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Sandy beach species are adapted to a harsh physical habitat, but for those living at relatively high latitudes, the cold, often freezing winter conditions, entail a challenge that has not been thoroughly examined. We therefore examined the individual response of talitroid amphipods (Americorchestia longicornis; Say 1818) to the strong seasonality affecting sandy beaches in Prince Edward Island, Atlantic Canada (46°N). We then experimentally assessed the influence of low temperatures upon amphipod burrowing behavior and stress levels (hemocyanin concentrations), hypothesizing that cold and freezing temperatures prompt drastic behavioral and physiological responses in the amphipods. Biweekly amphipod samples collected over three years (2019-2021) made evident the narrowness of their activity season and its tight correlation with temperature (Spearman's r = 0.85). While amphipods were abundant above 10 °C, they were very few under 5 °C and none near 0 °C. In the laboratory, amphipods exposed to 10 °C remained at shallow depths in the sand (70% at 0-4 cm of depth). By comparison, amphipods exposed to 5 °C were found at several depths (0-40 cm), while those exposed to 0 °C concentrated (70%) at depths of 16-40 cm. The assessment of stress levels showed that in comparison to amphipods at ambient temperatures, those exposed to freezing conditions exhibited hemocyanin levels 55 and 82% higher after 1 and 2 weeks, respectively. Combined, these results suggest that cold and freezing temperatures shorten the season of the amphipods and prompt them to burrow deeper into the sand and increase their stress levels, possibly influencing other life history traits., Author(s): K. Devon Lynn [sup.1] , Spencer J. Greenwood [sup.2] , Pedro A. Quijón [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.139596.1, 0000 0001 2167 8433, Department of Biology, University of Prince Edward [...]

Costa Rica hosts two renowned olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) arribada beaches: Nancite and Ostional. In addition, the country hosts a third nascent arribada beach in Corozalito. We documented the frequency of arribada events in Corozalito (9°50'55.40' N; 85°22' 47.67' W) from 2008 to 2021 and the abundance of egg-laying females during 12 arribadas. Moreover, we report on tag recaptures at Corozalito that were initially deployed at other nesting beaches in Costa Rica. Finally, we estimated incubation temperature, and performed quadrat and nest excavations to estimate hatching rates. We registered 29 arribadas at Corozalito since 2008, all between August and January. We estimated more than 150,000 olive ridleys nested during 12 arribadas from 2019 to 2021. Mean hatching success was 65% in quadrats and 59% for in situ marked nests. The mean incubation temperature was 32.3 °C. We found turtles tagged at other locations on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica nesting at Corozalito, providing evidence of philopatric plasticity. We suggest nascent arribada rookeries form rapidly via recruitment from regional turtle aggregations. Our findings show that hatching success is far higher at Corozalito than Ostional or Nancite. Continued monitoring of nesting dynamics at this site may shed light upon the mechanisms that rule how arribada beaches are born and evolve. Corozalito offers a unique opportunity to study and understand the arribada phenomenon and warrants official protection under official National Wildlife Refuge status., Author(s): Daniela Rojas-Cañizales [sup.1] [sup.2] , Carmen Mejías-Balsalobre [sup.1] [sup.3] , Nínive Espinoza-Rodríguez [sup.1] [sup.2] , Vanessa S. Bézy [sup.4] , Isabel Naranjo [sup.1] , Randall Arauz [sup.5] , Roldán [...]

Resistance of Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus to Simulated Conditions of Extreme Extraterrestrial Environments. Julia DiFiore, Albion CollegeAs we learn more about terrestrial organisms that thrive in extreme conditions, the [...]

