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Beach rotation is a widely described process characterized by periodic alternations in sediment transport involving erosion at one end of the beach and accretion at the other. The 1500-km-long coast of the Guianas, South America, is a unique system dominated by large migrating mud banks, muddy, mangrove-rich shorelines, and rare sandy beaches. Interactions between waves and the rare beaches on this coast are affected by the mud banks which are separated by ‘inter-bank’ areas. Kourou beach is situated near the site of the European Space Agency’s satellite-launching pad in French Guiana. The beach has maintained multi-decadal stability, but its interaction with mud banks has led to phases of severe erosion. To understand these changes, which constitute a risk for the urban front of Kourou, we combined a mesoscale temporal (1950–2017) analysis of shoreline fluctuations with a short-term approach based on photogrammetric monitoring of beach change conducted in 2017–2018 and on bathymetric surveys of the nearshore zone. The results show that Kourou beach evolves in a context of ‘rotation’, a process involving periodic alternations in beach erosion and recovery. Rotation is characterized during inter-bank phases by ‘normal’ sand transport to the northwest generated by the prevailing NE waves, and during mud-bank phases by drift reversal to the southeast generated by refraction of these waves at the leading front of a bank. Due to the aperiodic nature of these bank and inter-bank phases, erosion and accretion involved in beach rotation may prevail over variable periods of time (several years to decades). The large mud banks migrating from east to west first protect the southeastern sector of the beach, blocking the ‘normal’ northwestward longshore sand transport, but generating, through differential refraction, southeastward counter-drift. These processes and the irregular timescale of beach rotation they entail have not been compatible with the recent urbanization of the

Beach rotation is a widely described process characterized by periodic alternations in sediment transport involving erosion at one end of the beach and accretion at the other. The 1500-km-long coast of the Guianas, South America, is a unique system dominated by large migrating mud banks, muddy, mangrove-rich shorelines, and rare sandy beaches. Interactions between waves and the rare beaches on this coast are affected by the mud banks which are separated by ‘inter-bank’ areas. Kourou beach is situated near the site of the European Space Agency’s satellite-launching pad in French Guiana. The beach has maintained multi-decadal stability, but its interaction with mud banks has led to phases of severe erosion. To understand these changes, which constitute a risk for the urban front of Kourou, we combined a mesoscale temporal (1950–2017) analysis of shoreline fluctuations with a short-term approach based on photogrammetric monitoring of beach change conducted in 2017–2018 and on bathymetric surveys of the nearshore zone. The results show that Kourou beach evolves in a context of ‘rotation’, a process involving periodic alternations in beach erosion and recovery. Rotation is characterized during inter-bank phases by ‘normal’ sand transport to the northwest generated by the prevailing NE waves, and during mud-bank phases by drift reversal to the southeast generated by refraction of these waves at the leading front of a bank. Due to the aperiodic nature of these bank and inter-bank phases, erosion and accretion involved in beach rotation may prevail over variable periods of time (several years to decades). The large mud banks migrating from east to west first protect the southeastern sector of the beach, blocking the ‘normal’ northwestward longshore sand transport, but generating, through differential refraction, southeastward counter-drift. These processes and the irregular timescale of beach rotation they entail have not been compatible with the recent urbanization of the

[ES] En la literatura sobre el Procesamiento del Lenguaje Natural (PLN) existe una variedad de herramientas al respecto de los métodos más adecuados para procesar el uso natural de la lengua con herramientas informáticas. En esta investigación, se inicia un estudio sobre la creación de una ontología con el objetivo de que sea utilizada para la detección de cuestiones relativas a la gestión de playas. Por este motivo, se realiza una revisión de la bibliografía del uso de ontologías para el PLN y la detección de problemas medioambientales usando sensores sociales. Además, se analizan diferentes metodologías empleadas con fines diversos y se opta, de manera preliminar, por la metodología más adecuada a los objetivos de este estudio. Esta investigación surge de la necesidad de contribuir en el desarrollo de una ontología de estas características específicas en español., [EN] In the literature on Natural Language Processing (NLP) a diversity of tools is proposed regarding the most appropriate methods to process the natural use of language using technology. This research is the beginning of a study on the creation of an ontology in order to be used for the detection of issues related to beach management. For this reason, a review of the bibliography of the use of ontologies for the NLP and the detection of environmental problems using social sensors is carried out. In addition, different methodologies used for various purposes are analyzed and a preliminary choice of the most appropriate methodology for the objectives of this study is made. This research arises from the need to contribute with an ontology of these specific characteristics in Spanish.

[ES] En la literatura sobre el Procesamiento del Lenguaje Natural (PLN) existe una variedad de herramientas al respecto de los métodos más adecuados para procesar el uso natural de la lengua con herramientas informáticas. En esta investigación, se inicia un estudio sobre la creación de una ontología con el objetivo de que sea utilizada para la detección de cuestiones relativas a la gestión de playas. Por este motivo, se realiza una revisión de la bibliografía del uso de ontologías para el PLN y la detección de problemas medioambientales usando sensores sociales. Además, se analizan diferentes metodologías empleadas con fines diversos y se opta, de manera preliminar, por la metodología más adecuada a los objetivos de este estudio. Esta investigación surge de la necesidad de contribuir en el desarrollo de una ontología de estas características específicas en español., [EN] In the literature on Natural Language Processing (NLP) a diversity of tools is proposed regarding the most appropriate methods to process the natural use of language using technology. This research is the beginning of a study on the creation of an ontology in order to be used for the detection of issues related to beach management. For this reason, a review of the bibliography of the use of ontologies for the NLP and the detection of environmental problems using social sensors is carried out. In addition, different methodologies used for various purposes are analyzed and a preliminary choice of the most appropriate methodology for the objectives of this study is made. This research arises from the need to contribute with an ontology of these specific characteristics in Spanish.

[ES] En la literatura sobre el Procesamiento del Lenguaje Natural (PLN) existe una variedad de herramientas al respecto de los métodos más adecuados para procesar el uso natural de la lengua con herramientas informáticas. En esta investigación, se inicia un estudio sobre la creación de una ontología con el objetivo de que sea utilizada para la detección de cuestiones relativas a la gestión de playas. Por este motivo, se realiza una revisión de la bibliografía del uso de ontologías para el PLN y la detección de problemas medioambientales usando sensores sociales. Además, se analizan diferentes metodologías empleadas con fines diversos y se opta, de manera preliminar, por la metodología más adecuada a los objetivos de este estudio. Esta investigación surge de la necesidad de contribuir en el desarrollo de una ontología de estas características específicas en español., [EN] In the literature on Natural Language Processing (NLP) a diversity of tools is proposed regarding the most appropriate methods to process the natural use of language using technology. This research is the beginning of a study on the creation of an ontology in order to be used for the detection of issues related to beach management. For this reason, a review of the bibliography of the use of ontologies for the NLP and the detection of environmental problems using social sensors is carried out. In addition, different methodologies used for various purposes are analyzed and a preliminary choice of the most appropriate methodology for the objectives of this study is made. This research arises from the need to contribute with an ontology of these specific characteristics in Spanish.

Statistical water quality forecast models are useful tools to assist with beach management. In particular, multiple linear regression (MLR) models have been successfully developed for prediction of fecal indicator bacteria concentrations for beaches in river, lake, and marine environments. Nevertheless, an unresolved challenging issue is the reliable prediction of infrequent events of high bacterial concentrations to inform beach closure decisions to protect public health. The number of field data available for the infrequent events is typically an order of magnitude less than that for days when the water quality criterion is met - MLR models often perform poorly in predicting bacterial concentrations on days when the beaches should be closed. For beach management in Hong Kong, MLR models have been developed to predict beach water quality indices in terms of four gradings (BWQI-1 to 4) based on Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentrations. In this study, we propose an artificial intelligence (AI)-based binary classification (EasyEnsemble) model using class-imbalance learning to predict "very poor"occasions (BWQI-4) - when E. coli concentration exceeds 610 counts/100 mL. Models are developed for three marine beaches with different hydrographic and pollution characteristics using a 30 year data set spanning three periods with different water quality status. The model-data comparison over a wide range of conditions shows that the proposed method results in a significant improvement in the prediction of "very poor"water quality. The proposed class-imbalance method for predicting rare events has an F-score of 0.84, and it significantly outperforms MLR and classification tree (CT) models with corresponding F-scores of 0.39 and 0.69. A robust beach water quality forecast system can hence be developed using hybrid MLR-binary classification modeling. © 2021 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.

