National Network of Regional Coastal Monitoring Programmes
Education
Although the Regional Coastal Monitoring Programmes do not carry out academic research per se, the field data collected, archived and made freely available via the website are eminently suitable for research projects at a range of levels, from undergraduate dissertations to PhD research. Shown in the tables below are examples of where the data have been used in previous research, together with suggestions of locations suitable for similar projects. Potential new topics are also suggested, which can be studied at any level, as appropriate. Included in both tables are the main data types which can be employed.
Please notify us of any use of Regional Monitoring data in this or any other University research so that we can update the table; it also helps us to assess the wider use of the data, and aids the case for maintaining this freely-accessible data archive.
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Topic |
Data |
Potential locations |
Previous study |
Student |
University |
Year |
|
BSc |
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Beach steepening |
Topographic and bathymetric data, sediment sampling |
|
Effects of replenishment on beach slope |
Naomi Philp |
Loughborough |
2007 |
|
Use of ARGUS cameras for coastal monitoring |
ARGUS imagery, wave data |
Milford-on-Sea, Slapton Sands |
Bournemouth |
|
Plymouth |
2010 |
|
Saltmarsh accretion |
Digitized bog hole channel positions (extracted from aerial photography), salt marsh extent 2005-2007, met data |
Marshside, |
A study into the accretion of the salt marsh and the possible effects of sea level rise |
Matt Hesketh |
Aberystwyth |
2010 |
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Vegetation and tourist pressure |
CRV aerial photography 1945, 1961, 1979,1989, 2005 |
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Evolution of vegetation in response to increasing tourist pressure |
Elizabeth Hughes |
Liverpool |
2010 |
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Changing beach levels |
Annual beach topographic data 2001– 2007, aerial photography 2000, GPS position of Gormley Statues |
|
Investigation into the changing beach levels at |
Sarah Banks |
Edge Hill |
2010 |
|
Sea level rise and sand dune erosion |
Lidar data |
Cornwall |
Investigation into the possible effects of sea level rise and erosion of the dunes (Formby Point) |
Daniel Clegg |
Edge Hill |
2010 |
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Dune blowout development |
Aerial photography 1945–2005, lidar data 2008 |
Cornwall |
Investigation into the development of Devils Hole blowout south of Formby Point |
David Elgar |
Edge Hill |
2010 |
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Sand dune morphology |
Aerial photographs, beach survey data, topographic data |
Cornwall |
Druridge Bay |
Helen Scott |
Loughborough |
2010 |
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Coastal stability |
Beach survey data, topographic data, vertical recession point data |
|
Coastal stability along the northeast coast, in particular along Cayton Bay |
Matt Wearmouth |
Loughborough |
2010 |
|
Beach nourishment |
Beach survey data |
Lincshore |
An assessment of the natural responses of beaches to the practise of beach nourishment |
Jonny Webborn |
Cardiff |
2010 |
| Mixed crustacean fisheries | Sea surface temperature data from Waverider buoys |
Design and field trials of escape gaps for a mixed crustacean fishery in the Southern IFCA area | Vicki Gravestock | Southampton | 2013 | |
| Wind induced residual current velocities | Meteorological Data | St Ives Bay | Quantifying wind-induced, residual current velocities during strong meteorological forcing | Joshua Bratchley | Plymouth | 2013 |
| Subsidence and habitat change | CASI data | County Durham | Influence of mining-induced subsidence on coastal erosion and habitat change in NE England | James Cox | Durham | 2014 |
| Geohazards | Cell 1 aerial photography | Dorset, Isle of Wight | An evaluation into the overall stability of the southern Scarborough Slopes, and the liklihood of a large scale landslide occurring | Kieran Gunn | University of Portsmouth | 2015 |
| Coastal Management |
Dawlish wave buoy |
Dawlish, Devon | Coastal Management: A GIS based approach involving the winter storms of 2014 at Dawlish, Devon | Gwilym O'Donovan |
Swansea University |
2016 |
| Sediment budget | topographic data |
Cresswell beach, Northumberland |
Implications of sand mining on Cresswell beach's sediment budget |
Conor Davison |
Edge Hill University |
2016 |
|
MSc/MRes/MGeol |
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Geomorphological change |
Topographic data, ortho-photography and lidar |
Pagham Spit, Spurn Peninsula (see below) |
An investigation into geomorphological changes occurring at East Head Spit, West Sussex between 2005 and 2009 |
Emma White |
Portsmouth |
2009 |
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Equilibrium beach profile |
Topographic and bathymetric data |
|
An investigation of the equilibrium profile concept for a strongly barred beach, Bournemouth |
Stuart Williams |
Southampton |
2008 |
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Performance of beach recharge schemes |
Topographic data, lidar |
Lee-on-Solent, West Bay, Lyme Regis |
Performance of a beach recharge scheme: Preston Beach, Weymouth |
Robert Webbon |
Southampton |
2004 |
|
One-line beach modelling |
Topographic data |
|
Application of the one-line model Genesis to simulate the planform shoreline change on the South Western coastline of Hayling Island UK |
Stephen Cundy |
Southampton |
2007 |
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Change in storminess |
Time series of measured wave parameters in central English Channel |
Herne Bay |
A spatial and temporal comparison of storm wave climates on the south-central English coast |
Edward Shackleton |
Portsmouth |
2007 |
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Habitat change and prediction |
Ortho-photography, lidar |
|
Identifying inter-tidal habitat creation sites in Poole Harbour |
Andrew Jeffery |
Southampton |
2007 |
|
The change in level and distribution of saltmarsh and mudflats on Southampton Water |
Elizabeth Williams |
