Videos – Coastal Land Loss
Topic Key
Causes and Effects of Land Loss
Coastal Wetlands
Community Perspectives
Earth Processes
Historical Profiles
Mitigation
Aerial Seeding
In addition to restoration by volunteers, PC also utilizes aerial seeding techinques. If successful the seeds spread by airplane will grow into towering swamp trees, which will help to rebuild swamp habitat and will also protect surrounding communities from storm surge.
Source: Ponchartrain Conservancy
An Introduction to Living Shorelines
"'Living shorelines' is a term used to define a number of shoreline protection options that allow for natural coastal processes to remain through the strategic placement of plants, stone, sand fill, and other structural and organic materials.The goal is to retain much of the wind, tide, and storm-related wave protection of a hard structure, while maintaining some of the features of natural shorelines."
Source: Restore America's Estuaries
Building on the Shore
"In this episode, we’re learning about coastal erosion and how it affects homes built near the shore. We explore the coastline with Hawai’i Sea Grant Extension Agent, Ruby Pap, and County of Kauai planner, Ka'aina Hull, to see what happens when buildings are put too close to the ocean compared to buildings that are set-back, allowing natural beach action and sea-level rise to occur—without damaging properties."
Source: Hawaiʻi Sea Grant
Coastal Erosion on Maui
In this episode, we're looking at eroding beaches of West Maui, where large condos are being threatened by loss of sand and sea-level rise with Hawai’i Sea Grant Coastal Hazards Expert Tara Owens and Maui County planner, Jim Buika.
Source: Hawai'i Sea Grant
Delta Dispatches (Podcast)
"On today’s show, our hosts are joined by Darilyn Turner, Executive Director of Zion Travelers Cooperative Center, and four of her trainees to talk about her organization and what makes the East Bank the best bank. ZTCC is an organization that’s built around advocating for coastal restoration, disaster preparedness and connecting the youth of Plaquemines Parish to the environment. In the second half the show, Chris Roberts, Grants Manager of Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and Monica Barra, Research Assistant for The Water Institute of the Gulf, talk about the documentary series Water/Ways."
Source: Delta Dispatches Radio Show
Designing Future Coastal Communities
"In this episode, we’re at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa’s School of Architecture. We’re looking at projects designed to help coastal O’ahu communities adapt to climate change and sea level rise. We talk to students, researchers and faculty about their focus on sustainability and community resilience."
Source: Hawai'i Sea Grant
Engineering Tsunami Resilience
"In this episode of Voice of the Sea, we investigate how engineers study and design buildings to withstand destructive forces, like tsunamis. We’ll learn about the dangers to Hawai’i, the plan for vertical evacuation in Honolulu, and the new building code."
Source: Hawai'i Sea Grant
Finding Common Ground
"Louisiana’s struggle to restore Louisiana’s Mississippi River Delta has resulted in a new Master Plan that embraces new advances in scientific knowledge— new tools for rebuilding the coast. Local, traditional ecological knowledge can also be a tool for cost saving planning. Finding Common Ground uses documentary film techniques to show how all those impacted by coastal erosion can cross over out of their silos, overcome long term psychological barriers, and achieve new understanding that may fast track restoration projects to build much needed new ground."
For a 22 minute version of the film, click here.
Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion
"Rudy Simoneaux, engineering manager for the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority explains the concept behind the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project to be located near Myrtle Grove, Louisiana."
Source: nola.com
Multiple Lines of Defense Strategy
"The coast has always been our first line of defense against hurricanes for southeast Louisiana. Recognizing this, Pontchartrain Conservancy (PC) developed the Multiple Lines of Defense Strategy designed to help save our coast. In the simplest terms, this strategy highlighted below shows how natural features of our coast (like barrier islands, marshes, and ridges) compliment man-made features (like levees) to protect the Greater New Orleans area from hurricanes."
Source: Pontchartrain Conservancy
When Science and Stories Meet
"It is often easy to use empty metaphors or scientific jargon to explain the impacts and future related to coastal land loss. But when scientists take the time to elevate the voices of people that are losing their homes and livelihood, science and stories blend to have deeper impacts on those looking from the outside. In this talk, Madelyn Smith shares her photography, and the stories of people photographed, to illuminate the urgency and broader impacts of Louisiana’s coastal land loss."
Source: TEDx
Why Do Rivers Have Deltas?
"Where rivers meet the ocean, coastlines tend to bend either inward or outward, creating estuaries and deltas. But how do they get those shapes?"
Source: MinuteEarth
Combating coastal land loss
"Coastal residents are not strangers to environmental issues that threaten our land and lives. But how can we address them? In this TEDx talk, wetland ecologist Karen McKee explains some of the science behind land subsidence, the importance of coastal ecosystems, what this means for the future of communities, and discusses potential tools to move toward solutions."
