William J. Neal

Orrin H. Pilkey

Tracy Monegan Rice

Three leading coastal geologists provide a guidebook to North Carolina beach characteristics created specifically to enhance trips to the beach for tourists and residents. Original.

Bubble Holes, Barking Sands, and Rippled Runnels

How to Read a North Carolina Beach

Owen K. Mason

Jane Bullock

Douglas Swanston

Ted Fathaver

Deborah F. Pilkey

Another shore book that suggests ways to cope, not only with disasters at the coast but with the frequent hazards encountered inland. Part of the Living with the Shore Series.

Living with the Coast of Alaska

David M. Bush

Gered Lennon

Matthew Stutz

Living with the South Carolina Coast is the latest volume in the Living with the Shore series that comprehensively investigates the status of a specific state’s coastal region. Completely revising a previously published work in the series that dealt with South Carolina, this book not only brings up-to-date a wealth of information on migrating shorelines, selection of building sites, and pertinent regulations, but also reflects an expanded concept of the coast to include a broad range of coastal hazards. Powerful storms have always played a major role in coastal processes in South Carolina, and the effects of Hurricane Hugo, the storm that ravaged the area in 1989, are thoroughly discussed. A series of Coastal Risk Maps are also included. These maps, graphically depicting areas of predictable erosion and storm damage potential, have been provided for every developed beach or barrier island in the state. Beyond the threat of hurricanes and coastal erosion, South Carolina, home of the Charleston Seismic Region, is also at risk for earthquakes. An entire chapter is devoted to earthquake-resistant construction, and the great Charleston earthquake of 1886 is examined in detail. Fires and floods are discussed. The Beachfront Management Act of 1990—the first state legislation of its kind that provides a system for dealing with migrating shorelines while preserving beaches for future generations—is also explained. Covering everything from a history of the development of South Carolina’s coast to recommendations on how to select an island homesite, this book will be a resource to professional coastal planners and managers, residents, prospective homeowners, and naturalists.

Living with the South Carolina Coast

Charles H. Fletcher

Robynne Boyd

Virginia Tice

Rarely a day goes by in Hawai‘i without the media reporting on environmental issues stemming from public debate. Will the proposed housing development block my access to the beach? Is the rising sea level going to cause flooding where I live? How does overfishing damage the reef? Is the water clean where I surf? Living on the Shores of Hawai‘i discusses the paradox of environmental loss under a management system considered by many to be one of the most stringent in the nation. It reviews a wide range of environmental concerns in Hawai‘i with an eye toward resolution by focusing on "place-based" management, a theme consistent with—and borrowing from—the Hawaiian ahupua‘a system. After describing a typical situation in Hawai‘i where a sandy beach is lost because a seawall has been built to protect a poorly sited home, the authors step back in time to trace land-use practices before and after the arrival of Westerners and the increased tempo of destruction following the latter. They go on to discuss volcanoes and the risk of placing homes in locations vulnerable to natural hazards and the potential dangers of earthquakes and tsunamis to a complacent public. Water issues, including scarcity, flooding, and pollution, are surveyed, as well as climate change and the possible outcomes of projected sea rise for Hawai‘i. The authors explain coastal erosion and beach loss and the problems of overfishing and ocean acidification. Later chapters assess residents’ risks to hurricanes, offering mitigation techniques, and provide a summary and some management conclusions. As tensions increase because of conflicting standards, misunderstandings, and contradictory ideals and actions, we put our economy and quality of life at risk. Sound decision-making begins with asking the right questions. This book addresses these questions within the context of sustainability and thus their influence on the future of Hawai‘i.

Natural Hazards, the Environment, and Our Communities

Living on the Shores of Hawaii

Joseph T. Kelley

James Andrew Graham Cooper

"Beaches occupy a magical place in the human consciousness. We fish from their tidal waters, run with our children on the cushioning sands and dream of what waits over life's horizon as we gather for a sunset. But there is much more to be known of these coastal wonderlands. Learn in The World's Beaches their critical function as a delicate ecosystem, how to read the signs left by winds, waves, plants and animals of the beach. Discover the surprising ways our irreplaceable beaches are increasingly threatened and what must be done to save them."—Rob Lowe, Actor “Ask 100 people their views about beaches and you'll get 100 love stories. We all love the beach. The World's Beaches delivers a comprehensive view into what a beach is, why it exists and how they are increasingly at risk."—Jim Moriarty, CEO Surfrider Foundation "Read this book and you'll never look at a beach in the same way. From waves and crab tracks, to sand, gravel and climate change, this book is filled with engrossing details to remind humankind of its enduring love of beaches worldwide.”—Miles O. Hayes, Coastal Geomorphologist, Research Planning, Inc. “Beach visitors around the world will want to own this superb collection of images and explanations of how the beach works. It’s a must-read book for anyone wanting to know more about these dynamic natural resources.”—Robert A. Morton, United States Geological Survey (USGS) "We now have an outstanding, lively, readable, well illustrated and thorough resource to lead us towards a deeper understanding of the how beaches form and function and what we should be concerned for in their future. This book should be everyone’s pillow and companion for the day at the beach."—Dr. Harold R. Wanless, University of Miami "The more you know about a place the more you will learn to love it, and want to protect it. The photos and captions alone in this book will gain you a great new appreciation of these precious coastlines."—Yvon Chouinard, owner, Patagonia, Inc.

