From Cosmos (6/1/24)…
Become a beach scientist this summer and help monitor changing coastlines
When you arrive at your favourite beach these summer holidays, you may notice something different about the coast.
With the triple-dip La Niña now making way for El Niño, our beaches have been through a rollercoaster ride. Some beaches have been completely stripped of sand, while others have grown very wide.
In the past, such changes went mostly unrecorded. However, thanks to a project known as CoastSnap, coastal data is now being collected like never before. Using designated camera cradles installed at beach viewpoints, CoastSnap uses community snapshots taken on smartphones to track beach change.
Almost 50,000 photos have been collected so far. They have revealed a varying picture in recent years: from dramatic beach loss during La Niña storms three years ago, to 60 metres of beach growth in recent months. So with smartphones as commonplace as towels and sunscreen in the beach bag, why not add coastal data collection to your list of holiday activities this summer?
I think you need to get the app to find the locations. There a several at Mornington, including one at the end of Shire Hall Beach, below Red Bluff.