Abstract Thirty sediment samples from four different beaches along Bahia Solano and Nuquí (Department of Chocó) of eastern Colombia, with tourism and gold mining activities, were analysed to estimate the concentrations of fourteen different acid leachable metals. Metal distribution patterns showed elevated concentrations of Co, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn compared with the upper continental crust values. Calculation of geochemical indices confirmed that the enrichment is due to periodic gold mining activities (severe to extremely severe enrichment of Cu, Zn, V, Co, Cr and Pb) along with natural (geological) contributions (minor and moderate enrichment of Ca, Mg, Fe, Ti, Mn and Li). Potential ecological risk index revealed that Pb posed the highest risk. Our results together with a global comparison suggest that the observed metal enrichments are mainly caused by mining and to a lesser extent by tourism in this region, thus instigating continuous monitoring of metal concentrations in this region. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Acid leachable metals in beaches of Bahia de Solano and Nuquí in Colombia • Transport and deposition of metals due to illegal mining activities • Presence of metals above permissible limit • Identification of enrichment of metals through geochemical indices [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A dune restoration program was initiated by the City of South Padre Island, Texas in 2010 consisting primarily of plantings of Sea Oats, Uniola paniculata , and Bitter Panicum, Panicum amarum , and has continued annually thereafter. These restoration efforts were evaluated by comparing selected metrics of ecosystem structure and function among reference and restoration plots ranging in age (time after planting) from 2 to 5 years. Plant and animal communities were examined using a combination of quadrat sampling, funnel traps, pit-falls, and sweep nets. Soil organic content and soil electrical conductivity were also measured. Dune volumes and heights were calculated using a 2013 Lidar DEM. Plant communities were similar across 2 and 4 year-old plots but differed markedly among 2 and 5 year-old plots and between all restoration plots and undisturbed reference plots. After 5 years, restoration plots had 15 plant species, while reference plots had 19. Animal communities followed a similar trend in which all restoration plots differed from the reference plots with the exception of 5 year-old plots which were similar. More time seems necessary for restored dunes to accumulate soil organic matter at levels similar to natural dunes which is still about three times higher. There was a significant positive correlation between plot age and dune heights. These results suggest the native dune plant revegetation as implemented by the City of South Padre Island from 2010 to 2015 is successful in fostering plant and animal community succession and potentially increasing coastal resiliency. Highlights: - Revegetation efforts quickly improve habitat for most local dune plant and animal species. - Plant community in restored dunes remains different compared to references dunes. - Soil organic matter is much lower in restored dunes after five years. - Revegetation with few foundation species fosters the return of native dune communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To support microplastic management, the abundance, composition, and spatial distribution of microplastics on a national scale must be known. Hence, we studied the baseline level of microplastic pollution at 20 sandy beaches along the South Korean coast. All microplastic particles extracted from the sand samples were identified down to 20 μm in size using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The abundances of large microplastics (L-MPs; 1–5 mm) and small microplastics (S-MPs; 0.02–1 mm) were in the range of 0–2088 n/m 2 and 1400–62800 n/m 2 , respectively. Maximum microplastic abundance was in the size range of 100–150 μm, and particles smaller than 300 μm accounted for 81% of the total abundance. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) accounted for 95% of L-MPs, whereas S-MPs were predominantly composed of polyethylene (49%) and polypropylene (38%). The spatial distribution of L-MPs, excluding EPS, was significantly related to population, precipitation, proximity to a river mouth and abundance of macroplastic debris on beach. However, there were no relationships between S-MPs and other environmental and source-related factors, except for macroplastic debris and L-MPs excluding EPS. These results imply that S-MPs are mainly produced on beaches by weathering, whereas L-MPs other than EPS are mainly introduced from land-based sources and are also partly produced on beaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of using several crustacean species as bioindicators of urbanization predictors (number of recreational visitors, density of solid waste, and organic matter level) was compared in urbanized gradients on southeastern Brazilian beaches. Mixed generalized linear models and structural