5/17/2023 0 Comments Breakwaters of the palm beaches![]() The beach and dune system absorbs wave energy and reduces damage to upland structures. During storms, waves reach the beach and dunes before they get to upland property. The beach and dune system is the first line of defense against storms because it acts as a buffer between storm waves and coastal development or infrastructure. These factors make Florida's beaches are an integral part of the state's economy. Others visit the beaches and nearby waters to engage in boating, fishing, diving and other recreational activities. Tourists and residents come to the beaches to relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of natural beauty. These plants and animals are adapted to living in the beach’s harsh environment of salt spray, shifting and infertile sand, and bright sunlight and storms.įlorida’s beaches are a primary attraction for almost 19 million tourists each year (Economic Evaluation of Florida’s Investment in Beaches, 2015). ![]() There are more than 30 plants and animals considered rare within the state that inhabit the beach and adjacent habitats. During summer months, marine turtles come ashore to nest on Florida's beaches. For example, beaches are used by resident and migratory shorebirds for resting, foraging and nesting. The coastal sandy beach system is home to many species of plants and animals dependent upon the beaches, dunes and nearshore waters for all or part of their lives. Florida’s beaches are deserving of this status because they serve several important functions they are all vital to maintaining the health of Florida’s economy and environment. The 825 miles of sandy coastline fronting the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico or the Straits of Florida are one of Florida’s most valuable natural resources. Results obtained here are interpreted in terms of design implications.The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Beaches Programs, within the Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection, have the primary mission of protecting, restoring and managing Florida's coastal systems. Although these breakwater-induced longshore currents were not documented in the monitoring program, the mechanisms are supported by the patterns of erosion and deposition, by a model study carried out to evaluate installation of a submerged breakwater at a different location and by previous documentation and discussion of the phenomenon in the available literature. These longshore currents transport sand from landward of the breakwater with deposition occurring near the south end of the system in the direction of the predominant natural transport. Changes in profile data were consistent with and are interpreted as due to water conveyed over the submerged breakwater as mass transport, a partial ponding of this water due to its return flow being impeded by the presence of the breakwater, resulting in a portion being redirected as longshore currents. The profile data documented erosion in the entire monitored area with the greatest erosion landward of the Reef. The wave height reduction attributable to the Reef ranges from 5% for the lower waves and higher tides to 15% for the higher waves and lower tides. Monitoring surveys, available up to June 1995, are presented herein. ![]() The system consists of 330 units, 57 of which were installed in the summer of 1992 and the remainder in the summer of 1993. To provide a basis for evaluating the effects of this installation, a comprehensive field monitoring program was carried out and included: wave measurements, beach and offshore profiles, settlement of the units, local scour data and information related to the background coastal processes. In an attempt to reduce beach erosion and wave impact on a protective seawall, an experimental proprietary submerged breakwater (Reef) of 1,260 m length was installed in a water depth of approximately 3 m off the Town of Palm Beach, Florida. ![]()
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