COASTIE Citizen Science Program for Measuring Impacts of Hurricane Fiona
Standing
Undergraduate
Type of Proposal
Oral Research Presentation
Challenges Theme
Open Challenge
Faculty Sponsor
Dr. Chris Houser
Proposal
Canada’s coastal systems are increasingly vulnerable to erosion due to eustatic sea level rise and changes in storm frequency and magnitude. Erosion of beach and dune systems threatens critical ecosystems and anthropogenic services, and there is a need to improve our understanding on the evolution of these systems in response to ambient environmental conditions and climate change. The COASTIE citizen science project at Canadian National Parks was established in 2021 and was designed to enable high temporal resolution monitoring of shoreline change and dune erosion and recovery through multiple seasons and storm events. Images taken by park visitors are uploaded directly to the University of Windsor’s Coastal Research Group’s database for image processing, rectification, and shoreline mapping and analysis through Matlab and ArcMap programs. This study focuses on an extreme erosion event associated with post-tropical storm Fiona at Cavendish and Brackley Beaches, located on the north shore of Prince Edward Island (PEI). Preliminary results demonstrate how the monitoring of coastal systems from pre and post storm events such as Fiona, allow for accurate measurements to be taken for sediment loss, shoreline retreat, and erosion of dunes and ultimately the recovery of the beach and dune. The photographic monitoring of coastal sites by citizen scientists has proven to be a powerful tool that will enhance public engagement and our understanding of coastal system dynamics through time.
Grand Challenges
Viable, Healthy and Safe Communities
COASTIE Citizen Science Program for Measuring Impacts of Hurricane Fiona
Canada’s coastal systems are increasingly vulnerable to erosion due to eustatic sea level rise and changes in storm frequency and magnitude. Erosion of beach and dune systems threatens critical ecosystems and anthropogenic services, and there is a need to improve our understanding on the evolution of these systems in response to ambient environmental conditions and climate change. The COASTIE citizen science project at Canadian National Parks was established in 2021 and was designed to enable high temporal resolution monitoring of shoreline change and dune erosion and recovery through multiple seasons and storm events. Images taken by park visitors are uploaded directly to the University of Windsor’s Coastal Research Group’s database for image processing, rectification, and shoreline mapping and analysis through Matlab and ArcMap programs. This study focuses on an extreme erosion event associated with post-tropical storm Fiona at Cavendish and Brackley Beaches, located on the north shore of Prince Edward Island (PEI). Preliminary results demonstrate how the monitoring of coastal systems from pre and post storm events such as Fiona, allow for accurate measurements to be taken for sediment loss, shoreline retreat, and erosion of dunes and ultimately the recovery of the beach and dune. The photographic monitoring of coastal sites by citizen scientists has proven to be a powerful tool that will enhance public engagement and our understanding of coastal system dynamics through time.