[ES] En la literatura sobre el Procesamiento del Lenguaje Natural (PLN) existe una variedad de herramientas al respecto de los métodos más adecuados para procesar el uso natural de la lengua con herramientas informáticas. En esta investigación, se inicia un estudio sobre la creación de una ontología con el objetivo de que sea utilizada para la detección de cuestiones relativas a la gestión de playas. Por este motivo, se realiza una revisión de la bibliografía del uso de ontologías para el PLN y la detección de problemas medioambientales usando sensores sociales. Además, se analizan diferentes metodologías empleadas con fines diversos y se opta, de manera preliminar, por la metodología más adecuada a los objetivos de este estudio. Esta investigación surge de la necesidad de contribuir en el desarrollo de una ontología de estas características específicas en español., [EN] In the literature on Natural Language Processing (NLP) a diversity of tools is proposed regarding the most appropriate methods to process the natural use of language using technology. This research is the beginning of a study on the creation of an ontology in order to be used for the detection of issues related to beach management. For this reason, a review of the bibliography of the use of ontologies for the NLP and the detection of environmental problems using social sensors is carried out. In addition, different methodologies used for various purposes are analyzed and a preliminary choice of the most appropriate methodology for the objectives of this study is made. This research arises from the need to contribute with an ontology of these specific characteristics in Spanish.

Statistical water quality forecast models are useful tools to assist with beach management. In particular, multiple linear regression (MLR) models have been successfully developed for prediction of fecal indicator bacteria concentrations for beaches in river, lake, and marine environments. Nevertheless, an unresolved challenging issue is the reliable prediction of infrequent events of high bacterial concentrations to inform beach closure decisions to protect public health. The number of field data available for the infrequent events is typically an order of magnitude less than that for days when the water quality criterion is met - MLR models often perform poorly in predicting bacterial concentrations on days when the beaches should be closed. For beach management in Hong Kong, MLR models have been developed to predict beach water quality indices in terms of four gradings (BWQI-1 to 4) based on Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentrations. In this study, we propose an artificial intelligence (AI)-based binary classification (EasyEnsemble) model using class-imbalance learning to predict "very poor"occasions (BWQI-4) - when E. coli concentration exceeds 610 counts/100 mL. Models are developed for three marine beaches with different hydrographic and pollution characteristics using a 30 year data set spanning three periods with different water quality status. The model-data comparison over a wide range of conditions shows that the proposed method results in a significant improvement in the prediction of "very poor"water quality. The proposed class-imbalance method for predicting rare events has an F-score of 0.84, and it significantly outperforms MLR and classification tree (CT) models with corresponding F-scores of 0.39 and 0.69. A robust beach water quality forecast system can hence be developed using hybrid MLR-binary classification modeling. © 2021 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.

Beach management presents options to apply technological systems that facilitate decision-making as tourist destinations. Therefore, the objective of the article is to analyze the opportunities for the intelligent management of beaches in Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico, from the visitor’s perception, considering the use of technologies in support of social distancing measures, capacity control and ICT to interact with people. The methodology is quantitative, based on a non-experimental, transectional field design. A probabilistic sample with 95% confidence and 4% error was calculated, obtaining the number of 595 visitors, to whom a questionnaire was applied, through the internet, between the months of July-October 2020. The results of the regression analysis Multiple states that the variables technologies to meet the recommendations for social distancing of the COVID-19 pandemic, technologies to control access to the beach and ICT to know the conditions of the tourist area, are related to the dependent variable perception of trust to visit the beaches of the municipality. The adoption of these technological elements will allow the tourist activity to remain, complying with the necessary health security protocols in the current tourism environment., La gestión de playas presenta opciones para aplicar sistemas tecnológicos que faciliten la toma de decisiones como destinos turísticos. Por ello, el objetivo del artículo es analizar las oportunidades para la gestión inteligente de playas en Rosarito, Baja California, México, desde la percepción del visitante, considerando el uso de tecnologías en apoyo a las medidas de distanciamiento social, el control de aforo y las TIC para interactuar con las personas. La metodología es cuantitativa, basada en un diseño de campo no experimental, transeccional. Se calculó una muestra probabilística con 95% de confianza y 4% de error, obteniendo el número de 595 visitantes, a los cuales se les aplicó un cuestionario, mediante internet, entre los meses julio-octubre de 2020. Los resultados del análisis de regresión múltiple señalan que las variables tecnologías para cumplir las recomendaciones de distanciamiento social de la pandemia COVID-19, tecnologías para controlar los accesos a la playa y TIC para conocer las condiciones de la zona turística, se relacionan con la variable dependiente percepción de confianza para visitar las playas del municipio. La adopción de estos elementos tecnológicos permitirá que la actividad turística permanezca, cumpliendo con los protocolos de seguridad sanitaria necesarios en el entorno actual del turismo.

Beach management presents options to apply technological systems that facilitate decision-making as tourist destinations. Therefore, the objective of the article is to analyze the opportunities for the intelligent management of beaches in Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico, from the visitor’s perception, considering the use of technologies in support of social distancing measures, capacity control and ICT to interact with people. The methodology is quantitative, based on a non-experimental, transectional field design. A probabilistic sample with 95% confidence and 4% error was calculated, obtaining the number of 595 visitors, to whom a questionnaire was applied, through the internet, between the months of July-October 2020. The results of the regression analysis Multiple states that the variables technologies to meet the recommendations for social distancing of the COVID-19 pandemic, technologies to control access to the beach and ICT to know the conditions of the tourist area, are related to the dependent variable perception of trust to visit the beaches of the municipality. The adoption of these technological elements will allow the tourist activity to remain, complying with the necessary health security protocols in the current tourism environment., La gestión de playas presenta opciones para aplicar sistemas tecnológicos que faciliten la toma de decisiones como destinos turísticos. Por ello, el objetivo del artículo es analizar las oportunidades para la gestión inteligente de playas en Rosarito, Baja California, México, desde la percepción del visitante, considerando el uso de tecnologías en apoyo a las medidas de distanciamiento social, el control de aforo y las TIC para interactuar con las personas. La metodología es cuantitativa, basada en un diseño de campo no experimental, transeccional. Se calculó una muestra probabilística con 95% de confianza y 4% de error, obteniendo el número de 595 visitantes, a los cuales se les aplicó un cuestionario, mediante internet, entre los meses julio-octubre de 2020. Los resultados del análisis de regresión múltiple señalan que las variables tecnologías para cumplir las recomendaciones de distanciamiento social de la pandemia COVID-19, tecnologías para controlar los accesos a la playa y TIC para conocer las condiciones de la zona turística, se relacionan con la variable dependiente percepción de confianza para visitar las playas del municipio. La adopción de estos elementos tecnológicos permitirá que la actividad turística permanezca, cumpliendo con los protocolos de seguridad sanitaria necesarios en el entorno actual del turismo.

