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Morphological Changes in the Coastal Ocean
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Morphological Changes in the Coastal Ocean

A special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (ISSN 2077-1312). This special issue belongs to the section "Coastal Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 June 2025 | Viewed by 3716

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Henry Bokuniewicz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000, USA
Interests: nearshore transport processes; coastal groundwater hydrology; coastal sedimentation; marine geophysics
Prof. Dr. Niki Evelpidou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Zografou, 15784 Athens, Greece
Interests: geomorphology; coastal geomorphology; sea-level changes; palaeogeography; geoarchaeology; study and modelling of natural hazards
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are excited to invite researchers and experts to contribute to a Special Issue focusing on "Morphological Changes in the Coastal Ocean." This Special Issue aims to explore the dynamic evolution of coastal environments, including beaches, estuaries, deltas, and coastal wetlands, and understand the underlying processes driving morphological changes in these regions.

Concerning almost half of the world population, a reliable and functioning coastal ocean environment is critical for long-term resilience. Coastal and offshore sediment dynamics play an essential role in long-term stability. The coastline and adjacent seafloor are increasingly being relied upon for our resilience by providing renewable energy and critical infrastructure, as well as supporting key fisheries and biodiversity. Seabed characteristics and dynamics are particularly important for habitat classification. Both climate change and our industrialization of the coastal ocean sculpt substrate changes and dramatically alter the seafloor by redistributing sediments, undermining vulnerable infrastructure, and modifying the marine habitats of high ecological value.  Although new technology has simultaneously enhanced our capacity, understanding seabed stability and sediment dynamics is, still, a fundamental need for geoscience, offshore engineering, and biological research.

We welcome submissions on a wide range of topics related to morphological changes in the coastal ocean, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Coastal erosion and accretion processes;
  • Shelf sediment transport;
  • Impact of sea-level rise on coastal morphology;
  • Humans;
  • Morphological evolution of shelf, estuarine and coastal environments;
  • Impacts on and by coastal infrastructure on coastal and nearshore morphology;
  • Storm surge impacts on coastal morphology;
  • Geomorphic response to extreme events in the coastal zone;
  • Remote sensing and modeling techniques for studying coastal morphodynamics;
  • Ecological consequences of morphological changes in the coastal ocean.

Prof. Dr. Henry Bokuniewicz
Prof. Dr. Niki Evelpidou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • coastal morphology
  • coastal erosion
  • coastal landforms
  • shoreline erosion
  • substrate
  • benthic habitats
  • shelf sediment dynamics
  • seafloor bedforms