Southampton (MRes) |
2006 |
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An examination of the feasibility of using historical aerial photography within a GIS to map mudflat evolution in the northern Solent |
Thomas Mortlock |
Southampton |
2008 |
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Present and future flood risk |
Lidar, ortho-photography |
Fal, Taw/Torridge estuaries |
Study of climate change impacts using GIS and lidar |
Nick Cramp |
Plymouth |
2008 |
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Cliff recession |
|
East Riding of Yorkshire (see below) |
Coastal evolution of the chalk cliffs of Beachy Head, East Sussex |
Jane Cridford |
Southampton (MGeol) |
2008 |
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Geotechnical investigation of cliff stability |
Cliff surveys, aerial photography (+ rainfall, piezometer and inclinometer data from NFDC) |
|
A study of the reactivation of landsliding at Barton-on-Sea, Hampshire, following stabilisation works in the 1960's |
Phil Garvey |
Southampton |
2007 |
|
PhD |
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2D and 3D behaviour of a shingle barrier beach |
Baseline survey data, post-storm surveys, lidar, wave parameters and ARGUS |
Westward Ho! Selsey |
Slapton Sands |
Amaia Ruiz de Alegria Arzaburu |
Plymouth |
2010 |
| Estuarine sediment budgets | Aerial photography, habitat mapping | The impact of changing sediment budgets on an industrialised estuary: a case study of Southampton, UK | Elizabeth Hopley | Southampton | 2014 | |
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Influence of structures on soft cliff erosion |
Topographic data, lidar |
|
Soft cliff retreat adjacent to coastal defences, with particular reference to Holderness and Christchurch Bay, UK |
Sally Brown |
Southampton |
2008 |
|
Comparison of wave predictions of new UK Waters model with measured |
Wave parameters, wave spectra |
Bideford Bay |
Central English Channel |
Tamzin Palmer |
Southampton |
2011 |
|
Comparing landslide mechanism in glacial till |
Aerial photography, GIS layers |
Upgang beach Whitby |
|
Sassiwimol Nawawitphisit |
Durham University |
2010 |
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Coastal geography |
Asset and coastal slope condition analysis data, vertical recession point data |
Scarborough Whitby |
|
Rachel Gibson |
Leeds |
2010 |
|
Coastal change and coastal management |
Beach survey data, topographic data, vertical recession point data |
North East coast |
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|
|
2010 |
|
Other suggested projects |
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Topic |
Data |
Potential Location |
Comments |
|
Cliff recession |
Historical cliff line records, ortho-photography |
East Riding of Yorkshire |
Historical data available from East Riding of Yorkshire Council www.coastalexplorer.eastriding.gov.uk |
|
Influence of structures on cliff recession rates |
Topographic data, lidar, ortho-photography |
East Riding of Yorkshire |
Historical data available from East Riding of Yorkshire Council www.coastalexplorer.eastriding.gov.uk |
|
Use of lidar and aerial photos to monitor beach behaviour |
Topographic data, lidar, ortho rectified aerial photos |
East Riding of Yorkshire |
Historical data available from East Riding of Yorkshire Council Historical data available from East Riding of Yorkshire Council www.coastalexplorer.eastriding.gov.uk |
|
Use of lidar and GPS to monitor cliff erosion rates |
Cliff line data, ortho rectified photography |
East Riding of Yorkshire |
|
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2D and 3D behavior of eroding coastlines |
Historical cliff line records, topographic data, lidar, ortho rectified aerial photos |
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Erosion of clay beach platforms |
Historical topographic data, lidar, ortho rectified aerial photos |
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Beach behavior and evolution of sand peninsula |
Historical records, topographic data, lidar, ortho rectified aerial photos |
Spurn Peninsula, Pagham Spit (West Sussex) |
Historical data for Spurn available from East Riding of Yorkshire Council www.coastalexplorer.eastriding.gov.uk |
|
Social and political aspects of eroding coastlines |
Historical records, cliff mapping |
East Riding of Yorkshire |
Historical data available from East Riding of Yorkshire Council www.coastalexplorer.eastriding.gov.uk |
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Defending frontages on eroding coastlines |
Historical records, topographic data, lidar, ortho rectified aerial photos |
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Surface characteristics from lidar intensity data |
Lidar point cloud data (delivery from 2010), habitat monitoring data |
Marsh areas (vegetation), beach areas (sediment type/size) |
Historical point cloud data available from Environment Agency (Southern Region) Strategic.Monitoring@environment-agency.gov.uk |
|
Algorithm for cliff edge extraction from lidar point clouds |
Lidar point cloud data (delivery from 2010), ortho-photography |
Sloping/complex cliffs, vertical cliffs e.g. Isle of Wight |
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Joint wave/tide return period |
Co-located wave buoy and tide gauge data |
Sandown Bay, Newhaven, Herne Bay, West Bay |
Max. 14 years data |
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Comparison of actual joint wave/tide return period data with that used in scheme design |
Data from before, scheme designs |
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Comparison of run-up formula with measurements |
Literature review plus post storm surveys |
Seaford, Hurst Spit, Slapton Sands |
Open coast beach with no structures and co-located wave data |
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Tide harmonic modelling |
Tide data from new site on north Cornwall site |
Port Isaac |
At present, tides are predicted based on Milford Haven |
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Sediment transport pathways and dune evolution behind a managed beach |
Beach surveys, aerial photography, wave data, lidar, historic lidar |
Uphil, Weston-Super-Mare to Sand Bay |
Some fieldwork required also (sediment sampling and sieving) |