El turismo se ha convertido en uno de los sectores de más rápido crecimiento a nivel mundial; sin embargo, su gestión insostenible ha contribuido significativamente a la degradación ambiental, así como a los impactos sociales y culturales negativos. Andalucía es uno de los destinos turísticos más populares de España debido a sus atractivas costas y clima. La necesidad de restauración y conservación de los ecosistemas costeros es inevitable y la Infraestructura Verde puede servir como sistema de apoyo natural. El objetivo de este documento fue evaluar las limitaciones actuales y las oportunidades futuras de la integración de las Infraestructuras Verdes en la planificación espacial urbana y la gestión de playas. El análisis FODA se utilizó como un sistema de apoyo a la hora de la toma de decisiónes. El conflicto de intereses políticos y sociales, la jerarquía de responsabilidades administrativas y el cambio climático global surgieron como las principales limitaciones, causando otras consecuencias: crecimiento de la urbanización costera, isla de calor urbano, sequías, riesgo de inundaciones, erosión de dunas y reducción de la capacidad de carga de las playas. La necesidad de Infraestructura Verde se identificó como vital y beneficiosa debido a los servicios ecológicos, económicos y sociales proporcionados. Para su exitosa integración en las ciudades costeras y playas urbanas, se debe mejorar la financiación de éstas, el diálogo con las partes interesadas, así como ajustar correctamente la legislación española de gestión costera teniendo en cuenta las amenazas identificadas., Tourism has become one of the fastest growing sectors globally, however, it’s unsustainable management has significantly contributed to environmental degradation, negative social and cultural impacts. Andalusia is one of the most popular touristic destinations in Spain due to its’ attractive coastlines, therefore “Beach and Sun” tourism is the principal segment. The need of coastal ecosystem restoration and conservation is inevitable and green infrastructure may serve as natural support system. The objective of this paper was to evaluate current constraints and future opportunities of green infrastructure integration in urban spatial planning and beach management. Analytical SWOT analysis was used as a decision support system to generate strategies. Political interests conflict, administrative responsibilities hierarchy, legislation adjustments and global climate change emerged as the main constraints, causing a number of other consequences: coastal urbanization growth, urban heat island and droughts, flood risk, dune erosion and reduced beach carrying capacity. The need of green infrastructure was identified as vital and beneficial due to ecological, economical and social services provided. For it’s successful integration in coastal cities and urban beaches, dialogue with stakeholders should be improved and finally Spanish coastal management legislation correctly adjusted taking into account identified threats.

Beach management presents options to apply technological systems that facilitate decision-making as tourist destinations. Therefore, the objective of the article is to analyze the opportunities for the intelligent management of beaches in Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico, from the visitor’s perception, considering the use of technologies in support of social distancing measures, capacity control and ICT to interact with people. The methodology is quantitative, based on a non-experimental, transectional field design. A probabilistic sample with 95% confidence and 4% error was calculated, obtaining the number of 595 visitors, to whom a questionnaire was applied, through the internet, between the months of July-October 2020. The results of the regression analysis Multiple states that the variables technologies to meet the recommendations for social distancing of the COVID-19 pandemic, technologies to control access to the beach and ICT to know the conditions of the tourist area, are related to the dependent variable perception of trust to visit the beaches of the municipality. The adoption of these technological elements will allow the tourist activity to remain, complying with the necessary health security protocols in the current tourism environment., La gestión de playas presenta opciones para aplicar sistemas tecnológicos que faciliten la toma de decisiones como destinos turísticos. Por ello, el objetivo del artículo es analizar las oportunidades para la gestión inteligente de playas en Rosarito, Baja California, México, desde la percepción del visitante, considerando el uso de tecnologías en apoyo a las medidas de distanciamiento social, el control de aforo y las TIC para interactuar con las personas. La metodología es cuantitativa, basada en un diseño de campo no experimental, transeccional. Se calculó una muestra probabilística con 95% de confianza y 4% de error, obteniendo el número de 595 visitantes, a los cuales se les aplicó un cuestionario, mediante internet, entre los meses julio-octubre de 2020. Los resultados del análisis de regresión múltiple señalan que las variables tecnologías para cumplir las recomendaciones de distanciamiento social de la pandemia COVID-19, tecnologías para controlar los accesos a la playa y TIC para conocer las condiciones de la zona turística, se relacionan con la variable dependiente percepción de confianza para visitar las playas del municipio. La adopción de estos elementos tecnológicos permitirá que la actividad turística permanezca, cumpliendo con los protocolos de seguridad sanitaria necesarios en el entorno actual del turismo.

Statistical water quality forecast models are useful tools to assist with beach management. In particular, multiple linear regression (MLR) models have been successfully developed for prediction of fecal indicator bacteria concentrations for beaches in river, lake, and marine environments. Nevertheless, an unresolved challenging issue is the reliable prediction of infrequent events of high bacterial concentrations to inform beach closure decisions to protect public health. The number of field data available for the infrequent events is typically an order of magnitude less than that for days when the water quality criterion is met - MLR models often perform poorly in predicting bacterial concentrations on days when the beaches should be closed. For beach management in Hong Kong, MLR models have been developed to predict beach water quality indices in terms of four gradings (BWQI-1 to 4) based on Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentrations. In this study, we propose an artificial intelligence (AI)-based binary classification (EasyEnsemble) model using class-imbalance learning to predict "very poor"occasions (BWQI-4) - when E. coli concentration exceeds 610 counts/100 mL. Models are developed for three marine beaches with different hydrographic and pollution characteristics using a 30 year data set spanning three periods with different water quality status. The model-data comparison over a wide range of conditions shows that the proposed method results in a significant improvement in the prediction of "very poor"water quality. The proposed class-imbalance method for predicting rare events has an F-score of 0.84, and it significantly outperforms MLR and classification tree (CT) models with corresponding F-scores of 0.39 and 0.69. A robust beach water quality forecast system can hence be developed using hybrid MLR-binary classification modeling. © 2021 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.

El turismo se ha convertido en uno de los sectores de más rápido crecimiento a nivel mundial; sin embargo, su gestión insostenible ha contribuido significativamente a la degradación ambiental, así como a los impactos sociales y culturales negativos. Andalucía es uno de los destinos turísticos más populares de España debido a sus atractivas costas y clima. La necesidad de restauración y conservación de los ecosistemas costeros es inevitable y la Infraestructura Verde puede servir como sistema de apoyo natural. El objetivo de este documento fue evaluar las limitaciones actuales y las oportunidades futuras de la integración de las Infraestructuras Verdes en la planificación espacial urbana y la gestión de playas. El análisis FODA se utilizó como un sistema de apoyo a la hora de la toma de decisiónes. El conflicto de intereses políticos y sociales, la jerarquía de responsabilidades administrativas y el cambio climático global surgieron como las principales limitaciones, causando otras consecuencias: crecimiento de la urbanización costera, isla de calor urbano, sequías, riesgo de inundaciones, erosión de dunas y reducción de la capacidad de carga de las playas. La necesidad de Infraestructura Verde se identificó como vital y beneficiosa debido a los servicios ecológicos, económicos y sociales proporcionados. Para su exitosa integración en las ciudades costeras y playas urbanas, se debe mejorar la financiación de éstas, el diálogo con las partes interesadas, así como ajustar correctamente la legislación española de gestión costera teniendo en cuenta las amenazas identificadas., Tourism has become one of the fastest growing sectors globally, however, it’s unsustainable management has significantly contributed to environmental degradation, negative social and cultural impacts. Andalusia is one of the most popular touristic destinations in Spain due to its’ attractive coastlines, therefore “Beach and Sun” tourism is the principal segment. The need of coastal ecosystem restoration and conservation is inevitable and green infrastructure may serve as natural support system. The objective of this paper was to evaluate current constraints and future opportunities of green infrastructure integration in urban spatial planning and beach management. Analytical SWOT analysis was used as a decision support system to generate strategies. Political interests conflict, administrative responsibilities hierarchy, legislation adjustments and global climate change emerged as the main constraints, causing a number of other consequences: coastal urbanization growth, urban heat island and droughts, flood risk, dune erosion and reduced beach carrying capacity. The need of green infrastructure was identified as vital and beneficial due to ecological, economical and social services provided. For it’s successful integration in coastal cities and urban beaches, dialogue with stakeholders should be improved and finally Spanish coastal management legislation correctly adjusted taking into account identified threats.

