COASTAL ENGINEERING, COASTAL RESEARCH, UNIVERSITIES AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Abstract

Coastal Engineering was new in 1950/1960 and at first, it was all about solving urgent coastal problems. There were no recipes, no formulas, no models; nor was there much experience at that time. Inventiveness and ingenuity were the key design ingredients. Coastal Engineering is a broad subject that is concerned with the interaction between the water and the shore. This involves fluid motion, such as waves and currents and its interaction with a shore that can be anything from sandy beaches to marshlands to highly engineered shorelines, such as found in centers with dense populations. It involves complex hydraulics and fluid mechanics principles on the one hand and complex design criteria on the other hand. It also involves detailed knowledge of the environmental systems where the projects are located. Thus, one obvious need for Coastal Engineering analysis and design is individuals with broad knowledge, interests and background. Such individuals need access to and communication with colleagues in related technical and scientific areas. As a result, much of the early coastal engineering was done at universities.