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Shoreline position is a key parameter of a beach state, used as a descriptor of the system response to changes in external forcings, such as sea-level rise. Changes in shoreline position are the result of hydro- and morphodynamic processes taking place in the nearshore, including feedback mechanisms. Due to this complexity, state-of-the-art methodologies aimed at reproducing the variability of the shoreline are based on several assumptions that simplify the problem. One of the most widespread methods uses a beach equilibrium profile whose shape depends only on the beach morphology (i.e., beach slope, berm) and whose location varies with sea level. Here, we derive a general equation for shoreline evolution using the equilibrium profile, and we use it to evaluate the contribution of sea-level rise to shoreline evolution under wave forcing. We also provide analytical closed-form expressions to this shoreline evolution for a 2/3-power curve equilibrium profile and for three different probability distributions of breaking wave height (corresponding to three different families commonly used to describe wave climate). Our general equation is a step forward in the computation of shoreline evolution assuming a realistic equilibrium profile (described by a range of arbitrary parameters). When used to analyze the effects of sea-level rise, it is not constrained to sea-level rises small compared to the berm height. We also provide a novel and easy way to integrate it.

Coastal areas globally are facing a significant range of environmental stresses, enhanced by climate change-related processes and a continuous increase of human activities. The economic benefits of tourism are well-known for coastal regions, but, very often, conflicts arise between short-term benefits and long-term conservation goals. Among beach user preferences, five parameters of greater importance stand out from the rest, i.e., safety, facilities, water quality, litter and scenery, the latter is the main concern of this study. A coastal scenic evaluation was carried out in the Balearic Islands and focused on two major issues: coastal scenic beauty together with sensitivity to natural processes and human pressure. The archipelago is renowned as a top international coastal tourist destination that receives more than 13.5 million visitors (2019). Impressive landscape diversity makes the Balearics Islands an ideal field for this research. In total, 52 sites, respectively located in Ibiza (11), Formentera (5), Mallorca (18) and Menorca (18), were field-tested. In a first step, coastal scenic beauty was quantified using the coastal scenic evaluation system (CSES) method, based on the evaluation of 26 physical and human parameters, and using weighting matrices parameters and fuzzy logic mathematics. An evaluation index (“D”) was obtained for each site, allowing one to classify them in one of the five scenic classes established by the method. Twenty-nine sites were included in class I, corresponding to extremely attractive sites (CSES), which were mainly observed in Menorca. Several sound measures were proposed to maintain and/or enhance sites’ scenic value. In a second step, scenic sensitivity was evaluated using a novel methodological approach that makes possible the assessment of three different coastal scenic sensitivity indexes (CSSI), i.e., the natural sensitivity index NSI, the human sensitivity index HSI and the total sensitivity index TSI. Future climate change trends and projection of tourism development, studied at municipality scale, were considered as correction factors. All the islands showed places highly sensitive to environmental processes, while sensitivity to human pressure was essentially observed at Ibiza and Mallorca. Thereafter, sites were categorized into one of three sensitive groups established by the methodology. Results obtained are useful in pointing out very sensitive sceneries as well as limiting, preventing and/or anticipating future scenic degradation linked to natural and human issues.

In this study laboratory experiments were used to explore the role of biofilms, formed by lithobiontic microorganism communities, in causing hourly surface changes of supratidal sandstone and the potential linkage to long-term rock decay. To isolate the influence of individual environmental factors (temperature and humidity) on rock surface changes (expansion and contraction), a colonized (biofilm-covered) and a non-colonized sandstone block (biofilm-free) underwent the same univariate microclimatic simulations closely controlled by an environmental chamber. Simulations were run under three different light conditions, with a natural light lamp on, on and off at 20-min intervals and off, to investigate the impact of light on rock surface dynamics. Measured with a traversing micro-erosion meter (TMEM), two-hourly microtopographic fluctuations of these two sandstone blocks were compared in the same environment. Induced by microclimatic variations, surface movements of significantly higher magnitude (12–120% under varying tempeature and 121–154% under varying humidity) and different change patterns were observed on the colonized block, indicating the primary role of biofilm in driving microtopographic fluctuations of supratidal sandstone. However, thermally driven changes of similar magnitude and pattern were observed on both surfaces, suggesting other mechanisms also operating on the non-colonized rock surface in this process. Due to the sensitivity of biofilm microorganism communities to light, the magnitude and pattern of surface changes was impacted by light condition. Because biofilms increased the magnitude and number of cycles of expansion and contraction of the experimental rock surface, we propose that lithobiontic biofilms facilitate the detachment of grains and granular disintegration on the rock surface, consequently contributing to rock decay and accelerating the rate of breakdown of supratidal rock. This short-term episode therefore needs to be superimposed on longer term studies to fully understand the role of biofilms in rock surface change. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The ocean component and coastal impacts of Storm Gloria, that hit the Western Mediterranean between January 20th and 23rd 2020 are investigated with a numerical simulation of the storm surges and wind-waves. Storm Gloria caused severe damages and beat several historical records such as significant wave height or 24-h accumulated precipitation. The storm surge developed along the eastern coasts of the Iberian Peninsula reached values up to 1 m, and were accompanied by wind-waves with significant wave height up to 8 m. Along the coasts of the Balearic Islands, the storm footprint was characterised by a negligible storm surge and the impacts were caused by large waves. The comparison to historical records reveals that Storm Gloria is one of the most intense among the events in the region during the last decades and that the waves direction was particularly unusual. Our simulation permits quantifying the role of the different forcings in generating the storm surge. Also, the high spatial grid resolution down to 30 m over the Ebro Delta, allows determining the extent of the flooding caused by the storm surge. We also simulate the overtopping caused by high wind waves that affected a rocky coast of high cliffs (~ 15 m) in the eastern coast of Mallorca Island.

