distance to hardened structures, beach nourishment, house density, distance to inlets, and beach elevation, slope, and width. Interestingly, variables that were not significant were population density, proximity to the Gulf Stream, and beach aspect. Several statistical techniques were tested and Negative Binomial Distribution produced good regional results while Geographically Weighted Regression models successfully predicted the number of nests with an average of 75% of the variance explained. Therefore, the combination of traditional and spatial statistics provided insightful predictive modeling results that may be incorporated into management strategies and may have important implications for the designation of critical Loggerhead nesting habitats.