The island of Nantucket experiences extreme coastal erosion and property owners have built various types of coastal erosion structures to try and limit adverse impacts. The goal of this project was to find, categorize, and conduct a preliminary evaluation of the effectiveness of existing structures. Through reviews of permit information and aerial photographs, site visits, stakeholder interviews, we created a comprehensive database and an interactive map of 72 coastal erosion structures on the island. We conclude that ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ erosion structures may inhibit erosion in the short term over a limited spatial extent, but effectiveness varies dramatically by location and many structures have unintended proximal impacts.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Sullivan, Kathleen Mary
• Hunt, Lauren Audrey
• Sample, Christopher Michael

Subject

• Infrastructure
• Environment
• Community
• Sustainability

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-121814-124518

Keyword

• Soil conservation
• Sustainability
• Sustainable development--Environmental aspects

Advisor

• Golding, Dominic
• Selkow, Stanley M.
• Ludwig, Reinhold

Year

• 2014

Center

• Nantucket, Massachusetts Project Center - IQP

Sponsor

• Natural Resources Department, Town of Nantucket

Date created

• 2014-12-18

Location

• Nantucket

Resource type

• Interactive Qualifying Project

Rights statement

• In Copyright