A Global Guide to the Science of the Shoreline

The World's Beaches

Take this book to the beach; it will open up a whole new world. Illustrated throughout with color photographs, maps, and graphics, it explores one of the planet’s most dynamic environments—from tourist beaches to Arctic beaches strewn with ice chunks to steaming hot tropical shores. The World’s Beaches tells how beaches work, explains why they vary so much, and shows how dramatic changes can occur on them in a matter of hours. It discusses tides, waves, and wind; the patterns of dunes, washover fans, and wrack lines; and the shape of berms, bars, shell lags, cusps, ripples, and blisters. What is the world’s longest beach? Why do some beaches sing when you walk on them? Why do some have dark rings on their surface and tiny holes scattered far and wide? This fascinating, comprehensive guide also considers the future of beaches, and explains how extensively people have affected them—from coastal engineering to pollution, oil spills, and rising sea levels.

Norbert P. Psuty

Karl F. Nordstrom

Paul S. Garés

This volume in the Living with the Shore series provides practical and specific information on the status of the nation’s coast and useful guidelines that enable residents, visitors, and investors to live with and enjoy the shore without costly and futile struggles against the forces of nature.

Living with the New Jersey Shore

Ted Fathauer

Deborah Pilkey

Dinesh C. Sharma

Larry J. Doyle

Harold P. Wanless

Barbara L. Gruver

More than one transplanted Floridian has paid $150,000 for a beautiful condominium with a sea view only to learn that, to keep the building from becoming part of the view, considerable additional money must be spent to build and repair seawalls or to pump up new beaches by dredging sand from offshore. Most of Florida's beachfront property lies on narrow strips of sand called barrier islands, which are low in elevation and subject to flooding during storms and hurricanes. Some of the construction is poor, adding to the problems facing homeowners, most whom came from other parts of the country with little awareness of the hazards of beaches. In Living with the East Florida Shore, Orrin H. Pilkey, Jr., of Duke University, along with his co-authors, has described the varied problems that confront the east shore of Florida today.

Living with the East Florida Shore

Wayne F. Canis

The Alabama-Mississippi shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico boasts some of the world's most beautiful beaches and balmiest climes. Ever-increasing numbers of retirees, recreation lovers, and industries with work forces are being attracted to the "Sun Belt." On a soft April day the Gulf's waters look as peaceful as a pond. Yet this same serene shoreline has been ravaged by seven major hurricanes during this century. Several years more than one fearful storm has come hurtling in during a single "season." Loss of life an property damage have been devastating. And newcomers seem almost unaware of the potential dangers. The authors of this book offer a vivid, historical overview for understanding the environment of the Alabama-Mississippi shore. They describe the risks faced by new residents, and they point the way toward safe and sane coastal development.

Living with the Alabama-Mississippi Shore

Living by the Rules of the Sea is a primer for people living along the nation's coastlines, those considering moving to the coast, or those who want a greater understanding of the risks and dangers posed by living at the seacoast. Published as part of Duke University Press's Living with the Shore series, but without a direct focus on the coastline of one particular state, this book is intended as an overall guide to coastal physical processes, risk assessment of potential property damage from coastal natural hazards, and property damage mitigation. Over the past twenty years, the authors have mapped and studied most of the barrier islands in the United States and have experienced coastal processes such as storms and shoreline retreat at close range. They represent a coastal geology/oceanographic perspective that is decidedly in favor of preserving the natural protective capabilities of the native coastal environment. While strongly anti-engineering in outlook, Living by the Rules of the Sea does provide a review of coastal engineering techniques. It also examines methods of repairing damage to the natural environment that lessen the prospect of further property damage. Finally, it employs a more inclusive "coastal zone" approach rather than simply concentrating on a more narrowly defined shoreline. Barrier islands are viewed as part of a larger system in which changes in one part of the system--for example, the mining of sand dunes or dredging offshore for beach replenishment sand--can have profound effects on another part of the system, predictable effects even though they may not be visible for years or decades. A comprehensive handbook with references to recent storms including hurricanes Andrew, Gilbert, Hugo, Emily, and Opal, Living by the Rules of the Sea is designed to help people make better and more informed choices about where or if to live at the coast.

William J. Neal

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