Run time: 15 minutes
Source: TEDxLSU
Dutch coastal maintenance with sand
"This video shows how Rijkswaterstaat uses sand to keep the Dutch coast safely in its place. In this way the Netherlands is protected against the sea."
Run time: 7 minutes
Source: Rijkswaterstaat
FEMA buyout not as easy as it sounds
"There is a flurry of talk about large-scale home buyouts as one answer to reducing flood risk, but the reality is any massive buyout plan is much easier said than done."
In this news segment from KHOU 11, Houston residents and homeowners offer their perspectives on the plan to buy and repurpose land in areas more likely to experience flooding.
Run time: 4 minutes
Source: KHOU 11
A glimpse into a restored oyster reef
"The Paynter Lab at the University of Maryland conducts oyster reef surveys three years after restored reefs are planted with baby oysters, known as spat."
Run time: 5 minutes
Source: Chesapeake Bay Program
Home Buyout Program
"Learn more information about the Flood Control District Voluntary Home Buyout Program, why buyouts are necessary in Harris County, requirements for a home buyout, and how the buyout process works."
Run time: 4 minutes
Source: Harris Country Flood Control District
Homeowners elevate houses
"Elevating a home for flood protection is a major task that can be expensive and lead to many anxious moments, but it can also give homeowners a sense of security when the next tropical storm comes ashore. LSU AgCenter correspondent Craig Gautreaux has the story of a historic home that is being raised to protect it from future storms."
Run time: 2 minutes
Source: LSU AgCenter
How a Delta is Formed
"Since the beginning of human civilization, people have settled along rivers and on the fertile deltas created by them. The sediment carried and deposited by mighty rushing waters creates land rich in nutrients and ideal for crops and livestock. Where there are uninhibited rivers, there is new, rich land, and where such resources abound there are people."
Run time: 4 minutes
Source: Louisiana Sea Grant
How levee wars make floods worse
"In our latest Vox + ProPublica collaboration, we dive into how a structure that’s designed to protect us from floods, may actually be making them worse. High levees come at a high cost, often pushing water into communities that can’t afford the same protection. To demonstrate, we built a giant, scientific model of a river with levees — complete with adorable tiny houses."
Run time: 7 minutes
Source: Vox
Importance of Mangrove Forests
"Mangrove ecosystems provide a multitude of goods and services for people, including: provision of food and clean water (provisioning services), influence climate regulation, soil composition regulation and disaster risk reduction (regulating services), and recreational and spiritual space (cultural services)."
Run time: 2 minutes
Source: Mangrove Action Project
My Louisiana Love
"Tracing Monique Verdin’s quest to find a place in her Native American community as it suffers from decades of environmental degradation. When she returns to Louisiana to reunite with family, she sees that the traditional way of life is threatened by a cycle of man-made environmental crises. Monique must overcome the loss of her house, her father and her partner, and redefine the meaning of home." For the full documentary, click here.
Run time: 2 minutes
Source: PBS
Nutria Hunted to Save Wetlands
"On Maryland's Eastern Shore, wildlife biologists look for new ways to control nutria, 20-pound rodents from South America. Jorge Ribas reports from the marsh."
Run time: 4 minutes
Source: Discovery
Salt Marshes vs The Sea
"Salt marshes fringe much of the world’s low-lying coasts. They act as a first line of defence against storm surge waves, reducing storm water levels and the run up of waves on landward sea defences. As a result, vulnerable shorelines and engineered coastal defences are at lower risk of suffering under the impact of climate change, for example through sea level rise and intense storms."
Run time: 5 minutes
Source: Cambridge University
Seagrasses and Mangroves
"Known as “hotspots of biodiversity,” seagrasses and mangroves attract and support a variety of marine life. However, worldwide damage and removal of these plants continue at a rapid pace. Changing Seas travels along Florida’s coastline to get a better understanding of the significant roles mangroves and seagrasses play within the state."
Run time: 27 minutes
Source: Changing Seas
The problems with rebuilding beaches
"The most popular strategy to counter [erosion] is a process called beach nourishment. Coastal engineers will add new sand to an eroding beach in order to rebuild or expand the shoreline. Watch the video above to learn more about how beach nourishments can help defend the coast but are problematic as a long-term solution."
Run time: 7 minutes
Source: Vox
Sea level rise and coastal cities
"Sea level rise is already redrawing coastlines around the world. What happens when the coast retreats through a major city? We look at how the world map will change in the year 2100, and what coastal cities can do to defend themselves."
Run time: 7 minutes
Source: Verge Science
What is coastal erosion?
"Coastal erosion is a natural, ongoing process that has been happening for thousands of years. This video explains how it happens and the factors that affect the rate of erosion."
Run time: 4 minutes
Source: Environment Agency, UK