As the summer sun calls out to you, coaxing you to prepare for days of leisure at the beach, take a moment to cast your gaze upon the coastline. Notice the changes brought about by the current El Niño, a stark contrast to the rollercoaster ride of La Niña’s influence. Some beaches have lost their sandy shores, while others have expanded, painting an ever-changing picture that captivates the eye. But what if you could not only observe these changes but actually contribute to monitoring and recording them, all while enjoying your holiday?
Enter CoastSnap, a revolutionary project that is transforming the way coastal data is collected. By utilizing camera cradles placed at strategic beach viewpoints, CoastSnap leverages the power of community snapshots taken on smartphones to keep a watchful eye on beach change. An impressive collection of nearly 50,000 photos has already been amassed, revealing the dramatic impact of recent La Niña storms and the surprising growth of certain beaches over the past few months.
The simplicity of CoastSnap’s approach is truly remarkable. With its network of sturdy stainless-steel camera cradles, all you need to do is place your smartphone, capture a photo, and seamlessly upload it using the provided QR code. The consistent positioning and angle of the photos allow for an accurate and reliable representation of how the beach is evolving over time.
But CoastSnap is not just about capturing pretty pictures. The data collected through this innovative project is being transformed into miniature satellite images thanks to advanced algorithms. This fundamentally changes the game, enabling precise measurements of the shoreline and accounting for the varied effects of tides throughout the day. What started as a humble initiative on the Northern Beaches of Sydney in 2017 has now expanded to over 350 stations in 31 countries across five continents, with data sourced from local communities.
From students in Ghana using CoastSnap to study the impact of sargassum, to tracking the damage and recovery from Hurricane Fiona in Canada, the project has proven to be a remarkably valuable tool in understanding the coastal environment. In Australia alone, 125 CoastSnap stations offer insights into the coastal consequences of extreme weather events and record rainfall, highlighting the extent of beach erosion caused by floodwaters.
The wealth of data garnered via CoastSnap is vital for managing coastlines in the face of rising sea levels and shifting storm patterns. With stations operating for over six years, the project’s growing record is indispensable in understanding long-term changes to the coast and informing numerical models used to predict future coastlines and plan accordingly.
So, as you get ready for a summer filled with beach fun, ponder on visiting your nearest CoastSnap station and consider contributing to this invaluable task of monitoring the coastline. After all, it’s a piece of cake to lend a hand and make a tangible difference in preserving the future enjoyment of our coasts.