[EN] Beach management follows a homogeneous and rigid decision-making process that tries to fulfill expectations assumed from mass tourism without really getting to know the real users' perception. Decisions are usually taken without considering the diversity of values of the beaches, causing high environmental, economic and recreational impacts. In this study, users' profiles, expectations and perceptions have been defined on six Valencian beaches with both different degree of artificialization and sediment type. This has allowed a comparison between semi-natural and urban beaches, and between pebbly and sandy beaches. Differences between beach types have been observed, and a critical analysis of the current management framework and practices has been carried out. Therefore, decision-making should take greater account of users, and actions should be adapted to the diversity of beaches and their particularities, leading to a differential beach management.

[EN] Beach management follows a homogeneous and rigid decision-making process that tries to fulfill expectations assumed from mass tourism without really getting to know the real users' perception. Decisions are usually taken without considering the diversity of values of the beaches, causing high environmental, economic and recreational impacts. In this study, users' profiles, expectations and perceptions have been defined on six Valencian beaches with both different degree of artificialization and sediment type. This has allowed a comparison between semi-natural and urban beaches, and between pebbly and sandy beaches. Differences between beach types have been observed, and a critical analysis of the current management framework and practices has been carried out. Therefore, decision-making should take greater account of users, and actions should be adapted to the diversity of beaches and their particularities, leading to a differential beach management.

Beach management is based on administering technical, environmental, social and political issues to solve coastal problems. To assist coastal management, quality systems have evolved from Beach Certifications Schemes to indicator systems that take into account the three beach functions —natural, protection and recreation—. This study analyses: i) The usefulness of current indices for management decision making; ii) whether the beach user can both access information and participate in beach management; iii) whether the beach indices are dynamic, providing up-to-date information on the status quo of beach or is it merely a snapshot in time; iv) whether beach indices deliver the same result when used by different beach technicians. The results show that the current systems are subjective and based on static criteria, since most of them are obtained through expert opinion, visual inspection and/or interpretation of user surveys. Furthermore, most of the indices focus on the study of the recreational function leaving aside the other beach functions (especially protection). Therefore, the values obtained through these indices are more addressed to the beach user than to the beach manager, so (in general) they do not serve the beach manager in decision-making. Finally, to address the problems described above, a conceptual model based on ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) is proposed for the management and monitoring of beach quality. The computerization and automation of beach management, can be rendered more efficient and effective due to technological advances that can offer an integrated solution for the management of beaches.

Coastal scenery value was evaluated at 56 locations along the 244 km long coast of Alicante (western Mediterranean) according to the methodology of Ergin et al. Area 36(4):367–386, (2004) based on the evaluation of 26 physical and anthropogenic parameters. Selected areas covered remote (10), rural (9), village (15) and urban (22) bathing areas. The scenery Decision Value parameter (D), allowed to classify the investigated sites into 5 classes, from Class I (extremely attractive/natural sites) to Class V (very unattractive/urbanized sites): 2 sites belonged to Class I, 6 to Class II, 14 to Class III, 20 to Class IV and 14 to Class V. Litter presence was assessed at the same sites using the EA/NALG (2000) methodology, which allowed to classify each site in four grades: A: very good (40 sites); B: good (14); C: fair (1) and D: poor (1). In urban sites litter was composed by small items related to land-based sources and beach use while litter in natural sites was related to marine-based sources, essentially fishing. The sector analysis methodology highlighted as most sites (33 out of 56) showed contradictory characteristics for litter/scenic grades/beach awards presence. To improve scenic value, different actions have to be carried out according to the site typology. At many urban sites, actuations should be focused to the removing or reducing of beach utilities and unnecessary infrastructures. At rural and remote areas, is mandatory to carry out specific litter management plans to reduce litter presence.

Beach management is based on administering technical, environmental, social and political issues to solve coastal problems. To assist coastal management, quality systems have evolved from Beach Certifications Schemes to indicator systems that take into account the three beach functions —natural, protection and recreation—. This study analyses: i) The usefulness of current indices for management decision making; ii) whether the beach user can both access information and participate in beach management; iii) whether the beach indices are dynamic, providing up-to-date information on the status quo of beach or is it merely a snapshot in time; iv) whether beach indices deliver the same result when used by different beach technicians. The results show that the current systems are subjective and based on static criteria, since most of them are obtained through expert opinion, visual inspection and/or interpretation of user surveys. Furthermore, most of the indices focus on the study of the recreational function leaving aside the other beach functions (especially protection). Therefore, the values obtained through these indices are more addressed to the beach user than to the beach manager, so (in general) they do not serve the beach manager in decision-making. Finally, to address the problems described above, a conceptual model based on ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) is proposed for the management and monitoring of beach quality. The computerization and automation of beach management, can be rendered more efficient and effective due to technological advances that can offer an integrated solution for the management of beaches.

Coastal scenery value was evaluated at 56 locations along the 244 km long coast of Alicante (western Mediterranean) according to the methodology of Ergin et al. Area 36(4):367–386, (2004) based on the evaluation of 26 physical and anthropogenic parameters. Selected areas covered remote (10), rural (9), village (15) and urban (22) bathing areas. The scenery Decision Value parameter (D), allowed to classify the investigated sites into 5 classes, from Class I (extremely attractive/natural sites) to Class V (very unattractive/urbanized sites): 2 sites belonged to Class I, 6 to Class II, 14 to Class III, 20 to Class IV and 14 to Class V. Litter presence was assessed at the same sites using the EA/NALG (2000) methodology, which allowed to classify each site in four grades: A: very good (40 sites); B: good (14); C: fair (1) and D: poor (1). In urban sites litter was composed by small items related to land-based sources and beach use while litter in natural sites was related to marine-based sources, essentially fishing. The sector analysis methodology highlighted as most sites (33 out of 56) showed contradictory characteristics for litter/scenic grades/beach awards presence. To improve scenic value, different actions have to be carried out according to the site typology. At many urban sites, actuations should be focused to the removing or reducing of beach utilities and unnecessary infrastructures. At rural and remote areas, is mandatory to carry out specific litter management plans to reduce litter presence.

The aim of this paper is to introduce the Beach Crowding Index (BCI), a procedure to assess the social carrying capacity of vulnerable beaches. The study uses the PAOT (people at one time) approach and data gathered weekly throughout the bathing season regarding the number of beachgoers in 100m2cells of the beach to assess how many beachgoers it can comfortablyhold. The procedureis based on field work, interviewswith beachgoers and GIS analysis, andhas been tested on four beaches in protected areas on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. On a scale from 0 to 4, minimum scores throughout the bathing season are 0.7 and maximum 3.7, although results showed wide variationbetween the beaches, the section of the beach and the time of day. This study suggests that determining the location of beachgoers and collecting a long-term series of data is fundamental to assessing social carrying capacity, and thatthe BCI procedure can be used in a large number of applications.