Sea-level rise induces a permanent loss of land with widespread ecological and economic impacts, most evident in urban and densely populated areas. The eventual coastline retreat combined with the action of waves and storm surges will end in more severe damages over coastal areas. These effects are expected to be particularly significant over islands, where coastal zones represent a relatively larger area vulnerable to marine hazards.Managing coastal flood risk at regional scales requires a prioritization of resources and socioeconomic activities along the coast. Stakeholders, such as regional authorities, coastal managers and private companies, need tools that help to address the evaluation of coastal risks and criteria to support decision-makers to clarify priorities and critical sites. For this reason, the regional Government of the Balearic Islands (Spain) in association with the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment has launched the Plan for Climate Change Coastal Adaptation. This framework integrates two levels of analysis. The first one relates with the identification of critical areas affected by coastal flooding and erosion under mean sea-level rise scenarios and the quantification of the extent of flooding, including marine extreme events. The second level assesses the impacts on infrastructures and assets from a socioeconomic perspective due to these hazards.In this context, this paper quantifies the effects of sea-level rise and marine extreme events caused by storm surges and waves along the coasts of the Balearic Islands (Western Mediterranean Sea) in terms of coastal flooding and potential erosion. Given the regional scale (~1500 km) of this study, the presented methodology adopts a compromise between accuracy, physical representativity and computational costs. We map the projected flooded coastal areas under two mean sea-level rise climate change scenarios, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. To do so, we apply a corrected bathtub algorithm. Additionally, we compute the impact of extreme storm surges and waves using two 35-year hindcasts consistently forced by mean sea level pressure and surface winds from ERA-Interim reanalysis. Waves have been further propagated towards the nearshore to compute wave setup with higher accuracy. The 100-year return levels of joint storm surges and waves are used to map the spatial extent of flooding in more than 200 sandy beaches around the Balearic Islands by mid and late 21st century, using the hydrodynamical LISFLOOD-FP model and a high resolution (2 m) Digital Elevation Model.

The gastronomy of the Balearic Islands reflects the tradition of the Mediterranean diet, based on seafood, fruits, and olive oil (Fig. 1). For instance, dishes like the Menorcan caldereta de Langosta (lobster stew) or sepia a la mallorquina (cuttlefish with vegetables) are good examples. However, the most famous of all Mallorcan dishes sobrasada mallorquina, or the typical sweet ensaïmada served during, for example, coffee breaks, together with lots of other traditional dishes incorporate an ingredient that might not seem logical for outsiders: pork. Sobrasada is an excellent example of tasty traditional food that has deep cultural roots. The making of sobrasada is a family (including friends) affair, culminating in a festive rite that denotes the beginning of autumn and is still celebrated widely, a reflection of the long‐standing traditions of the local population. During the ritual slaughter of an autochthonous breed of pig (matança), nothing is wasted, and the pork loin and bacon are mixed with paprika, salt, and black pepper to produce the tasty cured sausage called sobrasada. Sobrasada can be incorporated as an ingredient in other traditional dishes or used as a spread on typical Mallorcan biscuits (e.g., on locally branded Quely biscuits, which date back to the 18th century). These small crackers are a sort of ship biscuit, formerly used as a long‐lasting provision but now mostly popular as kids' snacks and appetizers.

Beaches are accumulations of unconsolidated sand or gravel, reworked and deposited by tides, waves and wave-induced currents along marine, lacustrine and estuarine shorelines. Waves and currents interact non-linearly and at different spatial and temporal scales to determine the beach profile configuration. The relation between three-dimensional beach schema, that recognises the occurrence of distinct beach morphologies or beach states, and the wave climate, is nowadays a dominant paradigm in coastal science. The most widely accepted and used model is the ‘wave-dominated’ beach model, which defines six main beach states on the basis of the dimensionless fall velocity (Ω). The magnitude and the frequency of forcing processes (wave height, period and sediment size) and the resulting physiographical beach profile configuration determine the morphodynamic character of a beach system including its beach and surf zone morphology and associated wave shoaling, surf and swash characteristics for a short time-scale period. Against this background, the beach arrangement corresponds with the modal or dominant beach state configuration for a location. This chapter deals with the continuum morphodynamic character of wave-dominated beach systems—dissipative, intermediate and reflective—and will review the historical antecedents to beach morphodynamic models, as well as their main features and their spatial and temporal dimensions.