equation models indicated that the abundance of Atlantorchestoidea brasiliensis (Dana, 1853) (Amphipoda), Excirolana braziliensis Richardson, 1912 (Isopoda), and the Atlantic ghost crab Ocypode quadrata (Fabricius, 1787) (Brachyura) was negatively correlated to the density of solid waste, which in turn is affected by the presence of human visitors. Atlantorchestoidea brasiliensis and O. quadrata were found to be the most sensitive predictors of human impact and thus should be considered as model organisms in further studies on environmental impact in sandy beaches. Evaluating human disturbance by estimating the number of humans on beaches can be biased since trampling and solid waste are two independent mechanisms by which human disturbance impacts beach ecosystems. Assessing disturbance by using the number of visitors as a proxy for disturbance is thus unreliable given the confounding effect of solid waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study models shoreline retreat due to sea level rise by using geographic data and applies the model to future projections of decreases in beach area for 806 beaches in Japan. The model uses a foreshore slope (angle) based on data from a digital elevation model, and influence of the present simplified method for estimation of the shoreline retreat is examined through comparisons with previous studies at typical locations. The proposed method gives a distance of shoreline retreat due to sea level rise similar to that predicted using the Bruun rule for minimal retreat less than 30 m, but the difference becomes substantial for more extensive decreases. The decrease in beach area is projected for different sea level rises based on four Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios from the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The decrease in beach area becomes more severe for the RCP8.5 scenario, and the proposed method predicts that a third of current sandy beaches in Japan will disappear. The extent of the decrease depends not only on the sea-level-rise scenario but also on the SLR projection model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Vizcaíno, E.; Esteban, M.D.; López-Gutiérrez, J.S., and Negro, V., 2018. Surveys Applied to the Improvements of Beaches. Case Studies: Las Canteras, Hoya Pozuelo and Salinetas (Gran Canaria Island, Spain). In: Shim, J.-S.; Chun, I., and Lim, H.S. (eds.), Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2018 (Busan, Republic of Korea). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 85, pp. 1441–1445. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. In numerous countries, beaches are essential for the attraction of tourism. The users of the beaches are becoming more demanding in terms of their expectations of the state and quality of beaches and their surrounding environment. The current trend in engineering is to listen carefully to the opinions of users to take them into account in decision-making. The consideration of sociological studies based on surveys is already contemplated in beaches. Generally, the design of the survey is done individually for each beach, which prevents a simple comparison between different beaches. The research referred to in this abstract has sought to resolve this issue. This research has focused on the island of Gran Canaria (Spain), where beach tourism is essential within the island economy. The beaches analyzed are: Las Canteras, Hoya Pozuelo and Salinetas. Firstly, an analysis of the survey techniques has been developed, and how it has been applied to beaches. The research includes a technical study from the point of view of coastal engineering. A specific survey has been developed, which has subsequently allowed a field work to be carried out, with results of around 450 surveys. The statistical study of the results of the surveys has allowed analyzing the answers of each one of the questions in each beach, to later compare the three beaches. As a result of the analysis of the surveys, but also of the engineering study of the beaches included in this research, a strategy of improvement of each one of the beaches has been proposed with the aim of achieving greater user satisfaction. It is therefore a case to ben be taken as an example for the future when looking for synergies between engineering studies and sociology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Yoon, J.C. and Song, D.S., 2018. Preliminary Study for Detecting of Ocean Wave Parameters using CCD Images. In: Shim, J.-S.; Chun, I., and Lim, H.S. (eds.), Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2018 (Busan, Republic of Korea). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 85, pp. 1371–1375. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Recently, researchers have been developed the technology for monitoring in the coastal zone using a remote sensing to manage and analyze the beach processes. Many of these approaches translate the data model of beach process as a queue of avoidance of emergency situation in a beach, such as coastal erosion risk management. However, sensor-based approaches have a crucial limitation, which needs a high cost and has a worry about malfunction. To overcome these problems, a video-based beach monitoring system, which can analyze the wave periods and height, was introduced in this study. A CCD camera is one of best choice to monitor a movement of arbitrary behaviour, because it has a several benefits, especially it does not need high cost equipment, then other sensor-based approach relatively, and has a strong resistance to the external environment except for light. The ocean wave change in CCD image clips, when it reaches the shallow water contains an extreme discontinuity, especially a change in the shape of marine space. So our system extracted the contour of video patches in an each frame and then compared their shape using the seven Hu-moments. The Hu-moments constitute a measure of the similarity of the matrix form between video frames. The radial symmetric kernel was applied to the similarity matrix, which is able to express the wave period and height, respectively. The wave period, which was detected by the Hu-moments algorithm at the Gyoam Beach in Republic of Korea were compared with the wave information collected by an under-water pressure type wave meter. The results of this study confirm that the CCD camera with Hu-moments algorithm is applicable to detect wave period with a slight bias and, consequently, to clarify the complex characteristics of wave distribution and its temporal change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Lee, S.; Kim, H.; Park D., and Lim, H.S., 2018. Modelling shoreline evolution at Anmok Beach by using CST3D-WA, In: Shim, J.-S.; Chun, I., and Lim, H.S. (eds.), Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2018 (Busan, Republic of Korea). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 85, pp. 1241–1245. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Anmok Beach suffered heavy morphological and shoreline position changes since a submerged breakwater was constructed in October 2014. Straight shoreline changed into a S-shape shoreline after about 3 months, and mostly returned back towards the initial straight line after typhoon Goni in August 2015. Previous wave-average type flow and sediment transport equations cannot reproduce shoreline evolution due to their “wave-average” properties. A wave-average flow and sediment transport model, CST3D-WA, adopt the “beachface slope adjustment method” to enable shoreline evolution in area morphological modelling. The modelling system simulated the morphological change for two periods, and reproduced the changes in morphology and shoreline shape of the two periods reasonably well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Park, W.K.; Moon, Y.H.; Chang, S.Y.; Jeong, W.M.; Chae, J.W.; Ryu, K.H.; Chang, Y.S., and Jin, J.Y., 2018. Nonlinear Transformation of Storm Waves and Impacts on Nearshore Mound in Haeundae Beach, Korea. In: Shim, J.-S.; Chun, I., and Lim, H.S. (eds.), Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2018 (Busan, Republic of Korea). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 85, pp. 1131–1135. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Haeundae beach is the most popular beach in South Korea which has been suffered from serious erosion problem. To protect the beach erosion, various countermeasures such as beach nourishments, submerged breakwaters and nearshore mound have been conducted. However during typhoon Chaba (1618), extreme storms caused significant beach erosions. Extensive field measurements have been made to monitor the storm impacts on the beach changes. This study focuses on (i) the nonlinear transformation of the very high waves over the submerged shoals in coastal waters and nearshore mound placed parallel to the shoreline, and (ii) the consequent morphological changes. For numerical modeling, SWAN was used for offshore wave propagation and XBeach of non-hydrostatic mode for hydrodynamics and sediment transport simulations. It is found that the storm waves were significantly transformed by submerged shoals through wave breaking due to the shallow water depth and generation of super harmonics with significant amount of wave energy transferred from the primary waves, and similar process occurred around the nearshore mound. Specifically, the impacts of the nearshore mound on beach evolution were pronounced for the beach erosion control with respect to wave energy dissipation, onshore sediment transport, and sediment trap in the lee of the mound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Pedreros, R.; Idier, D.; Muller, H.; Lecacheux, S.; Paris, F.; Yates-Michelin, M.; Dumas, F.; Pineau-Guillou, L., and Sénéchal, N., 2018. Relative contribution of wave setup to the storm surge: observations and modeling based analysis in open and protected environments (Truc Vert beach and Tubuai island). In: Shim, J.-S.; Chun, I., and Lim, H.S. (eds.), Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2018 (Busan, Republic of Korea). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 85, pp. 1046–1050. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Recent events like the Xynthia (2010, France) storm illustrate the potentially devastating effect that storm surges can have on the coasts. Nearshore storm surges at the result mainly from two processes: atmospheric surges and wave setup. This paper investigate the relative wave setup contribution in the storm surge signal for energetic events and focusing on two cases: an open beach (Truc Vert beach, France) and a high island protected by a reef lagoon (Tubuai, French Polynesia). The two selected events are the Johanna storm (March'08), for the Truc Vert site, and the Oli cyclone (February'10), for Tubuai. The data analysis shows that the maximum total storm surge reaches 1.2 m on the Truc Vert site and 1.1 m in the Tubuai lagoon. On the Truc Vert beach, the ECORS'08 in-situ measurements allow estimating a wave setup contribution of 80% of the total storm surge, at the time of maximum storm surge. The relative contribution of the wave setup is investigated a bit further, using the modeling approach. The modeling relies on the joint use of a shallow-water (MARS 2DH) and wave (SWAN) models. It shows an heterogeneous distribution of the wave setup in the Tubuai lagoon and a longshore variability close to the waterline for Truc Vert (~ 30%). In both cases, the wave setup contribution to the whole storm surge is predominant, with relative values ranging from 71 to 120% of the total maximal storm surge. Values larger than 100% occur on the Tubuai site when the atmospheric storm surge is negative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine litter accumulates on sandy beaches and is an important environmental problem, as well as a threat to habitat types that are among the most endangered according to EU legislation. We sampled 120 random plots (2 × 2 m) in spring 2017 to determine the distribution pattern of beach litter along the zonation of habitat types from sea to the inland. The most frequent litter items were plastic, polystyrene and glass. A clear increase of litter cover along the sea-inland gradient is evident, and foredunes and pine forests have the highest cover of litter. Almost no litter was present in humid dune slacks. Shoreline and recreational activities are the major source of beach litter, while ocean/waterway activities are more important in the aphytic zone and strandline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides the first assessment of marine debris washed ashore on 22 beaches along the coast of Sri Lanka. There was an average of 4.1 large (>25 mm) and 158 small (5–25 mm) pieces of debris per square meter of beach. Classified by use, packaging material (55%) dominated the debris, followed by consumer products (25%) and fishing gear (20%). In terms of materials, plastic was the greatest contributor (93%) to marine debris. Beaches near a river mouth or city and those with a barrier had greater debris accumulations. The east coast had significantly greater small debris density, possibly due to strong northeastern monsoon currents. Large spatial heterogeneity was observed in the amount of debris. Long-term monitoring is imperative to better understand the temporal changes in, and the pathways and possible management of, marine debris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sandy beaches are sites of marine debris stranding, but the interaction of beach biota with waste is poorly studied. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the ghost crab Ocypode quadrata selects marine debris by types using a non-destructive method on sandy beaches of Southeastern Brazil. We found marine debris in 7% of 1696 surveyed burrows, and the ghost crabs selectivity was mainly by soft plastic (30%), straw (11%), rope (6%) and foam (4%). Burrows with marine debris showed higher occupation rate (~68%) compared to burrows without debris (~28%), indicating that these materials may increase the capacity of ghost crabs to memorize their burrows placement (homing). The percentage of marine debris was not always related to their amount in the drift line, but ghost crabs used more debris near urbanized areas. Future studies should test whether ghost crabs are using marine debris for feeding, homing or other mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A methodology to analyse the influence of erosion on beach functions at a regional scale is presented. The method considers erosion hazards at different timescales and assesses consequences by evaluating impacts on recreation and protection functions. To provide useful information to decision makers for managing these functions, hazard and consequences are integrated at the municipal level within a risk matrix. This methodology is applied at the Maresme, a 45-km sandy coast situated northward of Barcelona, which supports a strong urban and infrastructure development as well as an intensive beach recreational use. Obtained results indicate differentiated erosion implications along the region, depending on the management target considered. Thus, southern municipalities are more prone to erosion affecting the protection function of the beach and leisure use by the local population, whereas erosion will