When beach water monitoring programs identify poor water quality, the causes are frequently unknown. We hypothesize that management policies play an important role in the frequency of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) exceedances (enterococci and fecal coliform) at recreational beaches. To test this hypothesis we implemented an innovative approach utilizing large amounts of monitoring data (n > 150,000 measurements per FIB) to determine associations between the frequency of contaminant exceedances and beach management practices. The large FIB database was augmented with results from a survey designed to assess management policies for 316 beaches throughout the state of Florida. The FIB and survey data were analyzed using t-tests, ANOVA, factor analysis, and linear regression. Results show that beach geomorphology (beach type) was highly associated with exceedance of regulatory standards. Low enterococci exceedances were associated with open coast beaches (n = 211) that have sparse human densities, no homeless populations, low densities of dogs and birds, bird management policies, low densities of seaweed, beach renourishment, charge access fees, employ lifeguards, without nearby marinas, and those that manage storm water. Factor analysis and a linear regression confirmed beach type as the predominant factor with secondary influences from grooming activities (including seaweed densities and beach renourishment) and beach access (including charging fees, employing lifeguards, and without nearby marinas). Our results were observable primarily because of the very large public FIB database available for analyses; similar approaches can be adopted at other beaches. The findings of this research have important policy implications because the selected beach management practices that were associated with low levels of FIB can be implemented in other parts of the US and around the world to improve recreational beach water quality., Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public., Environmental Fluid Mechanics

La condición de Bandera Azul en las playas urbanas o semiurbanas se viene otorgando desde finales del siglo XX con el objetivo de premiar normas de calidad ambiental en sistemas donde el medio ambiente se había visto reducido por la aplicación de medidaks de planificación, ordenación y/o gestión que no incluían, en muchos casos, criterios geomorfológicos. El estudio analiza, mediante variables geoambientales, la evolución espacio-temporal de 20 playas de las islas Baleares distinguidas con la Bandera Azul entre 1987 y 2018, demostrando que el galardón, por sí mismo, no ha contribuido a la mejora geomorfológica de estos sistemas playa-duna. El uso de las variables permite analizar tendencias de cada playa para determinar medidas de gestión encaminadas a la recuperación del sistema a su explotación., Since the end of the 20th century, urban or semi-urban beaches have been awarded the Blue Flag status to commend environmental quality standards in systems where the environment had been reduced due to the application of planning and/or management measures that did not include, in many cases, geomorphological criteria. The study analyses, the space-time evolution of 20 beaches of the Balearic Islands distinguished with the Blue Flag between 1987 and 2018 using geo-environmental variables, which proved that the award, by itself, has not contributed to the geomorphological improvement of these beach/dune systems. The use of the variables means that the trends of each beach can be analysed to determine management measures aimed at the recovery of the exploited system.

Globally, sandy beaches are subject to coastal squeeze due to erosion. Soft-sediment strategies, such as sand nourishment, are increasingly applied to mitigate effects of erosion, but have long-term negative impacts on beach flora and fauna. As a more ecologically and sustainable alternative to regular beach nourishments, a mega-nourishment has been constructed along the Dutch coast by depositing 21.5 Mm3 of sand, from which sand is gradually redistributed along the coast by natural physical processes. The 'sand Motor’ mega-nourishment was constructed as a long-term management alternative for coastal protection and is the first large-scale experiment of its kind. We evaluated the development of intertidal macroinvertebrate communities in relation to this mega-nourishment, and compared it to species composition of beaches subject to regular beach or no nourishment. We found that a mega-nourishment resulted initially in a higher macroinvertebrate richness, but a lower macroinvertebrate abundance, compared to regular beach nourishment. As there was no effect of year after nourishment, this finding suggests that colonization and/or local extinction were not limiting macroinvertebrate richness at the mega-nourishment. In addition, a mega-nourishment does not converge to an intertidal macroinvertebrate community similar to those on unnourished beaches within a time scale of four years. Beach areas at the mega-nourishment sheltered from waves harbored a distinct macroinvertebrate community compared to typical wave-exposed sandy beach communities. Thus, a mega-nourishment temporally creates new habitat for intertidal macroinvertebrates by enhancing habitat relief of the sandy beach. We conclude that a mega-nourishment may be a promising coastal defense strategy for sandy shores in terms of the macroinvertebrate community of the intertidal beach.

La condición de Bandera Azul en las playas urbanas o semiurbanas se viene otorgando desde finales del siglo XX con el objetivo de premiar normas de calidad ambiental en sistemas donde el medio ambiente se había visto reducido por la aplicación de medidaks de planificación, ordenación y/o gestión que no incluían, en muchos casos, criterios geomorfológicos. El estudio analiza, mediante variables geoambientales, la evolución espacio-temporal de 20 playas de las islas Baleares distinguidas con la Bandera Azul entre 1987 y 2018, demostrando que el galardón, por sí mismo, no ha contribuido a la mejora geomorfológica de estos sistemas playa-duna. El uso de las variables permite analizar tendencias de cada playa para determinar medidas de gestión encaminadas a la recuperación del sistema a su explotación., Since the end of the 20th century, urban or semi-urban beaches have been awarded the Blue Flag status to commend environmental quality standards in systems where the environment had been reduced due to the application of planning and/or management measures that did not include, in many cases, geomorphological criteria. The study analyses, the space-time evolution of 20 beaches of the Balearic Islands distinguished with the Blue Flag between 1987 and 2018 using geo-environmental variables, which proved that the award, by itself, has not contributed to the geomorphological improvement of these beach/dune systems. The use of the variables means that the trends of each beach can be analysed to determine management measures aimed at the recovery of the exploited system.

When beach water monitoring programs identify poor water quality, the causes are frequently unknown. We hypothesize that management policies play an important role in the frequency of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) exceedances (enterococci and fecal coliform) at recreational beaches. To test this hypothesis we implemented an innovative approach utilizing large amounts of monitoring data (n > 150,000 measurements per FIB) to determine associations between the frequency of contaminant exceedances and beach management practices. The large FIB database was augmented with results from a survey designed to assess management policies for 316 beaches throughout the state of Florida. The FIB and survey data were analyzed using t-tests, ANOVA, factor analysis, and linear regression. Results show that beach geomorphology (beach type) was highly associated with exceedance of regulatory standards. Low enterococci exceedances were associated with open coast beaches (n = 211) that have sparse human densities, no homeless populations, low densities of dogs and birds, bird management policies, low densities of seaweed, beach renourishment, charge access fees, employ lifeguards, without nearby marinas, and those that manage storm water. Factor analysis and a linear regression confirmed beach type as the predominant factor with secondary influences from grooming activities (including seaweed densities and beach renourishment) and beach access (including charging fees, employing lifeguards, and without nearby marinas). Our results were observable primarily because of the very large public FIB database available for analyses; similar approaches can be adopted at other beaches. The findings of this research have important policy implications because the selected beach management practices that were associated with low levels of FIB can be implemented in other parts of the US and around the world to improve recreational beach water quality., Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public., Environmental Fluid Mechanics

That Florida is in the midst of an ecological crisis is a perspective increasingly shared by academy, government, private industry and civil society. Ideas about the causes of the state’s environmental problems and how best to address them, however, are not so well aligned. While some are prone to emphasize the primacy of economic growth over environmental conservation, others argue that, like love and marriage, you cannot have one without the other. More particularly, Florida’s many densely populated barrier islands are experiencing increasingly severe critical erosion, threatening people, property and endangered species habitat. In the face of expanding urban development, rising seas and coastal squeeze, the traditional strategies for managing erosion are looking less and less appropriate and the need for a sustainable coastal development strategy is more and more apparent.To this end, this thesis has three main parts. First, I develop a plausible explanation of the origins of Florida’s environmental problems, tracing the relationship between changing systems of production and environmental impacts from pre-Columbian to modern times, developing in more concrete detail the case of Flagler County and the City of Flagler Beach. Second, by employing the method of immanent critique I provide a scientific evaluation of competing critical erosion solution options which have been historically considered in the case study area, demonstrating in particular how these competing alternatives can be organized from least to most adequate in terms of their capacity to address the problem under consideration. From this critique I turn to suggest a yet-unconsidered alternative decision making procedure which can reasonably be shown to be an advancement on the “best” idea currently on offer. Finally, I identify a promising pathway to achieving this alternative, arguing in particular that civil society, in contrast to government or the market, must provide the mechanism for realizing

The aim of this paper is to introduce the Beach Crowding Index (BCI), a procedure to assess the social carrying capacity of vulnerable beaches. The study uses the PAOT (people at one time) approach and data gathered weekly throughout the bathing season regarding the number of beachgoers in 100m2cells of the beach to assess how many beachgoers it can comfortablyhold. The procedureis based on field work, interviewswith beachgoers and GIS analysis, andhas been tested on four beaches in protected areas on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. On a scale from 0 to 4, minimum scores throughout the bathing season are 0.7 and maximum 3.7, although results showed wide variationbetween the beaches, the section of the beach and the time of day. This study suggests that determining the location of beachgoers and collecting a long-term series of data is fundamental to assessing social carrying capacity, and thatthe BCI procedure can be used in a large number of applications.