Aeolian-alluvial sedimentary interaction results in the formation of deposits characterized by typical alluvial sedimentary structures, but is composed of conspicuous amounts of aeolian sediments. The literature on this topic is limited and most works relate more with continental aeolian dunes or fluvial dune interference with fan bodies. Furthermore, there is a lack of examples of aeolian-alluvial sedimentary interference in coastal settings. In the western Mediterranean, there are many Pleistocene alluvial fan deposits built up partly by sediment originating from coastal dunes dismantled by alluvial streams. Very often, these deposits show a continuous sedimentary sequence through which we can derive the contribution and predominance of coastal, alluvial-colluvial and aeolian processes and their controls on landscape formation. This is an outstanding feature within coastal systems since it shows marine sediments reworked and integrated within coastal dune fields by aeolian transport, and the latter built up into alluvial fan bodies. In this sense, aeolian-alluvial interaction is the geomorphic–sedimentary expression of the coexistence and overlapping of alluvial and aeolian environments resulting in deposits sharing sedimentary features from both environments. The aim of this paper is to unravel the contribution of coastal dunes in the construction of alluvial fans bodies and identify the main sedimentary facies that constitute these deposits, as well as their climatic controls. For this reason, Es Calo fan (northern Mallorca) has been selected due to its well-exposed deposits exhibiting the alternation of aeolian, alluvial and colluvial deposits. Sedimentological and stratigraphic analyses based on 33 logs and complementary analyses demonstrate that most of the facies constituting the fan body are made up completely of marine bioclastic sands. These deposits record an alluvial fan sedimentary environment characterized by sediments inputs that do not proceed from non-alluvial/fluvial/colluvial systems. In fact they relate with a marine source. Chronologies on aeolianites of northern Mallorca indicate that up to four periods of aeolian deposition took place during cooling stages and marine regressions over the last 100 kyr. Moreover, the alternation of short warming-cooling fluctuations between the cooling stages may have provided the conditions necessary to generate stormy weather in the western Mediterranean, resulting in aeolian-alluvial interactions. Additionally, the dynamics of this sedimentary environment were only possible because during the Last Glacial Maximum, the sea level remained low enough to allow for the formation of coastal dune fields and fans.

SAR-OSL dating studies of Romanian, Serbian and Chinese loess using fine and coarse quartz have previously resulted in a series of controversial issues. We extend here the investigations using fine (4–11 μm) and different coarse quartz (>63 μm) grains extracted from aeolianites from a site on Eivissa Island (southwestern Mediterranean). Aeolianites were chosen since they contain quartz from a different geological context and have significantly lower environmental dose rates. The dose response curves of the OSL signals for fine and coarse quartz are similar to those for loess and are also represented by the sum of two saturating exponential functions. For doses up to ~200 Gy, the dose response curves of fine and coarse grains from aeolianites can be superimposed and the ages obtained for the different grain sizes are in agreement up to ~250 ka, increasing our confidence in the accuracy of the ages obtained for samples with such doses, irrespective of the magnitude of the environmental dose rate. Particularly for the fine quartz fraction, a mismatch between the SAR dose response curve and the dose response curve obtained when doses are added to the natural is reported, indicating that the application of the SAR protocol in the high dose range is problematic. This dose dependent deviation is much less pronounced for coarse grains. Thus, it seems reasonable to infer that the dose response curves for the coarse grains, although saturating earlier can be regarded as more reliable for equivalent dose calculation than those for the fine grains.

Biological agency on rock coasts has been widely recognised over recent decades. This study deals with the distribution and morphometric characteristics of microforms features developed by cyanobacteria (Rivularia sp.) on coastal limestone outcrops. These coastal microforms, known as biopits, have a small rounded basin shape a few millimetres in size. Environmental and geological data were collected from 100 random rock surface spots from Punta des Farallo cape (Mallorca, Western Mediterranean), from which major controls on the spatial distribution of biopits were established. Additionally, morphological data on 382 biopits determined the diagnostic morphometry of these features and their enlargement mechanisms. The results indicated that biopits exhibit a preferential location in shaded exposures and sheltered areas from prevailing winds and waves, avoiding direct insolation and desiccation. Other major controls on these microforms location and development were variables such as the rock surface slope and the distance to the coast (i.e. influence of splash and spray). Shadow spots displayed higher biopits density than other locations according to the patterns determined by environmental and geomorphological factors at the study site. Morphometric analyses showed that biopits have a width twice their depth. The average width of the microforms was 6.49 ± 2.40 mm and the average depth 2.46 ± 1.09 mm. Most frequently, the width/depth ratio was 2 or larger. This characteristic shape ratio was an additional factor that plays a role in maintaining the necessary humidity for microorganisms associated with biopits.

