The National Network of Regional Coastal Monitoring Programmes consists of six Regional Monitoring Programmes. For each programme a Lead Local Authority takes responsibility for funding applications, budget control, data collection, quality control, implementation of the programme and makes sure the programme gets delivered to its partners in the Regional Programme and the Coastal Group. The Lead Authorities for the Regional Programmes are:
- Northeast – Scarborough Borough Council
- East Riding – East Riding of Yorkshire Council
- Anglian – Environment Agency
- Southeast – New Forest District Council
- Southwest – Teignbridge District Council
- Northwest – Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
The southeast Regional Coastal Monitoring Programme covers Isle of Grain to Portland Bill, with Isle of Grain to Selsey Bill falling within the South East Coastal Group boundaries.
The low-lying land in the Southeast region (Cells 4 and 5, Isle of Grain to Portland Bill) is vulnerable to flooding and the soft sedimentary geology across the region is frequently vulnerable to erosion. Most of the 1,236 km of coast is vulnerable to either erosion or flooding. Exposure is quite variable, with a series of large harbour systems and some considerable areas of wetlands. Approximately 10% of the population are at risk from flooding and billions of pounds of infrastructure are at risk.
The primary objectives of the monitoring programme are:
- To assist coastal managers by providing them with relevant information on which to make sustainable future shoreline management decisions
- To assist in the definition of the magnitude of risks of coastal flooding and erosion and to provide data to support re-evaluation of those risks in the future.
- To improve understanding of coastal process behaviour and how those processes interact with the shoreline.
The South East Coastal Group works with the monitoring teams within its area, between Isle of Grain to Selsey Bill. Canterbury City Council manages the programme between Isle of Grain and Beachy Head and Adur and Worthing Borough Council manage the programme between Beachy Head and Selsey Bill.
Topographic Survey Techniques
GPS Profiling
GPS Continuous Data, Walking
Static Laser Scanner
Mobile Laser Scanner
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Other Data Collected
Aerial Photography to MLWS – 3 years
Habitat Mapping to MLWS – every 3 years
Lidar Data to MLWS – every 2 years
Bathymetric Data – 5 years
Hydrodynamics Data – daily
For more information on survey techniques visit the Coastal Monitoring website http://www.coastalmonitoring.org/survey_techniques/
Or email coastalmonitoring@canterbury.gov.uk or coastalmonitoring@adur-worthing.gov.uk