The Dynamic Index for Beaches in protected areas (DIBA) is introduced as a dynamic method for evaluating the quality of beaches in protected areas. The aim of this dynamic approach is to assess quality on a weekly basis so that different scores may be obtained throughout the bathing season. The index is made up of three sub-indices encompassing the main concerns regarding beaches in protected areas, i.e. the environment, landscape and recreation. These sub-indices consist of nine indicators and four sub-indicators; seven parameters are recorded yearly and the rest weekly. The procedure is tested at four selected beaches on Spain's Mediterranean coast and gives good overall scores although these decrease throughout the bathing season, mainly due to a high beach users frequentation. The DIBA is a useful tool for managers of beaches and protected areas because it can be used to characterize and compare beaches. With minor adjustments, this procedure may be applied to other beaches in protected areas in the Mediterranean basin.

Street vendors are one of the main characteristics of beach tourism in Ecuador, however, they have been consistently ignored in tourism policy efforts and coastal management plans. Through the qualitative analysis of eight semi-structured interviews, we explore the social structural conditions that enable and constrain the daily work and practices of informal vendors in four beaches of the Ecuadorian coast. The analysis revealed the troubled relationship between the government and the vendors, and how this interplay leads to uncertainty when vendors do not know what are the policies that apply to them for the use of the beach as a public space. Association and self-organisation processes then emerge as a response to deal with the uncertainty and instability of their working conditions. This research contributes to the understanding of the working conditions of informal vendors in the context of beach tourism management and provides policy guidelines for the improvement of their current situation., Los vendedores ambulantes constituyen uno de los rasgos más característicos y posiblemente son los prestadores de servicios turísticos más numerosos en ciertas playas del Ecuador, sin embargo éstos han sido ignorados en las políticas y planes de manejo costero. A través del análisis cualitativo de entrevistas semi-estructuradas a ocho vendedores ambulantes, se identifica las condiciones sociales estructurales que afectan la práctica diaria del trabajo ambulante en cuatro playas turísticas de la costa Ecuatoriana. El análisis revela cómo la relación entre los vendedores y las entidades de gobierno facilitan procesos de asociación, auto organización y acción con los cuales los vendedores hacen frente a la incertidumbre e inestabilidad ocasionada por la falta de propuestas claras para el manejo de zonas de playa. El estudio además identifica tres aspectos clave que distinguen al ambulantaje en playas turísticas, del ambulantaje en otros espacios: la estacionalidad del trabajo, el conflicto que el turismo ha traído por la privatización del recurso playa, y las distinciones borrosas entre visitantes y residentes cuando los turistas se convierten en vendedores ambulantes para financiarse. Esta investigación aporta a la comprensión del ambulantaje en un contexto del manejo de playas turísticas y proporciona directrices para la política pública.

Street vendors are one of the main characteristics of beach tourism in Ecuador, however, they have been consistently ignored in tourism policy efforts and coastal management plans. Through the qualitative analysis of eight semi-structured interviews, we explore the social structural conditions that enable and constrain the daily work and practices of informal vendors in four beaches of the Ecuadorian coast. The analysis revealed the troubled relationship between the government and the vendors, and how this interplay leads to uncertainty when vendors do not know what are the policies that apply to them for the use of the beach as a public space. Association and self-organisation processes then emerge as a response to deal with the uncertainty and instability of their working conditions. This research contributes to the understanding of the working conditions of informal vendors in the context of beach tourism management and provides policy guidelines for the improvement of their current situation., Los vendedores ambulantes constituyen uno de los rasgos más característicos y posiblemente son los prestadores de servicios turísticos más numerosos en ciertas playas del Ecuador, sin embargo éstos han sido ignorados en las políticas y planes de manejo costero. A través del análisis cualitativo de entrevistas semi-estructuradas a ocho vendedores ambulantes, se identifica las condiciones sociales estructurales que afectan la práctica diaria del trabajo ambulante en cuatro playas turísticas de la costa Ecuatoriana. El análisis revela cómo la relación entre los vendedores y las entidades de gobierno facilitan procesos de asociación, auto organización y acción con los cuales los vendedores hacen frente a la incertidumbre e inestabilidad ocasionada por la falta de propuestas claras para el manejo de zonas de playa. El estudio además identifica tres aspectos clave que distinguen al ambulantaje en playas turísticas, del ambulantaje en otros espacios: la estacionalidad del trabajo, el conflicto que el turismo ha traído por la privatización del recurso playa, y las distinciones borrosas entre visitantes y residentes cuando los turistas se convierten en vendedores ambulantes para financiarse. Esta investigación aporta a la comprensión del ambulantaje en un contexto del manejo de playas turísticas y proporciona directrices para la política pública.

Street vendors are one of the main characteristics of beach tourism in Ecuador, however, they have been consistently ignored in tourism policy efforts and coastal management plans. Through the qualitative analysis of eight semi-structured interviews, we explore the social structural conditions that enable and constrain the daily work and practices of informal vendors in four beaches of the Ecuadorian coast. The analysis revealed the troubled relationship between the government and the vendors, and how this interplay leads to uncertainty when vendors do not know what are the policies that apply to them for the use of the beach as a public space. Association and self-organisation processes then emerge as a response to deal with the uncertainty and instability of their working conditions. This research contributes to the understanding of the working conditions of informal vendors in the context of beach tourism management and provides policy guidelines for the improvement of their current situation., Los vendedores ambulantes constituyen uno de los rasgos más característicos y posiblemente son los prestadores de servicios turísticos más numerosos en ciertas playas del Ecuador, sin embargo éstos han sido ignorados en las políticas y planes de manejo costero. A través del análisis cualitativo de entrevistas semi-estructuradas a ocho vendedores ambulantes, se identifica las condiciones sociales estructurales que afectan la práctica diaria del trabajo ambulante en cuatro playas turísticas de la costa Ecuatoriana. El análisis revela cómo la relación entre los vendedores y las entidades de gobierno facilitan procesos de asociación, auto organización y acción con los cuales los vendedores hacen frente a la incertidumbre e inestabilidad ocasionada por la falta de propuestas claras para el manejo de zonas de playa. El estudio además identifica tres aspectos clave que distinguen al ambulantaje en playas turísticas, del ambulantaje en otros espacios: la estacionalidad del trabajo, el conflicto que el turismo ha traído por la privatización del recurso playa, y las distinciones borrosas entre visitantes y residentes cuando los turistas se convierten en vendedores ambulantes para financiarse. Esta investigación aporta a la comprensión del ambulantaje en un contexto del manejo de playas turísticas y proporciona directrices para la política pública.