ASLO and the local and scientific committees continue working on the forthcoming aquatic sciences meeting in Palma. Given the uncertainty that the current COVID‐19 pandemic situation poses for traveling and social‐distancing measures, we are currently planning for a hybrid meeting, that is, combining an in‐person meeting with online participation. We are aiming to provide a physical venue for limnologists and oceanographers from around the world to meet, discuss, and share their science; however, this year there will be added online components and possibilities. Rescheduling of the ASLO meeting to early summer offers participants the potential to complement their scientific discussion during the meeting with plenty of social and outdoor activities.

Palma de Mallorca, where the “Med mingles with history” is a jewel in the Mediterranean, has all the ingredients of a beautiful and exciting cosmopolitan city. Located in the south‐west coast of Mallorca on the nostalgic Bay of Palma, the city is bordered to the north and west sides by the Serra de Tramuntana, the island's major mountain range and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Palma dates back to the 13th‐century Christian reconquest of the island, and to the Moors, Romans and Talayotic people before that. It is famous for the immense Cathedral “La Seu” (the geographic and historical heart of the city) built on a previous mosque. The Old city behind the cathedral is a maze of streets hinting at an Arab past. Aside from this historical heritage, the endless beaches, the nearby mountain range and picturesque coastlines (Fig. 1), Palma has vibrant public squares, bohemian neighborhoods, bars, shops, cafes, a variety of restaurants (more than 1000), offering local (Mallorquin and Spanish) and international cuisines, and creations by local and international chefs of prestige.

In the last 10 years, new monitoring and modelling technologies have emerged allowing real-time observation and forecasting of the coastal ocean at regional and local scales. These technologies are at the core of multi-platform integrated observing and forecasting systems, such as the Balearic Islands Coastal Ocean Observing and Forecasting System (SOCIB). New capabilities to characterise the state of the ocean and its variability at finer spatial and temporal scales are emerging, supporting science and products for society. SOCIB has a well-defined mission to deliver ocean observing for the benefit of science and society. From initiation in 2010, SOCIB has provided high-quality, free and open data. In order to increase our utility, we developed a Products and Services Strategy rooted in business best practice. Ten sectors–groups of users with common data needs–were identified, for which SOCIB has information and knowledge of high value. Dedicated products were developed in cooperation with the end-users: beach lifeguards/managers and sustainable marine resources managers. We illustrate an integrative approach, combining business concepts with collaborative software development methodologies and ocean observing science, to turn ocean observations and forecasts into products and services, with benefits for society in the sustainable blue economy era., Also, the JERICO-NEXT EU-FP7 Project and EUROGOOS for their focus on ocean data products and the AtlantOS EU-FP7 Project and the OECD Ocean Economy Group for their focus on understanding the value of ocean data.

Este artículo contiene 30 páginas, 14 figuras., The Mediterranean community represented in this paper is the result of more than 30 years of EU and nationally funded coordination, which has led to key contributions in science concepts and operational initiatives. Together with the establishment of operational services, the community has coordinated with universities, research centers, research infrastructures and private companies to implement advanced multi-platform and integrated observing and forecasting systems that facilitate the advancement of operational services, scientific achievements and mission-oriented innovation. Thus, the community can respond to societal challenges and stakeholders needs, developing a variety of fit-for-purpose services such as the Copernicus Marine Service. The combination of state-of-the-art observations and forecasting provides new opportunities for downstreamservices in response to the needs of the heavily populatedMediterranean coastal areas and to climate change. The challenge over the next decade is to sustain ocean observations within the research community, to monitor the variability at small scales, e.g., the mesoscale/submesoscale, to resolve the sub-basin/seasonal and inter-annual variability in the circulation, and thus establish the decadal variability, understand and correct the model-associated biases and to enhance model-data integration and ensemble forecasting for uncertainty estimation. Better knowledge and understanding of the level ofMediterranean variability will enable a subsequent evaluation of the impacts and mitigation of the effect of human activities and climate change on the biodiversity and the ecosystem, which will support environmental assessments and decisions. Further challenges include extending the science-based added-value products into societal relevant downstream services and engaging with communities to build initiatives that will contribute to the 2030 Agenda and more specifically to SDG14 and the UN’s Decade of Ocean Science for sustainable development, by this contributing to bridge the science-policy gap. The Mediterranean observing and forecasting capacity was built on the basis of community best practices in monitoring and modeling, and can serve as a basis for the development of an integrated global ocean observing system.

Meeting Highlights

This study focuses on cliff-front anchored and sand-ramp aeolian dune accumulations in Cala Xuclar, Eivissa (Ibiza), Western Mediterranean, during different sea level falling stages from Middle to Late Pleistocene times. Stratigraphic mapping, conventional lithostratigraphic logging and OSL datings are used to reconstruct dune formation and evolution. Facies analyses result in the identification of six sedimentary units, three of which correspond to dune deposits formed at MIS 6 (145 ka), MIS 5d-c (∼100 ka) and MIS 4 (77–73 ka) respectively. Additionally there is a beach deposit at (∼2 m above present msl, which resembles the MIS 5a. This study concludes that each dune system corresponds to a relatively low sea-level stand that exposed enormous amounts of marine carbonate sands that was transported inland by migrating dunes under strong north–westerly winds. Therefore, sea-level fall and the related sediment supply owe likely to be key factors in the formation of these aeolianites systems.