have a greater effect on foreign tourism in the northern municipalities. These results highlight the necessity to employ an articulated erosion risk assessment focusing on specific targets depending on the site in question. This methodology can help coastal managers to adopt tailored measures to manage erosion impacts towards specific goals, in a more efficient and sustainable manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial and temporal (pre- and post-monsoon) beach morphological changes along the Udupi district, Karnataka are investigated during 2011 and 2012. Beach profile surveys were carried out using traditional techniques at twelve selected beaches and estimated the cross sectional area and sediment volume changes. The data collected were computed and analysed using SANDS free software. Finally, based on beach profile changes, the inter-annual variabilities were quantified in-terms of cross-sectional area and sediment volumes. During the southwest monsoon period, width of the beaches in the study area reduced greatly and minimum volume of sediment is stored. The sediment volume was high during the post-monsoon season compared to the pre-monsoon season. Cross sectional area analysis reveals that most of the beaches in the study area accreted by >30%. However, the maximum reduction in areal extent at Mattu Katpadi, Gangolli, Maravanthe and Navunda beaches took place during the SW monsoon. Although cyclic in nature, large-scale erosion was found during SW monsoon but the lost sediment is regained in the post-monsoon period. Human interventions play a vital role in shoreline changes, in addition to natural processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beach certification schemes, such as Blue Flag, have become prevalent in the current literature as a beach management tool is said to bridge the gap between recreation and conservation. Although there is evidence that Blue Flag has gained wide recognition globally, there has been limited research done to determine if Blue Flag is actually being successfully used as a tool for environmental protection. This study, therefore, investigates the effectiveness of Blue Flag as a management tool for environmental protection for beaches in Ontario, Canada. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with beach managers along the shoreline of the Great Lakes who represent a municipality involved in the Blue Flag program. The key findings of this research reveal that currently Blue Flag is not being used as an effective beach management tool for environmental protection as this study indicates that beach managers do not think that municipalities adopting Blue Flag will have a direct impact on improving the health and protection of the Great Lakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite controversies, the non-destructive indirect method of counting and measuring the burrows of ghost crabs remains the best option for assessing the environmental quality of beaches. In order to better conserve and manage local populations and their environments, we evaluated the occurrence of the ghost crab Ocypode quadrata at 39 beaches, characterized according to the degree of human presence and by physical factors. Three main groups of beach variables-low, moderate and high - were identified according to the degree of human presence coupled with natural factors. The modes of access and cleaning best discriminated the beaches. Amongst physical features, only "trail beaches" and "restricted access beaches" significantly differed from other beaches. The drift and effluent beach zones with lesser human presence showed the highest numbers/densities of burrows. Older crabs, inferred by the largest burrows, were found less frequently at all beaches, the drift zone being the major aspect for their presence. Despite the great variability in the distribution of ghost crabs, they are sensitive to low environmental quality and their adequacy for assessing environmental quality was confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suh, S.-W.; Kim M.-J., and Kim, H.-J., 2017. Prediction of sand beach variations by coupling of hydrodynamic and morphological models during extreme storms. In: Lee, J.L.; Griffiths, T.; Lotan, A.; Suh, K.-S., and Lee, J. (eds.), The 2nd International Water Safety Symposium. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 79, pp. 284-288. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Beaches are constantly affected by hydrodynamic forcing. Among various factors, a wave impact is the major reason for beach formation and erosion. In order to provide efficient coupling for the morphological variations in beaches, we consider an unstructured ADCIRC+SWAN model and an orthogonal curvilinear XBeach model. When coupling these heterogeneous models, external Perl scripts are implemented to automatically convey simulated extreme wave and tide conditions for the XBeach input. The application of the model to the hindcasting of typhoons Maemi and Neoguri at Haeundae Beach in Korea shows satisfactory beach variations. Moreover, through sensitivity tests, we find that a wave height of 2 m behaves as a threshold value in the beach environment. Since the coupled model can be easily extended for real-time simulation, it can be employed in an early-warning system to provide beach safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although beaches can be hazardous environments, few studies have identified injuries in broad coastal areas. We performed a retrospective descriptive study of injuries and other services provided by lifeguards during 2012 along the Spanish Mediterranean beaches. The trend in jellyfish stings was also examined for the period 2008–2012 using a standardised Sting Index . Obtaining data relied on voluntary cooperation of local authorities, resulting in data provided from 183 cities out of 234 present in the study area and 760 beach lifeguard stations (LGS) out of about 1200. Lifeguard stations provided an average of 89 days of service per year, from late June to the beginning of September. A total of 176,021 injuries were reported, of which jellyfish stings were the main need for assistance with 59.7% (n = 116,887) of the injuries and 257.0/LGS, followed by wounds (14.4%, 50.9/LGS), and sunburn (3.3%, 15.8/LGS). Apart from attending injuries, beach lifeguard services provided 21,174 other services such as help to disabled people (57.9/LGS), blood pressure measurements (12.7/LGS), rescues at sea (6.5/LGS), lost children (5.7/LGS), and transfers to the hospital (4.6/LGS). Official reported fatalities for all the beaches in 2012 were 24. We proposed a Sting Index ( SI ) to allow comparisons of the incidence of stings between years and/or localities by standardising jellyfish stings by the total of all injuries. Historical data were consistent enough to calculate SI between 2010 and 2012 and showed an oscillating pattern without a clear trend (2008: 2.4, 2009: 1.3, 2010: 2.4, 2011: 2.0, 2012: 2.6). Estimation of total number of jellyfish stings for all the beaches present in the area would reach 184,558 for 2012. There were very few fatalities in comparison with other coastal regions, probably due to the combination of a calm sea, a low number of high dangerous situations, and a high percentage of lifeguarded beaches during the bathing season. Nevertheless, although Spanish Mediterranean beaches could be described as low risk, we propose measures to facilitate a precautionary management to prevent injuries based on a real-time beach assistance database of injuries to identify high-incidence assistance categories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drift macroalgae detached from rocky substrate frequently strand on the shoreline, supplying food and habitat to a number of coastal species and sustaining important ecological processes, such as consumption and biogeochemical processing. Large amounts of algal wrack subsidies in open-coast sandy beaches follow the consumption pathway through the activity of upper shore crustaceans. The potential effect of the consumer population on the fate of algal subsidies depends on the rate at which these allochthonous inputs are exploited. Consumption in turn depends on the edibility of the stranded wrack and the environmental conditions that affect both consumers and consumed materials. The degradative process of algal wrack through the consumption pathway was analysed in a set of laboratory and field experiments where the effect of temperature and decomposition level was tested. Pre-weighted fragments of Saccorhiza polyschides and Sargassum muticum were supplied in independent containers harbouring groups of small, medium and large size classes of Talitrus saltator, a common supratidal amphipod widely distributed along the NE Atlantic and Mediterranean sandy beaches. To check the influence of primary environmental variables, such as temperature, assays were performed along the range of expected temperatures in the region, at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 °C. The influence of unpredictable natural events that are endured by the algal material once stranded on the beach was evaluated by mimicking macroalgae drying, burying and ageing along different time lapses. Consumer behaviour in the field was tested by adding individuals and algal fragments into experimental containers, as well as in manipulative assays where algal fragments were deployed on the drift line, by night at low tide, following the peak of consumer abundance on the beach. The consumption rate on fresh material depended on temperature and body size. Both low and high temperatures drastically reduced the consumption of algal material, with the feeding rate increasing with decreasing body size. Decomposition of algae enhanced the consumption, with maximum rates obtained when algae decayed in a wet environment. Consumption rose with increasing algal humidity, with deterrent molecules (such as phenolics) playing a minor role once the decomposition evolved with time., Introduction Accumulation of detrital macroalgae, also known as algal wrack, is a common event at intertidal coastlines worldwide. Once stranded on the shore, allochthonous inputs supply food and habitat to [...]