Street vendors are one of the main characteristics of beach tourism in Ecuador, however, they have been consistently ignored in tourism policy efforts and coastal management plans. Through the qualitative analysis of eight semi-structured interviews, we explore the social structural conditions that enable and constrain the daily work and practices of informal vendors in four beaches of the Ecuadorian coast. The analysis revealed the troubled relationship between the government and the vendors, and how this interplay leads to uncertainty when vendors do not know what are the policies that apply to them for the use of the beach as a public space. Association and self-organisation processes then emerge as a response to deal with the uncertainty and instability of their working conditions. This research contributes to the understanding of the working conditions of informal vendors in the context of beach tourism management and provides policy guidelines for the improvement of their current situation., Los vendedores ambulantes constituyen uno de los rasgos más característicos y posiblemente son los prestadores de servicios turísticos más numerosos en ciertas playas del Ecuador, sin embargo éstos han sido ignorados en las políticas y planes de manejo costero. A través del análisis cualitativo de entrevistas semi-estructuradas a ocho vendedores ambulantes, se identifica las condiciones sociales estructurales que afectan la práctica diaria del trabajo ambulante en cuatro playas turísticas de la costa Ecuatoriana. El análisis revela cómo la relación entre los vendedores y las entidades de gobierno facilitan procesos de asociación, auto organización y acción con los cuales los vendedores hacen frente a la incertidumbre e inestabilidad ocasionada por la falta de propuestas claras para el manejo de zonas de playa. El estudio además identifica tres aspectos clave que distinguen al ambulantaje en playas turísticas, del ambulantaje en otros espacios: la estacionalidad del trabajo, el conflicto que el turismo ha traído por la privatización del recurso playa, y las distinciones borrosas entre visitantes y residentes cuando los turistas se convierten en vendedores ambulantes para financiarse. Esta investigación aporta a la comprensión del ambulantaje en un contexto del manejo de playas turísticas y proporciona directrices para la política pública.

A beach water quality prediction system has been developed in Hong Kong using multiple linear regression (MLR) models. However, linear models are found to be weak at capturing the infrequent 'very poor' water quality occasions when Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentration exceeds 610 counts/ 100 mL. This study uses a classification tree to increase the accuracy in predicting the 'very poor' water quality events at three Hong Kong beaches affected either by non-point source or point source pollution. Binary-output classification trees (to predict whether E. coli concentration exceeds 610 counts/100 mL) are developed over the periods before and after the implementation of the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme, when systematic changes in water quality were observed. Results show that classification trees can capture more 'very poor' events in both periods when compared to the corresponding linear models, with an increase in correct positives by an average of 20%. Classification trees are also developed at two beaches to predict the four-category Beach Water Quality Indices. They perform worse than the binary tree and give excessive false alarms of 'very poor' events. Finally, a combined modelling approach using both MLR model and classification tree is proposed to enhance the beach water quality prediction system for Hong Kong. © IWA Publishing 2016.

A beach water quality prediction system has been developed in Hong Kong using multiple linear regression (MLR) models. However, linear models are found to be weak at capturing the infrequent 'very poor' water quality occasions when Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentration exceeds 610 counts/ 100 mL. This study uses a classification tree to increase the accuracy in predicting the 'very poor' water quality events at three Hong Kong beaches affected either by non-point source or point source pollution. Binary-output classification trees (to predict whether E. coli concentration exceeds 610 counts/100 mL) are developed over the periods before and after the implementation of the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme, when systematic changes in water quality were observed. Results show that classification trees can capture more 'very poor' events in both periods when compared to the corresponding linear models, with an increase in correct positives by an average of 20%. Classification trees are also developed at two beaches to predict the four-category Beach Water Quality Indices. They perform worse than the binary tree and give excessive false alarms of 'very poor' events. Finally, a combined modelling approach using both MLR model and classification tree is proposed to enhance the beach water quality prediction system for Hong Kong.

On an increasingly crowded planet, shorebirds and humans are frequently found sharing the same ecosystems. This development requires that the managers of these human-wildlife ecosystems address human dimensions challenges in addition to those associated with species biology. To better understand such challenges, we evaluated impact perceptions and overall acceptance capacity in visitors on public beaches of Lake McConaughy, Nebraska, USA towards a federally- protected shorebird, the Piping Plover Charadrius melodus. Overall acceptance capacity for these birds was relatively high and perceptions of inconvenience caused by the presence of the birds were low. However, acceptance capacity and impact perceptions varied depending on whether the visitor supported, was neutral or opposed protecting Piping Plovers. Awareness of the presence of Piping Plovers was the most important variable associated with negative attitudes towards the birds; the more aware visitors were of the birds, the more negative were their attitudes. The specific type of recreational activity a visitor was engaged in was not associated with their impact perceptions or acceptance capacity. Our study serves as an important baseline which can be used to determine whether awareness, impact perceptions, and acceptance capacity at this site change as recreational use, efforts to protect the species, and educational and management practices evolve.

The Blue Flag is a beach award scheme adopted by coastal municipalities to manage beaches and attract tourism. This paper evaluates beachgoers' views of the Blue Flag award in South Africa, and examines these in the light of beach managers' opinions of the award. Beachgoers (N ¼ 374) on Blue Flag and non- Blue Flag beaches were interviewed to assess awareness, knowledge, and attitudes concerning the Blue Flag award, and perceptions of beach features that are also listed as Blue Flag criteria. Blue Flag managers were interviewed to examine their opinion of and commitment to the award. Beachgoers and managers shared positive views of the Blue Flag award. However, a substantial lack of knowledge on the award's criteria by beachgoers was reflected in managerial and educational flaws by Blue Flag managers. Based on the results obtained, a new environmental education framework is proposed for the Blue Flag award.

The Blue Flag is a beach award scheme adopted by coastal municipalities to manage beaches and attract tourism. This paper evaluates beachgoers' views of the Blue Flag award in South Africa, and examines these in the light of beach managers' opinions of the award. Beachgoers (N ¼ 374) on Blue Flag and non- Blue Flag beaches were interviewed to assess awareness, knowledge, and attitudes concerning the Blue Flag award, and perceptions of beach features that are also listed as Blue Flag criteria. Blue Flag managers were interviewed to examine their opinion of and commitment to the award. Beachgoers and managers shared positive views of the Blue Flag award. However, a substantial lack of knowledge on the award's criteria by beachgoers was reflected in managerial and educational flaws by Blue Flag managers. Based on the results obtained, a new environmental education framework is proposed for the Blue Flag award.

Massive use of beaches has forced traditional management of these systems to focus on the service offer to users. Consequently, human activity and behavior prevailed over other biological and physical processes and functions. Mirroring this tendency, the use of Performance Awards (Blue Flag) and Environmental/Quality Management Systems (ISO 14001, EMAS, and Q of Quality) were popularized as standards of environmental quality. In parallel to this process, recent international coastal and marine policies have emphasized the need to develop sustainable strategies for implementing the principles of the Ecosystem Approach into management with the overarching goal to maintain ecosystem integrity while enabling the sustainable use of ecosystem goods and services in systems under management. As Performance Awards and Environmental/Quality Management Systems do not follow the Ecosystem Approach, an Ecosystem-Based Management System for beaches (EBMS-Beaches) is introduced to overcome this issue. The EBMS-Beaches is intended as a formal standard framework that add new aspects not considered in a classical beach management process by the introduction of the principles of the Ecosystem Approach, between them: a) a clear vision-driven process; b) a holistic approach from a geographical perspective; c) pressure analysis and institutional coordination inside clear participatory planning; d) use of risk management techniques in planning; e) the ecosystem service concept as the central piece of the system; f) use of the DPSWR as accountable framework of indicators, g) desired vision based on state indicators and using BQI partial indices; and h) timely participation by local population. The EBMS is structured along three pillars (managerial, informative and participatory pillars) working in an adaptive management way. Based on these three pillars, existing management practices can be standardized into a viable, systematic means of implementing, in an integrated way, the new internat

