Coastal Resilience | National Oceanography Centre

What is coastal resilience and why does it matter?

Coastal resilience is essentially the ability of coastal communities, ecosystems, and infrastructure to withstand and recover from hazards like flooding, erosion, and extreme weather events. It matters because coastal areas are where the land meets the sea. These are dynamic, diverse ecosystems that serve as hubs for economic activity while facing mounting environmental pressures.

The coast presents a unique challenge. While communities benefit enormously from being close to the sea, they also face significant threats from it. Human activities and growing populations have altered our planet, and the triple threat of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution is felt particularly hard at the coast.

How significant are coastal communities in the UK?

Coastal areas are vital to the UK's population and economy. Coastal tourism generates over £13.7 billion in England alone. However, this concentration of people and money brings risks: currently, 2.4 million properties in England are at risk of flooding from rivers and the sea, and this number is projected to rise to 3.1 million between 2036 and 2069.

Key Statistics

%

of the UK population lives within 5km of the coast.

million

people live in coastal settlements in England and Wales.

%

of Scotland's population lives in coastal areas.

million

people visit the coast each year.

How does the ocean affect coastal resilience?

The ocean drives coastal hazards through several mechanisms:

Tides and currents that shape coastal dynamics.
Waves that cause erosion and flooding.
Sea level rise that increases baseline flood risk.
Storm surges during extreme weather events.

Rising sea levels and more frequent extreme weather events mean we need advanced, reliable tools to build resilience. Understanding these ocean processes is essential for protecting our communities and infrastructure.

What research does NOC undertake?

At NOC, we develop models and forecasting tools while maintaining long-term monitoring. This helps increase resilience to hazards like flooding and erosion. Our work covers several key areas:

Scientific Understanding

We advance the understanding of coastal processes to forecast flooding and storm surges and predict future sea level rise. This involves understanding what causes coastal changes, what those changes look like, and how coasts respond.

Adaptation and Mitigation

We work on solutions like nature-based approaches. These provide flood and erosion protection while delivering co-benefits, such as aiding carbon cycling.

Policy and Planning

Our work informs marine policy and planning, such as Shoreline Management Plans. We provide actionable insights to government agencies, environmental groups, and industry.

Monitoring and Observation

We keep long-term observations going to determine the baseline state of our coasts and track how conditions change over time.

Why is this important for the wider Earth system?

Coastal zones are critical interfaces for several reasons:

Biodiversity Hotspots

They support rich ecosystems, fisheries, and marine life, which are essential for food security and ecosystem health.

Nutrient Exchange

As the meeting point of land and sea, coasts are where nutrients are exchanged. This plays a huge role in global biogeochemical cycles.

Nature-Based Solutions

Adaptation measures, especially nature-based ones, don't just protect against floods; they also contribute to carbon cycling. This makes them both adaptation and mitigation measures.

Socioeconomic Significance

Coasts are hubs for human activity, supporting livelihoods, trade, and our cultural connections to the sea.

How do we approach this research?

Because the coast is such a complex environment, building resilience requires working across different sectors and disciplines. We engage with the research community, coastal residents, government agencies, local councillors, and practitioners.

This engagement helps us understand exactly what is needed in terms of scientific evidence, technology, and monitoring. Crucially, because our research can impact communities directly, we aim to engage with local stakeholders right from the start of a project. This allows us to:

Incorporate local knowledge.
Better understand community needs.
Avoid blind spots and question our own assumptions.
Consider the real-world implications of our work.

Tools and Methods

We use a range of advanced tools, including:

Coastal modelling that downscales global models to show local changes.
Forecasting tools for predicting hazards.
Long-term monitoring programmes.
Sensors for measuring coastal processes.

Current Projects

We are tackling pressing scientific questions through multidisciplinary national and international teams. Key projects include:

CHAMFER

gravelbeach

Why is this research critical?

Our work helps us understand the drivers of sea level change and how coastal processes interact with the climate. By exploring adaptation methods, like nature-based solutions, we help communities become resilient to climate change. Without this research, we would face severe knowledge gaps:

Local Vulnerability: Communities would lack knowledge about possible impacts, making them more vulnerable to flooding and extreme weather. They would be less prepared for future changes.
Policy Effectiveness: Public policy, hazard assessment, and sustainable development plans would lack necessary scientific evidence. This would lead to less efficient adaptation measures and higher risks.
Preparedness: We would be unable to adequately understand extreme events like storm surges. As sea levels rise, these events are becoming more common, putting everything from ecosystems to infrastructure at risk.

Real resilience comes after we understand future changes and implement adaptation measures. We need to know the current state of our coasts to figure out how to adapt. Our work translates complex climate science into actionable insights for communities, governments, and industries.

Outcomes and Outreach

We have generated several major outcomes:

Scientific Advances: We have underpinned the understanding of coastal processes and upscaled our knowledge of coastal responses to climate change.
Practical Applications: We have provided evidence for flood protection via nature-based solutions and improved the UK's early warning capacity and predictions for coastal hazards.
Policy and Practice: Our work has led to cultural changes in flood protection, increased public awareness, and direct collaboration with policymakers.

We actively share our research through:

Community Engagement: School visits, open days, and workshops with local stakeholders (such as recent events at Airth and Hesketh Out Marsh).
Academic Forums: Conferences like the UK Coastal Research Conference and EGU.
Media: The Into the Blue podcast, news articles, and interviews.

This collaborative approach ensures our research is relevant and responsible, addressing