Colluvial and aeolian successions in coastal environments are useful indicators of geomorphological changes that occurred during the Quaternary. Pleistocene aeolian deposits interbedded with colluvial deposits and palaeosols in areas of Cap Negret, Punta de sa Pedrera, Cala Bassa and Cala Compte, western coast of the island of Eivissa (western Mediterranean) are studied here. These deposits span almost continuously along 14 km of the coast, covering an area of approximately 22 km2. We present a sedimentological and stratigraphical description of these Pleistocene outcrops. Five major sedimentary facies involving the succession of aeolian, colluvial and edaphic environments are described. Carbonate sandstones, breccias, conglomerates and fine-grained deposits are the main components of these sequences. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of aeolian levels indicates that deposition took place from the Lower to Middle Pleistocene. The sedimentological and chronological analysis of these deposits allows reconstructing of the coastal Pleistocene environmental history from Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 22 to MIS 6. Results show that the main controls on Lower to Middle Pleistocene coastal landscape evolution on Western Eivissa are changes in the average wind direction over time, modulated by the interaction with coastal relief orientation. The main episodes of aeolian activity identified and dune formation in the Western Mediterranean can be linked to periods of low sea level.

The Balearic Islands coast contains 867 beach systems covering 10% of the coast reflecting the different controls of waves, sediments, geological inheritance and human disturbance. The average length of theses beaches are 169 m, raging from 10 m to more than 5 km, which implies that physical boundaries play a major role in beach length and morphology and wave attenuation; a moderate and seasonal wave climate and sediments composed predominantly of medium to coarse marine biogenic carbonate sands. It also describes the regional distribution, together with the occurrence of wave energy, beach sediments, bar systems and dynamics, rip currents, human disturbance and the influence of geological inheritance and marine biota.

13 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables.-- All data are accessible from http://apps.socib.es/beamon/ (Beach monitoring facility, 2018) and http://thredds.socib.es/thredds/catalog/mooring/waves_recorder/mobims_playadepalma/L1/2014/catalog.html (SOCIB Data centre, 2018), The morphodynamic response of a microtidal beach under a storm group is analyzed, and the effects of each individual event are inferred from a numerical model, in situ measurements and video imaging. The combination of these approaches represents a multiplatform tool for beach management, especially during adverse conditions. Here, the morphodynamic response is examined during a period with a group of three storms. The first storm, with moderate conditions (H ∼ 1m during 6 h), eroded the aerial beach and generated a submerged sandbar in the breaking zone. The bar was further directed offshore during the more energetic second event (H = 3.5m and 53 h). The third storm, similar to the first one, hardly affected the beach morphology, which stresses the importance of the beach configuration previous to a storm. The volume of sand mobilized during the storm group is around 17.65mm. During the following months, which are characterized by mild wave conditions, the aerial beach recovered half of the volume of sand that is transported offshore during the storm group (∼ 9.27mm). The analysis of beach evolution shows two different characteristic timescales for the erosion and recovery processes associated with the storm and mild conditions, respectively. In addition, the response depends largely on the previous beach morphological state. The work also stresses the importance of using different tools (video monitoring, modeling, and field campaign) to analyze beach morphodynamics, Authors acknowledge financial support from MINECO/FEDER through projects MORFINTRA/MUSA (CTM2015-66225-C2-2-P) and CLIMPACT (CGL2014-54246-C2-1-R). Verónica Morales-Márquez is supported by an FPI grant from the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad of the Spanish government associated with MORFINTRA/MUSA. Daniel Conti is supported by a PhD fellowship (FPI/1543/2013) granted by the Conselleria d'Educació, Cultura i Universitats from the Government of the Balearic Islands co-financed by the European Social Fund

The next Aquatic Sciences Meeting will be held in Palma, Spain. We anticipate that the topic “Aquatic Sciences for a Sustainable Future: Nurturing Cooperation” and the location of the meeting will incite researchers from all continents working in all aquatic fields to come over, communicate, interact, and share. While attending the meeting for the stimulating science, one has the opportunity to enjoy the astounding beauty of Mallorca, the larger island of the Balearics archipelago, located about 200 km (~125 miles) off the mainland Spain. The archipelago is bathed by the transparent waters of the Mediterranean Sea, harboring some of the best preserved endemic Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows (Fig. 1) including those declared as UNESCO World Heritage between Ibiza and Formentera. The small Cabrera Archipelago, off the coast of Mallorca, was the first declared “Sea and Land National Park” in Spain, and shelters a diversity of sea life, including the last Spanish catalogued specimens of the highly endangered pen shell, Pinna nobilis (Fig. 1).

