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This paper presents a map describing the main geomorphological and sedimentological features, hydrodynamics, benthic habitat distributions and human impact on the coastal and marine areas of the Archipelago of La Maddalena (NE Sardinia, western Mediterranean). This cartography is based on an interdisciplinary sea-land approach, with the aim being to support sustainable and successful beach management in the face of a changing climate and environment, thereby contributing to the achievement of the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (13, 14 and 15). In the Main Map (1:14,000 scale), the static and dynamic features of the beach systems and adjacent inner shelf are divided into thematic sections that include the geomorphological elements, hydrodynamics, sedimentological distributions, benthic habitat (mainly Posidonia oceanica meadow) and anthropogenic impacts. The map establishes a fundamental, multidisciplinary benchmark that is able to provide substantial scientific support to policymakers in relation to future vulnerability-assessment activities and the definition of land-management strategies.

Using a comprehensive cartographic product, this paper aims to illustrate the evolution of the urban geomorphological setting of the urban coastal belt of Cagliari (southern Sardinia, Italy, western Mediterranean Sea). The geomorphological map (1:14,000) presented herein summarizes different data (e.g. urban development, anthropogenic features, geomorphological elements, recent deposits, sedimentological distribution, hydrodynamics and ecological components) acquired through an integrated sea-land approach and a multidisciplinary-multitemporal investigation. The main significant environmental changes are linked to urbanization, the development of port infrastructures (embankments along the shoreline and the construction of the canal harbour), remediation work and filling activities, and the hardening of dune and beach systems and cliffs. These man-made interventions have increased the vulnerability of the shore zones to flood hazards and risks, which are linked to sea-level rises and global warming.

This paper presents an innovative multi-thematic map (1:2500) that integrates morpho-sedimentological data, hydrodynamic processes, seasonal morphodynamic transitions and the distribution of the benthic habitat of a Mediterranean microtidal, wave-dominated gravel beach system. It is part of a larger cartography of coastal areas, and is based on an interdisciplinary sea-land approach that is applicable worldwide and aims to facilitate coastal management practices and future scientific research. The applications to coastal management include: the facilitation of coastal vulnerability assessments; easy-to-access, up-to-date digital geospatial data; and baseline studies for the future assessment and monitoring of environmental changes. The main environmental features that control the marine processes of this gravel beach appear to be linked to geological and morphological contexts such as the presence of the river mouth, the outcropping of a beach-rock along the coastline, the deposition of gravelly sediment in the beachface and the seagrass cover.

This paper illustrates a detailed geomorphological map (scale 1:50,000) of the marine and transitional terraces (glacio-lacustrine to marine) and raised shorelines linked to Holocene glacio-eustasy and neo-tectonics in the northern area of the Brunswick Penìnsula (Chilean region of the Strait of Magellan). The mapped area is located in Tierra del Fuego between the Segunda Angostura and Seno Otway. This map is the result of geomorphological field survey data integrated with the interpretation of aerial photographs and remote sensing imagery. The survey has allowed the mapping of a sequence of terraces and raised shorelines to be completed. The sequence mainly consists of four orders of marine and glacio-lacustrine terraced deposits, with elevations ranging from 25 to 1 m above mean sea level. The map also presents other landforms and deposits, with their formation linked to littoral, fluvial, glacial and aeolian processes.

In this study, we present a comprehensive map of a microtidal wave-dominated beach system based on an interdisciplinary sea–land approach and with the purpose of supporting a sustainable and successful beach management. The study area is located in a highly urbanized/industrialized coastal sector of the W side of Cagliari Gulf (S Sardinia, W Mediterranean). In the Main Map (1:15,000 scale), static and dynamic features of the beach system and adjacent inner shelf are divided into thematic sections, including geomorphological elements, bathymetry, sedimentological distribution, benthic habitat (mainly Posidonia oceanica meadow), hydrodynamics and anthropogenic features. The map constitutes an example of multidisciplinary benchmark to allow for long-term planning and management of this highly urbanized beach system. It is able to provide a substantial scientific support to policy-makers towards environmental restoration and sustainable development.

An integrated cartographic approach has been used to summarize different data (geomorphological, sedimentological, hydrodynamic, ecological and anthropic) from an urban microtidal, wave-dominated beach and adjacent inner shelf in a comprehensive and easily readable mapping output. The study area is located in S Sardinia (Italy, Mediterranean Sea) and focuses on Poetto beach. All the data in this study were processed to produce a Main Map (1:6400 scale) showing the key characteristics of the entire area and three detailed secondary maps (1:56,000 and 1:59,000 scale) that include topographic and eco-graphic profiles, the distribution of sedimentary facies and the main anthropic impact. This map, providing detailed information on the beach dynamics, human impact and the marine ecological status of the Poetto urban beach, represents a useful new tool to facilitate environmental conservation and beach management.

The aim of this study is to present a new morphodynamic map (1:10,000 scale) of a wave-dominated sector of a Mediterranean ria-type coast (NE Sardinia, Italy). The area has been studied since 1995 with respect to its geomorphological and sedimentological processes. Our map is produced using topographic-bathymetric, textural and compositional data collected during different surveys conducted from 1995 to 2014. The Main Map shows forms, processes and deposits of the coastal belt, as well as the main geological outcrops, structural elements and the areal distribution of seagrass, mainly Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile and Caulerpa prolifera (Forsskaal) Lamouroux. The map is useful for beach management purposes. It is noteworthy that the role of P. oceanica in the littoral area is twofold: (1) acts as a barrier to siliciclastic material from the backshore; and (2) a producer of biogenic/bioclastic sediment. Based on side-scan sonar images, the P. oceanica meadow appears to be threatened by direct mechanical damage caused by boat anchoring and mooring activities. The human impact on dune habitats has also been recognized and is related to pedestrian and vehicular transit, boat storage and infrastructure for bathing.