Massive use of beaches has forced traditional management of these systems to focus on the service offer to users. Consequently, human activity and behavior prevailed over other biological and physical processes and functions. Mirroring this tendency, the use of Performance Awards (Blue Flag) and Environmental/Quality Management Systems (ISO 14001, EMAS, and Q of Quality) were popularized as standards of environmental quality. In parallel to this process, recent international coastal and marine policies have emphasized the need to develop sustainable strategies for implementing the principles of the Ecosystem Approach into management with the overarching goal to maintain ecosystem integrity while enabling the sustainable use of ecosystem goods and services in systems under management. As Performance Awards and Environmental/Quality Management Systems do not follow the Ecosystem Approach, an Ecosystem-Based Management System for beaches (EBMS-Beaches) is introduced to overcome this issue. The EBMS-Beaches is intended as a formal standard framework that add new aspects not considered in a classical beach management process by the introduction of the principles of the Ecosystem Approach, between them: a) a clear vision-driven process; b) a holistic approach from a geographical perspective; c) pressure analysis and institutional coordination inside clear participatory planning; d) use of risk management techniques in planning; e) the ecosystem service concept as the central piece of the system; f) use of the DPSWR as accountable framework of indicators, g) desired vision based on state indicators and using BQI partial indices; and h) timely participation by local population. The EBMS is structured along three pillars (managerial, informative and participatory pillars) working in an adaptive management way. Based on these three pillars, existing management practices can be standardized into a viable, systematic means of implementing, in an integrated way, the new internat, Peer Reviewed, Postprint (author's final draft)

A high precision geometric method for automated shoreline detection from Landsat TM and ETM+ imagery is presented. The methodology is based on the application of an algorithm that ensures accurate image geometric registration and the use of a new algorithm for sub-pixel shoreline extraction, both at the sub-pixel level. The analysis of the initial errors shows the influence that differences in reflectance of land cover types have over shoreline detection, allowing us to create a model to substantially reduce these errors. Three correction models were defined according to the type of gain used in the acquisition of the original Landsat images. Error assessment tests were applied on three artificially stabilised coastal segments that have a constant and well-defined land-water boundary. A testing set of 45 images (28 TM, 10 ETM high-gain and 7 ETM low-gain) was used. The mean error obtained in shoreline location ranges from 1.22 to 1.63. m, and the RMSE from 4.69 to 5.47. m. Since the errors follow a normal distribution, then the maximum error at a given probability can be estimated. The results confirm that the use of Landsat imagery for detection of instantaneous coastlines yields accuracy comparable to high-resolution techniques, showing the potential of Landsat TM and ETM images in those applications where the instantaneous lines are a good geomorphological descriptor. © 2012 Elsevier Inc.

A composite index, based on function analysis and including thirteen sub-indices, was developed to assess the overall quality of urban and urbanized beaches in the Mediterranean area. The aggregation of components and sub-indices was based on two questionnaires completed by beach users and experts. Applying the new Beach Quality Index (BQI) demonstrated that the quality of beaches could be improved. In general, the strongest aspects of the beaches assessed were those related to short-term user demand, and the weakest were those related to the consequences of human pressure on the area, in particular, erosion problems. The composite index is intended to be used together with Environmental Management Beach Systems (EMBs) as a hierarchical management scorecard and in monitoring programs. This new tool could also make planning more proactive by synthesizing the state of the most important beach processes.

Beach sediment cementation (beachrock formation) is a sedimentary process that can transform significant sections of beaches into rock outcrops. This contribution reports the results of two questionnaire surveys (one focusing on foreign tourists and the other on local people) carried out in coastal resorts of the island of Lesbos (Greece), on the perceptions of beach users regarding the impacts of beachrocks on their recreational activities. The survey focusing on foreign tourists showed that the majority of the interviewees took notice of the formations and commented negatively on them. Although most of the interviewees did not consider beachrocks a significant safety risk, a considerable proportion of the sample stated that beachrocks influenced their beach ratings that they would prefer beachrock-free beaches and would be willing to contribute financially to preventative and protective measures. In contrast, the results of the survey focusing on local people, who are more familiar with the phenomenon, showed a high perception of beachrock-related risks and limited beachrock tolerance. In addition to the safety risks that the irregular, slippery, beachrock surfaces may pose to beach users, beachrocks may also degrade beach aesthetics. promote beach sediment erosion and decrease the beach carrying capacity. As beachrocks are a common attribute of tropical, subtropical and low-temperate beaches that are typically associated with major tourist destinations, and are likely to spread under global warming conditions, they may be considered as a significant threat to the coastal tourist industry. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Beach sediment cementation (beachrock formation) is a sedimentary process that can transform significant sections of beaches into rock outcrops. This contribution reports the results of two questionnaire surveys (one focusing on foreign tourists and the other on local people) carried out in coastal resorts of the island of Lesbos (Greece), on the perceptions of beach users regarding the impacts of beachrocks on their recreational activities. The survey focusing on foreign tourists showed that the majority of the interviewees took notice of the formations and commented negatively on them. Although most of the interviewees did not consider beachrocks a significant safety risk, a considerable proportion of the sample stated that beachrocks influenced their beach ratings that they would prefer beachrock-free beaches and would be willing to contribute financially to preventative and protective measures. In contrast, the results of the survey focusing on local people, who are more familiar with the phenomenon, showed a high perception of beachrock-related risks and limited beachrock tolerance. In addition to the safety risks that the irregular, slippery, beachrock surfaces may pose to beach users, beachrocks may also degrade beach aesthetics. promote beach sediment erosion and decrease the beach carrying capacity. As beachrocks are a common attribute of tropical, subtropical and low-temperate beaches that are typically associated with major tourist destinations, and are likely to spread under global warming conditions, they may be considered as a significant threat to the coastal tourist industry. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Beach sediment cementation (beachrock formation) is a sedimentary process that can transform significant sections of beaches into rock outcrops. This contribution reports the results of two questionnaire surveys (one focusing on foreign tourists and the other on local people) carried out in coastal resorts of the island of Lesbos (Greece), on the perceptions of beach users regarding the impacts of beachrocks on their recreational activities. The survey focusing on foreign tourists showed that the majority of the interviewees took notice of the formations and commented negatively on them. Although most of the interviewees did not consider beachrocks a significant safety risk, a considerable proportion of the sample stated that beachrocks influenced their beach ratings that they would prefer beachrock-free beaches and would be willing to contribute financially to preventative and protective measures. In contrast, the results of the survey focusing on local people, who are more familiar with the phenomenon, showed a high perception of beachrock-related risks and limited beachrock tolerance. In addition to the safety risks that the irregular, slippery, beachrock surfaces may pose to beach users, beachrocks may also degrade beach aesthetics. promote beach sediment erosion and decrease the beach carrying capacity. As beachrocks are a common attribute of tropical, subtropical and low-temperate beaches that are typically associated with major tourist destinations, and are likely to spread under global warming conditions, they may be considered as a significant threat to the coastal tourist industry. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Beaches are the main asset of tourist destinations in the NorthwesternMediterranean. When developing beach management frameworks, managers request reliable information for decision-making. Frequentation patterns are one of the main, environmentally significant aspects to be considered. We discuss the use of frequently visited beaches in the light of increases in tourist frequentation and overcrowding problems. This paper presents a photographic protocol to obtain baseline information on frequentation patterns to measure: sandavailability per beachuser, number of users, user time on the beach, and turnover coefficients. A comparison of beach frequentation patterns is made over an 18-year period. Although the resident population, the number of secondary homes and associated tourism activities increased sharply over this period, only a slight increase was observed in the number of users. Beachusers may have restructured their behaviour and now substitute some of the time previously spent on beaches for other leisure activities.

Analyse van de praktijkproeven en theoretische achtergrond van het Beach Drainage concept ontwikkeld door het Danish Geotechnical Institute (DGI). Resultaten van de proeven bij Thorsminde.

Analyse van de praktijkproeven en theoretische achtergrond van het Beach Drainage concept ontwikkeld door het Danish Geotechnical Institute (DGI). Resultaten van de proeven bij Thorsminde.