Paleo relative sea-level (RSL) indicators formed during the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e have been reported by a large number of studies worldwide. Despite this, three main aspects are seldom reported: (1) use of high-precision survey techniques applied to MIS 5e RSL indicators; (2) application of modern analogs to understand the indicative meaning of MIS 5e RSL indicators; (3) estimates of the effects of glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) on the MIS 5e records. In this study, we show how the three points above have been addressed in a focused study on Last Interglacial outcrops on the island of Mallorca. We measured the elevation of several RSL indicators with high-accuracy differential GPS (vertical accuracies down to 0.1 m) and we established the relationship between each RSL indicator and the paleo sea level through calculation of the indicative meaning for each RSL indicator. In particular, we present a novel technique to calculate the indicative meaning of fossil beach deposits with a phase-averaged morphodynamic model (CSHORE). We show how this approach helps overcoming difficulties with the survey of the modern analogs for these indicators. Our results show that two paleo RSLs are imprinted in Mallorca at + 2.9 ± 0.8 m and + 11.3 ± 1.0 m. We then compare our field-based results with modelled paleo RSL, calculated from the predictions of the ice-earth coupled ANICE-SELEN model, using few different ice-sheet melting scenarios during MIS 5e. We conclude that indicative ranges can be derived from relatively simple morphodynamic models and that the comparison of field-derived and modelled RSL values is a good method to validate possible scenarios of MIS 5e sea-level variability, especially in absence of precise dating.

Rocky coasts occur along more than one-third (37%) of the Atlantic continental European coastline, approximately 3666 km, often forming vertical cliffs and characteristically gently sloping shore platforms. The continental European Atlantic rocky coasts show a great variability of rock types and structural contexts, as well as different wave climates and tidal ranges. Through a review of previously published data on cliff retreat rates and shore platform erosion measured on monthly, seasonal, annual and decadal timescales, this paper highlights the different processes and agents, their magnitude and frequency in shaping rocky coasts. In particular, the links between cliff retreat, shore platform evolution, present dynamics and inheritance (understood as whether platform and other rock coast features were shaped by a higher sea level than the present) comprise one of the major contributions from continental European Atlantic rocky coasts to a global understanding of rock coast coastal geomorphology.

The Cova des Pas de Vallgornera is an important and protected coastal cave, located in the southern part of the island of Mallorca, that outstands due to its length and the complex processes involved in its speleogenesis. Although sediments are not the main topic of interest, their presence as well as their paleontological contents are valuable evidence for paleoclimatic and chronological reconstructions of the cave morphogenesis. The sedimentary infilling is characterized by a scarce presence of clastic sedimentation, mainly composed of silts and clays, which can only be found at some minor passages in the innermost parts of the cave. It corresponds to a clayey sedimentation mainly derived from the soil infiltration that can be found mixed with carbonate particles detached from the cave walls. A particularly different situation occurs in the northernmost end of the cave where an important sequence of silty sands are present, hosting a very rich paleontological deposit. The objective of this paper is to describe the detrital deposits present in the cave by means of the integration of sedimentological, chemical, and mineralogical data, which will aim to provide a better understanding of the processes that have occurred during the system's speleogenetic evolution., Funding from Spanish MINECO (MICINN) – FEDER project CGL2010-18616 is acknowledged

Special issue Physical, chemical and biological observations and modelling of oil spills in the Mediterranean Sea.-- 14 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, We study the capabilities of four existing Operational Forecasting Systems to forecast the trajectories of a hypothetical surface oil spill in a region of the Western Mediterranean Sea, the Balearic sub-basin. Two of the systems operate at basin scale (MyO-GLOBAL and MED-MFC) and the other two at regional scale (IBI-MFC and WMOP). The model assessment is first studied using synoptic fields of models and observations from ship in two different areas. The behavior of all systems shows similarities and differences with the real observations especially within the thermocline. Secondly, a Lagrangian assessment points out the large differences obtained between the different models in the different areas. Results indicate the importance of reproducing the sub-mesoscalar structures in the Balearic Sea in order to develop accurate and reliable tracking systems, a question that today is far from being achieved, Authors would like to thank the financial support of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the MEDESS-4MS Project and EU-H2020 Project Jerico-Next. E. Capó thanks financial support from EVOS-Project-CSIC201530E067. A. Orfila thanks financial support from ENAP-Colombian Army through several grants. J.M. Sayol is supported by the JAE-Pre scholarships co-funded by CSIC and ESF. D. Conti is currently a PhD fellowship (FPI/1543/2013) granted by the “Conselleria d׳Educació, Cultura i Universitats” from the Government of the Balearic Islands co-financed by the European Social Fund.