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 6337 KiB  
Article
Experimental Study on the Sediment-Trapping Performance of Different Coastal Protection Structures in a High-Tidal Range Area
by Hao-Nan Hung, Hsin-Hung Chen and Ray-Yeng Yang
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(6), 1022; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13061022 - 23 May 2025
Viewed by 47
Abstract
This study evaluates the sediment-trapping performance of three coastal protection structures—submerged breakwaters, derosion lattices, and a composite seawall–submerged breakwater system—under monsoon and typhoon wave conditions. Physical model experiments were conducted in a wave basin with a movable-bed setup and variable water levels to [...] Read more.
This study evaluates the sediment-trapping performance of three coastal protection structures—submerged breakwaters, derosion lattices, and a composite seawall–submerged breakwater system—under monsoon and typhoon wave conditions. Physical model experiments were conducted in a wave basin with a movable-bed setup and variable water levels to simulate high tidal range environments. The results show that all three structures significantly improved sediment retention in the landward region, with the composite system performing best, followed by the submerged breakwaters and derosion lattices. However, in the seaward region, the sediment retention was 55.36% lower with submerged breakwaters and 126.79% lower with the composite system, relative to the no-structure case under monsoon wave conditions. Notably, the derosion lattice was the only structure that consistently achieved greater sediment retention than the no-structure case on both the seaward and landward sides. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Morphological Changes in the Coastal Ocean)
16 pages, 7784 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Sandbar–Trough Bed Level Changes Under Regular Wave Conditions—A Case Study of Ten-Mile Silver Beach, Hailing Island, China
by Xiaodong Bian, Zhiqiang Li, Yan Sun, Daoheng Zhu, Tao Chen and Chunhua Zeng
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(5), 953; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13050953 - 14 May 2025
Viewed by 219
Abstract
Understanding the evolution of the sandbar–trough system under regular wave conditions is essential for revealing the dynamic responses of coastal morphology in non-extreme environments and provides a scientific basis for long-term beach stability assessments and coastal erosion management. This study conducted a three-day [...] Read more.
Understanding the evolution of the sandbar–trough system under regular wave conditions is essential for revealing the dynamic responses of coastal morphology in non-extreme environments and provides a scientific basis for long-term beach stability assessments and coastal erosion management. This study conducted a three-day field observation on Ten-Mile Silver Beach, Hailing Island, China, to investigate the coupling relationships between hydrodynamic factors and bed elevation changes during the morphological evolution of the sandbar–trough system. The results indicate that gravity wave (>0.04 Hz) energy is a key driver of bed elevation changes. During the erosion phase, gravity wave energy increases, and the peak wave energy frequency shifts toward lower frequencies, accompanied by a contraction of low-frequency energy and an expansion of high-frequency energy. In contrast, the accretion phase exhibits the opposite pattern. As the sandbar–trough system developed, the explanatory power of hydrodynamic factors on bed elevation decreased by 41% in the trough region and increased by 3.7% in the sandbar region, indicating a spatially differentiated pattern characterized by weakened forcing in the trough and enhanced response over the sandbar. During the geomorphic adjustment process, the trough area exhibited increased sensitivity, with gravity wave energy, near-infragravity wave (0.01–0.04 Hz) energy, far-infragravity wave (0.004–0.01 Hz) energy, mean wave height, and significant wave steepness reversing their influence directions on bed elevation. In contrast, the sandbar area maintained a more stable hydrodynamic control mechanism, with only the influence pattern of significant wave steepness undergoing a shift. This study enhances the understanding of geomorphology–hydrodynamics coupling within nearshore sandbar–trough systems and provides theoretical insights and technical support for monitoring and evaluating coastal erosion and accretion processes under normal wave conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Morphological Changes in the Coastal Ocean)
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17 pages, 6203 KiB  
Article
Morphodynamics and Successional Characteristics of Bowl Blowout in the Late Stage of Coastal Foredune
by Shaoyun Zhang, Yuxiang Dong, Wei Tian, Shuyi Fu and Lin Yang
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(4), 638; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13040638 - 23 Mar 2025
Viewed by 278
Abstract
Coastal foredune blowout is a significant indicator of shoreline retreat, activation of backshore dune fields, and land desertification. Among current research on the terminal phase of coastal foredune blowouts, few studies explain blowouts’ morphological and airflow interaction mechanisms in the late stage through [...] Read more.
Coastal foredune blowout is a significant indicator of shoreline retreat, activation of backshore dune fields, and land desertification. Among current research on the terminal phase of coastal foredune blowouts, few studies explain blowouts’ morphological and airflow interaction mechanisms in the late stage through comprehensive field surveys and observations. In this study, the coastal blowout on the foredune at Tannanwan Beach, Pingtan Island, China, is investigated to explore the morphodynamics and evolutionary characteristics of blowout morphology. High-resolution RTK GPS technology and two-dimensional ultrasonic anemometers are utilized to repeatedly measure and observe the morphology of late-stage bowl blowouts. The results revealed that the following: (1) During the entire survey period, the bowl blowout is characterized by deepening erosion of the lateral walls and accretion in the deflation basin, with the maximum erosion depth on the east lateral wall reaching up to 3.99 m and the maximum accumulation height occurring in the front half of the deflation basin. (2) The wind direction and the morphology of the bowl blowout significantly impact the airflow characteristics within the blowout, and the airflow distribution within the blowout further affects the development of the blowout morphology. (3) The bowl blowout is in the late stage of its life cycle. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Morphological Changes in the Coastal Ocean)
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15 pages, 3174 KiB  
Article
Extent of Benthic Habitat Disturbance by Offshore Infrastructure
by Robert M. Cerrato, Roger D. Flood, Justin Bopp and Henry J. Bokuniewicz
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2024, 12(12), 2142; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12122142 - 24 Nov 2024
Viewed by 637
Abstract
The effects of the interaction between sandy, mobile, low-relief (sorted) bedforms and two sewage outfalls were investigated along the south shore of Long Island, NY. Sand bedforms at scales from ripples to ridges are common on continental shelves. In dynamic environments, these features [...] Read more.
The effects of the interaction between sandy, mobile, low-relief (sorted) bedforms and two sewage outfalls were investigated along the south shore of Long Island, NY. Sand bedforms at scales from ripples to ridges are common on continental shelves. In dynamic environments, these features can migrate 10s to 100s of meters per year, especially during storms. Beyond engineering considerations, little is known of the interaction between these mobile features and anthropogenic structures. Modification of bedform topography and sediment grain-size distribution can be expected to alter the species composition, abundance, and diversity of the benthic community. At the study site, the interaction increased the scour of modern fine- to medium-grained sediments extending out to a kilometer and uncovered coarser-grained late Pleistocene sediments. This alteration of the seafloor in turn resulted in changes in composition, higher abundance, and lower diversity in the species assemblage found in the impacted area. The most advantaged species was Pseudunciola obliquua, a sightless, tube-building, surface deposit-feeding amphipod that is known to prefer a dynamic coarse sand habitat. Overall, the ecological effects of artificial structures on a wave-dominated seabed with sorted bedforms have not been adequately assessed. In particular, and of great importance, is the pending large-scale development of wind farms off the East Coast of the U.S. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Morphological Changes in the Coastal Ocean)
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28 pages, 11905 KiB  
Article
Sea Level Rise and the Future of Tombolos: The Case of Greece
by Hampik Maroukian, Evangelos Spyrou, Sofia Tsiatoura, Maria Tzouxanioti and Niki Evelpidou
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2024, 12(9), 1578; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12091578 - 6 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1909
Abstract
Tombolos are ephemeral coastal landforms, which may form and disappear over short geological time periods. Thus, they are susceptible to marine processes. During the last decades, however, climate change and the subsequent sea level rise seems to have affected a large part of [...] Read more.
Tombolos are ephemeral coastal landforms, which may form and disappear over short geological time periods. Thus, they are susceptible to marine processes. During the last decades, however, climate change and the subsequent sea level rise seems to have affected a large part of the world’s coastlines. Tombolos are particularly prone to the imminent sea level rise. Many tombolos globally may disappear in the coming decades. Our work aims to quantify the susceptibility of the tombolos along the Greek coastline in relationship to the sea level rise. We mapped all Greek tombolos and created an online (and public) geodata base. For each tombolo, we measured its primary physiographical characteristics (e.g., length and width), and also its height above sea level. Based on that, we applied two scenarios proposed by the IPCC concerning the future sea level rise (RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5), in order to check to what extent the Greek tombolos may disappear or face extreme erosion in the next few decades. Our results indicate that more than half of the Greek tombolos will be fully flooded and disappear in 100 years even under the optimistic scenario. Even those that remain will still face severe erosion problems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Morphological Changes in the Coastal Ocean)
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