Living with Florida's Atlantic Beaches: Coastal Hazards from Amelia Island to Key West (Living with the Shore) [Paperback]

David M. Bush (Author), William J. Neal (Author), Norma J. Longo (Author), Kenyon C. Lindeman (Author), Deborah F. Pilkey (Author), Luciana S. Esteves (Author)

Book Description

Series: Living with the Shore | Publication Date: June 7, 2004

From Amelia Island just south of Georgia to Key West’s southern tip, beaches are one of Florida’s greatest assets. Yet these beaches are in danger: rapid structural development on a highly erodible coast make them vulnerable to some of nature’s greatest storms. The same development that has been driven by the attraction of beautiful beaches and coastal amenities now threatens those very resources. In turn, coastal structures are at risk from sea-level rise, shoreline retreat, winter storms, and hurricanes. Most of the methods for reducing losses associated with storms protect property only in the short term—at a growing cost in dollars and loss of natural habitat in the long term.

Living with Florida’s Atlantic Beaches is a guide to mitigating or reducing losses of property, human life, and natural resources by living with, rather than just at, the shore. This illustrated volume provides an introduction to coastal processes and geology as well as a brief history of coastal hazards and short-sighted human responses. This is the first volume in the Living with the Shore series to discuss the significant long-term impact of dredge-and-fill beach construction on living marine resources. Guidance is provided for long-term risk reduction in the form of tips on storm-resistant construction and site evaluation; maps for evaluating relative vulnerability to hazards are also included. A brief review of coastal regulations will help property owners understand and navigate the various permit requirements for developing coastal property. Living with Florida’s Atlantic Beaches is an invaluable source of information for everyone from the curious beach visitor to the community planner, from the prudent property investor to the decision-making public official.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book provides a comprehensive overview of coastal realities, including ecological and hydrological dynamics; assessment and evaluation of risk; related socio-cultural events and perspectives; coastal engineering; and managing the built environment. The authors advocate living with the shoreline and coastal processes in Florida, rather than struggling against them."
--Natural Hazards Observer

About the Author

David M. Bush is an associate professor in the Department of Geosciences at the State University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Georgia.

William J. Neal is a professor in the Department of Geology at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan.

Norma J. Longo is a geologist in Durham, North Carolina.

Kenyon C. Lindeman, a biologist, is a senior scientist with Environmental Defense in Miami, Florida.

Deborah F. Pilkey is an engineer in Simi Valley, California.

Luciana Slomp Esteves is a coastal geologist at the Laboratory of Oceanographic Geology at Fundacao University in Rio Grande, Brazil.

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Duke University Press Books (June 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822332892
• ISBN-13: 979-0822332892
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,234,558 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.