International audience; The Last Interglacial (MIS 5e, 128-116 ka) is among the most studied past periods in Earth's history. The climate at that time was warmer than today, primarily due to different orbital conditions, with smaller ice sheets and higher sea-level. Field evidence for MIS 5e sea-level was reported from thousands of sites, but often paleo shorelines were measured with low-accuracy techniques and, in some cases, there are contrasting interpretations about paleo sea-level reconstructions. For this reason, large uncertainties still surround both the maximum sea-level attained as well as the pattern of sea-level change throughout MIS 5e. Such uncertainties are exacerbated by the lack of a uniform approach to measuring and interpreting the geological evidence of paleo sea-levels. In this review, we discuss the characteristics of MIS 5e field observations, and we set the basis for a standardized approach to MIS 5e paleo sea-level reconstructions, that is already successfully applied in Holocene sea-level research. Application of the standard definitions and methodologies described in this paper will enhance our ability to compare data from different research groups and different areas, in order to gain deeper insights into MIS 5e sea-level changes. Improving estimates of Last Interglacial sea-level is, in turn, a key to understanding the behavior of ice sheets in a warmer world. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

This paper describes the sedimentological and morphological evolution of a microtidal beach over an eight-month period under varying hydrodynamic conditions. During the monitoring a set of transverse to crescentic bars migrated onshore welded to the upper beach and then they were flattened under energetic wave conditions. The grain size distribution of surficial sediments did vary consistently across the beach profile and temporal changes in the sedimentology were mostly related to the seasonal morphological response. From our results we can state that changes in the beach morphology resulting from erosion and deposition might induce, at least to some degree, concomitant changes in the beach when hydrodynamics exceed some intensity and duration levels (Hs > 1. m). Wave climate, rather than wave forcing is the major control on sediment and morphological change co-variation. © 2011 Elsevier B.V., This research was sponsored by the “Conselleria de Medi Ambient” from the Government of the Balearic Islands and by the project CTM2006-12072 from the MICINN

Microorganisms are a ubiquitous feature of most hard substrata on Earth and their role in the geomorphological alteration of rock and stone is widely recognized. The role of microorganisms in the modification of engineering materials introduced into the intertidal zone through the construction of hard coastal defences is less well understood. Here we use scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to examine microbial colonization and micro-scale geomorphological features on experimental blocks of limestone, granite and marine concrete after eight months' exposure in the intertidal zone in Cornwall, UK. Significant differences in the occurrence of microbial growth features, and micro-scale weathering and erosion features were observed between material types (ANOVA p < 0·000). Exposed limestone blocks were characterized by euendolithic borehole erosion (99% occurrence) within the upper 34·0 ± 12·3μm of the surface. Beneath the zone of boring, inorganic weathering (chemical dissolution and salt action) had occurred to a depth of 125·0 ± 39·0μm. Boring at the surface of concrete was less common (27% occurrence), while bio-chemical crusting was abundant (94% occurrence, mean thickness 45·1 ± 27·7μm). Crusts consisted of biological cells, salts and other chemical precipitates. Evidence of cryptoendolithic growth was also observed in limestone and concrete, beneath the upper zone of weathering. On granite, biological activity was restricted to thin epilithic films (, m Great Western Research and the Environment Agency (Science Project SC060096), and gratefully acknowledges additional support from the ENCORA Project and the British Society for Geomorphology. LGP acknowledges funding from the MCINN research project CGL2009-07392.

8 páginas, 7 figuras, 1 tabla., Basin pools are the diagnostic feature of Coastal Karren landscape at temperate settings. According to the size and connectivity parameters four morphological zones are identified along limestone coastal profiles. Each zone reflects the balance between the effects of physical and chemical weathering-erosion agents. Broadly, marine abrasion, bioerosion and biological driven solution show a larger influence seaward, whereas non-biological driven solution enhances its participation landward., Ministerio de España de Ciencia e Innovación (proyecto CGL2009-07392)

A real-time beach hazard level associated with nearshore hydrodynamics is presented in this article. The suitability of the discussed alert system is illustrated via its application to fifteen beaches in the Balearic Islands (Western Mediterranean Sea) providing nearshore safety conditions for beach safety manager. The system provides daily forecasts of nearshore wave conditions using the deep water wave forecasts. The shallow water wave data (wave height, period, and direction) together with the morphology of the site (presence of bars, capes, beach type, etc.) are used to define a hazard level (low, medium, and high) associated with local conditions. The resulting hazard level is transmitted via SMS to lifeguards and local authorities for real-time beach management. The low computational cost of this system after the initial implementation and subsequent calibration results in a very suitable approach for beach management in order to mitigate risks related to local hydrodynamics.

Rock surface millimetre-scale roughness and weathering of supratidal Mallorcan carbonate coasts (Balearic Islands)

We compare the different geomorphological processes which occurred in Pliocene–Quaternary times on two very similar slopes in Mallorca, one located at the Tramuntana Range and the other in the Llevant Ranges. Both slopes have the same geological structure, the same stratigraphic and lithological levels, and the same altitude and orientation. The different slope processes are due to the relationship between the accommodation space and the sedimentation rate in the adjacent basins: In the Valencia Trough (located N of the Tramuntana Range), the sedimentation rate has not been sufficient to fill the accommodation space, whereas in the Alcudia Basin (adjacent to the Llevant Ranges), the sedimentation rate has been sufficient to fill the accommodation space. This difference has resulted in major landslides on the Tramuntana slope, whereas the Llevant slope is characterized mainly by alluvial fans and debris screes.

