Understanding and Modeling Coastal Evolution in North Essex
Brightlingsea Harbour Coastal Movement Study
The Challenge
Brightlingsea Harbour and the North Essex coastline face significant challenges from climate change and coastal processes. Over the past two decades, a shingle spit has grown dramatically at the harbour mouth due to longshore drift, threatening this vital piece of coastal infrastructure.
We are seeking research partners to help us understand, model, and develop resilience strategies for the long-term evolution of our shoreline and harbour entrance in the face of:
- Changing storm patterns due to climate change
- Environmental disturbances from coastal engineering activities
- Complex sediment transport processes
- Future sea-level rise scenarios
Research Opportunities
This project offers exceptional opportunities for impactful coastal engineering and geomorphology research:
Core Research Objectives:
- Model the processes driving spit evolution and harbour entrance changes
- Simulate coastal dynamics under different future climate scenarios
- Evaluate large-scale mitigation strategies (dredging, coastal engineering solutions)
- Explore nature-based solutions that enhance marine ecology
👥 Citizen Science Potential:
This project offers excellent opportunities for citizen science engagement. The supportive Brightlingsea community could participate in:
- Regular coastal monitoring and photographic surveys
- Data collection on beach profiles and sediment characteristics
- Environmental observations (weather, tides, storm events)
- Public engagement and education activities
Such involvement would enhance data collection, foster community ownership of the research, and provide valuable public engagement impact for grant applications.
📊 Extensive Historical Data Available:
The Harbour Commission, with assistance from Commissioner Duncan Nicholson (Marine Engineer, Arup Fellow), has compiled comprehensive datasets including:
- Historical charts dating back to the Second World War
- Photographic records spanning decades
- Recent drone surveys
- Bathymetric survey data
Ideal Research Partners
We welcome collaboration from:
- Coastal engineering departments
- Geomorphology and sedimentology researchers
- Marine and coastal ecology groups
- Climate adaptation and resilience research centers
- Hydraulic modeling and computational fluid dynamics specialists
- Public engagement and citizen science researchers
- Graduate students seeking impactful thesis projects
The Harbour Commission has proven experience in successful research collaborations, including participation in the highly successful USAR (Using Sediment As a Resource) Interreg project.
Join Us in This Important Work
This is a unique opportunity to conduct meaningful coastal research with a committed, supportive partner, access to excellent data, community engagement opportunities, and the potential for real-world impact on coastal communities and ecosystems.
We're ready to work with you on funding applications and provide the partnership support needed for successful grant proposals.
Contact the Brightlingsea Harbour Commission to discuss partnership opportunities
Together, we can build coastal resilience for the future
Past Research Project Experience Demonstrated by Very Successful USAR Project
The Harbour Commission has proven experience in successful research collaborations. We participated in the USAR (Using Sediment As a Resource) Interreg 2seas project, demonstrating our commitment to and capability in supporting meaningful coastal research partnerships.
USAR (Using Sediment As a Resource) is an Interreg 2seas project (https://www.interreg2seas.eu/en/usar) that Exo Environmental are working on. For more information head to: http://exo-env.co.uk/USAR