Shifting Sands: Tracking the Changing Shape of Our Shore

From major storms to daily tides, the sandy shores of New Hampshire are constantly moving — gaining sand in some places and losing it in others. But how do scientists and volunteers actually track those changes over time?

In this episode of Time and Tide, we dig into the world of beach profiling — a simple yet powerful method that measures the contour of the shoreline month after month to reveal patterns of erosion and accretion along our coast. By taking regular measurements of beach elevation and slope, the NH Volunteer Beach Profile Monitoring Program contributes to long-term coastal monitoring efforts that inform local decision-making, coastal resilience planning, and scientific research.

Learn how citizen scientists — also referred to as participatory scientists — use two measuring poles to collect this important data, while researchers interpret the meaning of this for your favorite New Hampshire beaches.

What better way to explain beach profiling, than to take you for a walk along the beach in Seabrook, NH, where a small group of researchers and volunteer citizen scientists meet on a windy winter day to measure the beach.

Guest Speakers:

Alyson Eberhardt, Ph.D., Coastal Ecosystems Extension Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Larry Ward, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor, UNH Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

Wells Costello, Citizen Science Program Manager, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Rachel Morrison, Research Assistant, UNH Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

Hosted by: Brian Yurasits, Science Communication Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant

Produced by: Brian Yurasits

Further reading: