Physical and biological dynamic coastal processes and their role in coastal recovery (BLUE-coast)

The BLUE-coast consortium addresses NERC highlight topic B, Coastal morphology: coastal sediment budgets and their
role in coastal recovery. This project will adopt a holistic and multidisciplinary approach, combining the expertise of
biologists, coastal engineers, geologists, geomorphologists and oceanographers with complementary experimental (field
and laboratory) and numerical skills, to understand what processes control the coastal system dynamics and answer the
relevant scientific questions.
BLUE-coast will explicitly address uncertainties in the prediction of medium-term (years) and long -term (decadal and
longer) regional sediment budgets and better understand morphological change and how the coast recovers after
sequences of events, such as storms by: (i) improving representation of both transportable and source material within the
coastal zone within models; (ii) establishing how transportable material is mediated by the ecological system using
exemplar habitats representative of the UK coastal zone; (iii) assessing sensitivities of this mixed-sediment physical and
biological system to possible changes in external forcing, including the combined impact of multiple variables and
sequences of events, with the goal of understanding the internal dynamics of the system (e.g. nonlinearities, critical
thresholds, tipping points, precursors and antecedent conditions) in parallel with assessments of behavioural uncertainties,
and (iv) reduce uncertainties in medium to long -term prediction of regional sediment budgets and morphological change.
Project Overview: the scope of the Highlight Topic sets a requirement for quantitative knowledge on both physical and
biological dynamic coastal processes in order to improve hydrodynamic model predictions of regional sediment budgets
and morphological change. To deliver an integrated, holistic and cost effective response, our main activities will combine (i)
a detailed study of representative shelf sea landscapes that spans the full variety of organism-sediment conditions typically
observed in temperate coasts, with (ii) in situ validation studies of key processes, and (iii) manipulative laboratory and field
experiments aimed at unambiguously identifying causal relationships and establishing generality, and (iv) integration of
new understanding of controls and effects on coastal morphodynamics at regional scales and under environmental forcing.
By undertaking a substantial element of in situ observation and process studies, we will directly quantify the effect of
antecedent conditions on coastal erosion and recovery, the effect of biota on mediating sediment fluxes and pathways and
the effect of event sequencing on coastal erosion and recovery, across a range of geographically significant sediment
habitats. These data will act as calibration and validation datasets for existing and innovative numerical models that will be
able to simulate the coastal morphological consequences of key biological and physical drivers, alone and in combination.
We will gain mechanistic understanding and achieve generality by performing carefully controlled experiments, generating
different flow regimes using flumes, tracking changes during natural events using state-of-the-art field measurement
technology and, in the laboratory, using intact sediments and sediment communities exposed to anticipated future
conditions (warming, ocean acidification, nutrient loading). As it is not feasible to quantify all the relevant morphodynamic
processes at high spatial resolution across the entire UK coast, our approach is to address the principal objectives through
4 interdisciplinary workpackages that follow a logical progression of scientific themes.

Our research will deliver improved predictions of coastal erosion in different coastal habitats, along with modelling tools to
better understand coastal recovery and to understand the implications of climate change for coastal systems. We will
provide evidence-based advice for different options for coastal protection and management. We will engage with
stakeholders at the national (e.g. Defra, Environment Agency), regional (e.g. District Councils, Internal Drainage Boards,
Regional Flood and Coastal Committees) and local level (e.g. community groups, coastal flood fora, the public) using
workshops, web-based material, newsletters and an end-of-project roadshow. We will also engage with non-government
organisations associated with coastal land management (e.g. National Trust, Crown Estate) or with interests in protecting
specific coastal marine species or habitats (e.g. Wildlife Trusts, RSPB). We will produce a series of short accessible
videos having adopted the technique successfully before. Management of the project's impacts will be under the newly
created Institute for Sustainable Coasts and Oceans at Liverpool. We will produce an annual project newsletter and the
communications teams of all institutes will be proactive with regular press releases for both national and regional media
opportunities, especially focusing on local media in the three 'coastal type' areas where our fieldwork activities will take
place. We will develop a programme of engagement based around interactive activities at community events, visits and
school project work and will target 'hard to reach' sectors of the community through exploring partnerships with
organizations such as the Active Learning Partnership.
We will disseminate our final results at a mobile roadshow that spend a day at a key location within each Regional Flood
and Coastal Committee. This "Moving Coastlines Show" will culminate close to London where we will invite national level
stakeholders (e.g. Defra, Environment Agency, Natural England) and stage a question-time style debate. The KE officer
(NOC) will work closely with the Knowledge Exchange expertise at each institute to monitor and ensure timely delivery of
outreach and impact. Quantitative measures of success will include numbers of people participating in engagement events;
participation in our "Moving Coastlines Show"; usage of our online materials; and by using YouTube Analytics for our public
outreach material, as well as the number of media articles generated. Policy impact will be gauged by the influence that
our work has on strategic environmental planning, but success in this area would be maximized by changes in coastal
planning attributable to our project, particularly in the guidance for Shoreline Management Plans.