This paper presents a detailed (1:4000) geomorphological, sedimentological and ecological map of a Mediterranean microtidal wave-dominated beach system and adjacent inner shelf. This map is an innovative cartographic product that integrates a range of processes of present and past timeframes. It is part of a larger cartography on the coastal geomorphology of Sardinia (Italy) aiming to facilitate coastal management practices and future scientific research. The study area is located in SW Sardinia (Italy), and focuses on Porto Pino beach, an important tourist destination of semi-pristine nature, facing environmental pressures common to many coastal Mediterranean settings. In this context, the main human impact on coastal dune habitats is described and a full environmental characterization of the beach system is presented.

The results of this geomorphological study, which focuses on four Mediterranean embayed microtidal wave-dominated beach systems and the related inner shelf, are reported on a detailed geomorphological map (1:12,000 scale). The study area is located between Punta di Li Francesi and Lu Poltiddolu in NW Sardinia, W of the Strait of Bonifacio. The Main Map presents geomorphological, sedimentological, hydrodynamical and ecological (underwater vegetation) features indicated in nine sections of the map legend. Integrative maps (1:40,000 scale) of side-scan sonar surveys, sedimentary facies, survey routes and sampling point locations are also represented on the Main Map. This work summarizes 25 years of historical geomorphological datasets and can be considered as a reference for future comparisons of the study area as indicated by current European legislation. In addition to the scientific value of this study, the proposed map can be an important tool for coastal, beach and inner shelf management.

This article contains data about the values of the Dune Vulnerability Index (DVI) and the Partial Index Vulnerability (IVp) of eleven coastal dune systems located in Sardinia (Italy, western Mediterranean). Specifically, we present the values of 59 variables that summarize the condition of the studied dune systems, clustered in five groups: Geomorphological Condition (GCD), Marine Influence (MI), Aeolian Influence (AI), Vegetation Condition (VC), and Human Effects (HE). Data were collected during numerous field surveys and using aerial-photos. This dataset can be useful to evaluate the coastal dune vulnerability of several Sardinian beaches in order to drive local coastal managers towards an efficient management. Keywords: Coastal dunes, Coastal dune vulnerability index, Geomorphology, Beach management, Sardinia, Mediterranean sea

Urban Mediterranean beaches are often characterized by a fragile and unstable equilibrium that can be easily altered by ongoing climate change and by the increase in human pressure. This may pose serious threats to the survival of beach systems that cannot accommodate these modifications. In this paper, the spatio-temporal shift of the shoreline was investigated along two urban beaches in the Gulf of Cagliari (Poetto and Giorgino; southern Sardinia, western Mediterranean Sea) across a time frame of 62 years (1954–2016). The Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) ArcGIS™ extension was used to extract different statistical parameters which allowed us to quantify the erosion and accretion rates. These data were further examined in relation to a number of anthropic and natural forcings in order to disentangle the factors controlling shoreline evolution. Eight sectors with interchanging net erosive and accretion trends were identified along the Poetto and Giorgino beaches. In six decades, some sectors of the two study sites appeared to have undergone great shoreline modification as a result of the intense anthropogenic activities impacting these coastal areas. The westernmost portions of both beaches were found to be the most vulnerable to erosion processes; such conditions were likely controlled by the interplaying of local hydrodynamics and by the intense coastal development which affected these sectors. The highest retreat rates (mean end point rate (EPR) = −0.51/year) were recorded in the western limit of Giorgino beach. Along the western limit of Poetto beach, EPR erosion rates (mean EPR = −2.92/year) considerably increased in the years after the artificial beach nourishment carried out in 2002, suggesting that the majority of the nourished material was lost offshore or partly redistributed along the beach. Coastal structures, urban development, river catchment modification, industrial and port activities, beach cleaning and touristic and recreational activities have been identified as the ongoing causes of coastal alteration. If these factors remain constant, under projected climate change scenarios, these beaches are at risk of further increased flooding and erosion. In this context, the application of DSAS appeared as an essential tool, supporting a monitoring system able to provide understanding and, potentially, predictions of the short- to long-term evolution of these beach systems.

This work assesses the performance of an operational wave system in the Mediterranean Sea by comparing computed data with measurements collected at different water depths. Nearshore data measurements were collected through a field experiment carried out at Poetto beach (Southern Sardinia, Italy) during spring 2017. In addition to coastal observations, we use intermediate and deep water wave data measured by two buoys: one situated North-West of Corsica and the other in the Gulf of Lion. The operational wave system runs once a day to predict the wave evolution up to five days in advance. We use a multi-grid approach in which a large grid extends over the entire Mediterranean basin and a fine grid covers the coastal seas surrounding the islands of Sardinia and Corsica. The comparison with measurements shows that the operational wave system is able to satisfactorily reproduce the wave evolution in deep and intermediate waters where the relative error of the significant wave height is 17%. The error exceeding 25% in coastal waters suggests that the use of a finer grid and the coupling with an atmospheric model able to catch local effects is advisable to accurately address nearshore wave processes driven by coastal wind forcing.