Description

A brieftheoretical background is given of the long and short term changes in beaches and the causes of these changes. A brief treatment of wave and tidal regimes is included as they relate to beaches in the Eastern Caribbean islands. The future impacts of sea level rise are outlined. The uses of beaches are listed together with the
reasons why it is necessary to measure them accurately. The relevance of beach measurements to the planning process and coastal zone management is also discussed. It is suggested that beach erosion is likely to increase in the Mure as a response to increased natural and man-made stresses. Different measurement techniques
are described, these include aerial photograph comparison, map comparison, beach surveying and the use of visual indicators, the use and application of each method is discussed. Finally the steps involved in setting up coastal monitoring programmes are outlined.