FOCUS ON ECOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DESIGN OF A BEACH STABILIZATION PROJECT

Baird harnessed the latest technology to improve the beach while minimizing environmental impacts and improving habitat wherever possible at a west coast location in Barbados. Baird used an Echoscope to precisely map bathymetry, living reef, and voids in relic reef. Following numerical and physical modeling, underwater structures for beach stabilization were specifically designed to accommodate coral transplants and lab grown corals. This first phase of shoreline stabilization creates new opportunities for enhancement, training, and education. Subsequent monitoring of biodiversity will measure the rate of reef recovery. Turbidity monitoring, as well as rainfall and surface run-off rates, will provide much needed information regarding the relative impacts of wave sediment resuspension and surface run-off on coral health.