Research Needs of the Office of Beaches and Coastal Systems, Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Download or read book Research Needs of the Office of Beaches and Coastal Systems, Florida Department of Environmental Protection written by Robert George Dean and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The landscape of beach management in Florida has changed significantly over the past few decades and continues to evolve rapidly. Some of these changes are favorable to appropriate beach management and others represent significant challenges which if not addressed early in the process, could impede the State's beach management program significantly, The causes of the changes include: (1) Limited quantities of quality sand resources, especially in the southeast region of the State, (2) The presence of many stakeholders along the coastline, usually with a wide and sometimes conflicting range of objectives, (3) Increasing sophistication of coastal residents and governmental entities, (4) The continued impact of inlets on the adjacent beaches, (5) Increasing environmental concerns, and (6) The availability of increased funding to accomplish the beach management mission. Each of these elements is discussed in this section to provide a basis for development of research needs. It is noted that research can contribute to reducing some of the potential impediments to appropriate beach management, but not to others. Also, it is appropriate to observe that the beach management program in Florida is far advanced relative to those in other coastal states; however, in order to maintain the program and use limited resources effectively, it is essential to anticipate emerging problems and needs and to conduct the required research in advance to meet these needs.