The number of the main macro-invertebrate species grazing on the microalgal film on rocky coasts was evaluated at six closely located stations on Mallorca (Balearic Islands). The main bioerosive species at the sites studied were Melaraphe neritoides (L., 1758), Patella rustica (L., 1758), Monodonta turbinata (Born, 1780) and Lepidochitona corrugata (Reeve, 1848). The transects considered shared the same general environmental conditions and species pool. The aim of this study was to compare the effects exerted by the vertical gradient with those exerted by other sets of environmental variables. These sets were, namely, (1) inter-seasonal differences, (2) inter-transect differences (comprising degree of wave-exposure and lithological differences) and (3) effects of the micro-morphology (i.e., crevices, basin pools and other small-scale structures). The main null hypothesis verified was that species composition remains constant after assessing the effect of the vertical gradient. This hypothesis is largely rejected here. The main factor modelling the species composition was the vertical gradient (accounting for 31.6% of variability) whereas the percentages of variability yielded by the other sets individually were smaller but significant (P

Calas are characteristic embayed rocky coastline landforms related to steep-sided drowned valleys that were deeply incised during low sea-level stages into carbonate plateaus. This paper studies the factors that control the presence and character of calas in three different islands of the Balearic Archipelago (Mallorca, Menorca and Formentera) by means of Digital Elevation Model (DEM) reconstructions, embayment and catchment morphometric analysis and through the compilation of fault and joint orientations. All islands exhibit emerged carbonate platforms (Upper Miocene in age) characterised by horizontal or very gently-dipping bedding. Two distinct patterns observed at all study sites are the absence or poor development of calas when carbonate plateaus exhibit strong coast-parallel structures and a greater variability of cala embayment size according to stream catchment size, lithology or their catchment distance from the coastline. Furthermore, the amount of stream incision, and consequently the characteristics of a cala at its mouth, depends on the proportion of impermeable rocks exposed in each drainage basin and on the density and spacing of fractures. Karst collapse, dolines and valley infilling associated with Quaternary sea-level oscillations are also important in determining the shape and size of calas., This work was supported by the research fund of MICINN Projects CGL2010-18616/BTE and CGL2008-05724 of the Spanish Government. We thank Prof. Andrew Plater, Prof. Alan Trenhaile and an anonymous referee for the helpful comments and suggestions that have improved the original paper. We also thank Katherine Powell (USGS) for her helpful English revision.

Trabajo presentado en ICS 2013, 12th International Coastal Symposium, celebrado del 8 al 12 de abril de 2013 en Plymouth (Reino Unido). - Publicado en el volumen 2 de Proceedings of the 12th International Coastal Symposium, ICS2013, número especial 65 de la revista Journal of Coastal Research, Mediterranean nearshore sandy and rocky bottoms are colonized by the endemic reef-building seagrass Posidonia oceanica. This species loses leaves in autumn that form large litter patches in the surf zone and huge litter banks on adjacent beaches, resulting in wedge and layered structures of few centimetres to several meters in thick (banquettes). Some authors pointed the importance of those banquettes for the protection of sandy beaches because they dissipate wave energy. By contrast other authors state that this effect is almost negligible. This work deals with the role of Posidonia oceanica accumulations in Mediterranean beach morphodynamics. By means of coastal video-monitoring and wave records we assess the marine conditions related to the formation and destruction of banquettes and evaluate their role in the protection of two sandy beaches (Cala Millor and Son Bou, Balearic Islands). Results indicate that banquettes are common beach features at the study sites although they are not persistent and experience complex construction and destruction dynamics throughout the year. Two different types of banquette construction can be differentiated over the year: one related to the reworking of older seagrass beach cast by alongshore currents and a second as a response to the incorporation of new volumes of dead leaves after energetic winter storms (Hs ~2 to 3 m). In both cases, seagrass cast accumulations are continuously built up and destroyed and rarely persist before the arrival of new sea storms. Therefore, at least for semi-enclosed sandy beaches, the protection role of seagrass banquettes should be reconsidered (Journal), This work was partially supported by the Spanish Government (MICINN) Project CGL2011-22964

Tintoré, Joaquín et al., Capítulo en: MORENO-DÍAZ, Roberto; PICHLER, Franz; QUESADA-ARENCIBIA, Alexis (eds.). Computer Aided Systems Theory-EUROCAST 2013 : 14th International Conference, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, February 10-15, 2013. Revised Selected Papers, Part II. Berlin: Springer, 2013, p.341-348 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science ; 8112), New monitoring technologies are key components of ocean observatories, also called marine research infrastructures being implemented in the worlds oceans. As a result, new capabilities to characterise, in quasi-real time, the ocean state and its variability at small scales exist today. The challenge is the integration of theses multiplatform observing and forecasting systems to (a) monitor the variability at small scales (e.g. mesoscale/weeks) in order to (b) resolve the sub-basin/seasonal and inter-annual variability and by this (c) establish the decadal variability, understand the associated biases and correct them. The challenge is also to change focus and now monitor from small to large scales. SOCIB is leading this new small to large-scale multi-platform approach in ocean observation. Some examples are presented and discussed together with initial ideas on the optimal design of an observational network in the world oceans, responding to science priorities, technology development and response to strategic society needs