The South West Regional Coastal Monitoring Programme conducts coastal monitoring in the southwest of England to standardize data collection and understand long term trends from climate change. The program utilizes various surveys including topographic and bathymetric surveys, LiDAR, aerial photography, and hydrodynamic instrumentation. Data is made freely available to support coastal management and research. Future efforts include securing additional funding and exploring new monitoring technologies.

1. Emerald Siggery
Coastal Process Scientist
South West Regional Coastal Monitoring Programme

2. To promote a standard, repeatable and cost effective method of monitoring the coastal environment in the South West

3. Plymouth Coastal Observatory Environment Agency (SW Region) SW Maritime Local Authorities Plymouth University Teignbridge District Council

4. 1st Phase of Programme 2006-2011
2nd Phase of Programme 2011-2016
100% grant aid funded - £4.4 million over 5 years

5. Original Extent
Extension

6. Various coastal defence schemes underway in the South West
Flood Risk Management Schemes
Managed Realignment Projects
Beach Management Schemes
Shoreline Management Plans
Monitoring required for each scheme – data rarely archived
Tourism spending in South West is over £9,000m annually
Long term trends needed to monitor impacts of climate change

7. Topographic Surveys Bathymetric Surveys Hydrodynamic Data
LiDAR Surveys
Aerial Photography
Ecological Monitoring

9. Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS / GNSS
MLWS as seaward limit
Baseline survey at start of phase to get full coverage of all beaches
Interim surveys stakeout points on cross-shore profile lines

11. Sand Bay, North Somerset
First Survey for SWRCMP in 2007
18 Surveys Completed to Date
2 Baseline Surveys – Full Coverage
13 Interim Surveys
3 Post-storm Surveys

12. Reasons for using LiDAR:
Cost effective technique for covering large areas
Covers areas where ground surveying is difficult or dangerous
Problems:
Needs a clear sky

13. Flown between September and May – minimise vegetation cover
Flown over MLWS for maximum coverage of the intertidal area
1m Resolution
Up to 6 flights in the Severn Estuary to date

15. Flown Between May and September
10cm resolution
Flown over MLWS for maximum coverage of the intertidal area
3 sets of photography to date
2007
2009
2013/2014

16. Standard Images
Used to visualise change
A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words…

17. False Colour Infra-Red Images
Used to map specific inter-tidal habitats such as saltmarsh

18. Aerial Photography Interpretation
1 complete survey to date
Second survey scheduled for the current phase of the Programme
Uses Integrated Habitat Classification System
Produced maps and GIS shapefiles

20. Entire coast surveyed in the first Phase of the Programme
1 single beam bathymetric survey – up to Severn Beach

21. Single-Beam Surveys
Multi-Beam Surveys

23. St. Mary’s Sound

24. Second Severn Crossing WaveRadar Rex
Installed June 2011

25. Location
51° 21.21749' N 003° 1.10066' W
Approximate Water Depth
~ 13m CD
Tidal Range
Approx. Spring Tidal Range = 11.2m
Weston Bay Directional WaveRider Buoy
Deployed September 2009
Minehead Directional WaveRider Buoy
Deployed December 2006
Location
51°13.71588'N 003° 28.31677' W
Approximate Water Depth
~ 10m CD
Tidal Range
Approx. Spring Tidal Range =
9.6m

26. Wave Height
Wave Period
Wave Direction
Sea Temperature
Wave Height
Wave Period

28. Photo: EMU Limited

29. Real-Time Data
Archived Data
Individual Wave and Tide Reports

31. All data freely available from our website
Used by local authority engineers, consultants etc…
Annual Reports produced by PCO
User friendly at-a-glance view of beach condition
Baseline to Spring Survey
Spring to Spring Survey

32. Securing funding for Phase 3 of the Programme
Reviewing our data and exploring new technology
Continuing to build a long term dataset