Seawall Comparison

Is this better for sea turtles?

Click photos to enlarge

Current construction of vertical seawall in Vero Beach, FL
Existing seawall in Vero Beach, FL	Sand-filled Container Dune Restoration System

(All of the above photographs were taken in February 2005)

New seawalls will eventually look like existing ones, with no beach seaward of walls. Sand-filled container systems will be maintained with beach seaward and sand on top of the systems. Which of the above is better for people and sea turtles?

1) Sea walls destroy eroding beaches first by reducing the size of the beach.	2) As water moves in, it eventually meets the wall, flooding the beach.	3) The wave action causes the underlying sand to erode quickly, undermining the wall.
Sources: Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level; E. Robert Thieler, U.S. Geological Survey; "Against the Tide," by Cornella Dean David Constantine and Al Granberg/The New York Times

This is what happens to the beaches if seawalls are erected. To protect against toe scour and seawall failure, more and more armament must be added as you can see with the multiple layers installed to protect the Galveston seawall.

Rotational currents moving off the 90º angle of the seawall cause accelerated erosion to adjacent properties.