Rhode Island Beach Dynamics over Decades

The Rhode Island coastline is a stunning, invaluable resource for residents and visitors to "The Ocean State."  The ocean shoreline is also very dynamic, and many areas are eroding over time.  To better understand shoreline changes, students and scientists from the University of Rhode Island (URI) Graduate School of Oceanography, the URI Environmental Data Center, the URI Department of Geosciences and Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) have surveyed several RI beaches for many decades.  This website funded by the RI Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council (EC4) presents and discusses this important and unique dataset. 

Using beach profile data collected from the 1960s to today, shoreline changes are better understood. This information is used to inform decision-making locally and advance science globally. The RI Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) leads the management of the Rhode Island coast and partners in the monitoring efforts.

Shoreline Surveys

This website shares data generated from more than a thousand surveys by countless students and staff since 1962.  Currently, regular beach monitoring is conducted along eight beaches from Misquamicut to South Kingstown.  These sites provide an enhanced picture of shoreline dynamics over the short- and long-term, and these data are often combined and compared with other datasets to evaluate event impacts, driving processes or local changes. 

It is important to highlight that the surveys are not the only shoreline studies by URI and ECSU researchers!  Many other locations have been or continue to be examined from Providence to Point Judith, even around Block Island.  For example, statewide shoreline mapping using aerial imagery enables a broader view of shoreline shifts over the long term (see below). However, these analyses are insufficient for quantifying short-timescale changes from storms or seasonal variations.  Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS, commonly called drones) are also employed to track coastal dynamics (see images at the top and bottom), but these approaches require more time and effort.  In addition to measuring changes, many RI researchers model coastal processes and engage with communities and managers to help understand and address their perspectives and resilience planning.  Shoreline studies are a critical part of coastal zone management efforts. 

Above: Decadal shoreline change rates in South Kingstown based on mapped historical shorelines.  Shoreline colors denote different years: 1939 (Red), 1951 (Black), 1963 (Purple), 2012 (Green), and 2014 (Blue).   Note that erosion along this stretch exceeded 200 feet between 1939 and 2014.   Image from the CRMC Shoreline Change Maps.  

Beach profiles surveys reported here are one tool in the toolbox to identify and communicate issues associated with our changing coasts. Learn more about the methods, etc. through the links below.