How goods transportation has evolved over the years.

What is coastal engineering?
Coastal engineering is a branch of study that deals with natural processes like erosion that take place at shorelines and ways to minimize damage to coastal areas. Coastal engineering includes aspects related to diverse fields like marine geology, oceanography and civil engineering.
What comes under coastal engineering?
The sphere of activities of coastal engineering is directed at reducing coastal erosion, providing navigational access and ensuring safety of people living in coastal areas. Projects like construction of structures to protect seashore communities are often undertaken by coastal engineering firms.
The reason could be rise of sea level due to factors like beach erosion and glacial melting or frequent occurrence of storms. Other concerns involving coastal engineering companies include building of port facilities at shorelines and construction of beach resorts to name a few.
Beach erosion
The primary reason for erosion is action of waves on beaches which results in displacement of sediments. This causes the shoreline to retreat a phenomenon that is also affected due to glacial melting and tidal inlets.
Regional sand management is an effective way to reduce the sand outflow in regions susceptible to large scale erosion. The conservation process is done by way of coastal structures and beach nourishment.
The Solutions

1. Coastal Structures

Coastal structures are an effective means to combat beach erosion. Structures like breakwaters, jetties and revetments help in protecting the shoreline from the action of sea waves and in protecting sediments.
However the structures need to be assembled taking into consideration factors like wave height, storm frequency and current magnitude. Coastal structures are instrumental in preventing the transport of sand along the shoreline and reducing wave magnitude and velocity.

1. Beach Nourishment

Beach nourishment is another useful method to replace sand that is lost due to erosion. Beach nourishment involves depositing sand in large quantities in beaches where the shoreline has retreated landwards.
The activity has helped reduce erosion of shorelines around the world damaged due to gradual wave action or due to storms. This has enabled economic development along seashores in the form of recreational opportunities like water sports and resorts.

1. Dredged Material

A new method which is being increasingly employed for eco conservation efforts is the re-use of dredged material. Dredged material is used in coastal engineering efforts to create wetlands which are beneficial for marine ecosystems.
Storm water management
Storms are another major cause of damage to shorelines. Storms affect the coastline topography and cause pollution due to storm water runoffs. Storm water management in some cases also falls within the ambit of services provided by coastal engineering firms.
Storms occurring at sea sometimes cause waves that can inundate coastal areas. The excess water gets accumulated in low lying areas and needs to be pumped out and dispersed safely to avoid pollution.
Navigations of ships and vessels
Coastal engineering is also associated with navigation of ships and vessels, ensuring optimum water depth in ports and development of maritime facilities in harbors and coastal areas. The field also includes study of coastal transportation like for example vulnerability of ships moving in coastal areas to storms.
Coastal engineering firms provide inputs for navigation related fields like vessel maneuvering and traffic studies in coastal areas. The inputs are especially useful in conducting smooth port operations involving inflow and outflow of ships.
Coastal engineering is an important field of study that is necessary to protect shorelines, conserve marine ecosystems and enable smooth navigation of ships and vessels in coastal areas.