70% of beaches eroding on Kaua‘i, Maui, and O‘ahu

Kualoa Beach on O'ahu's Windward shore has been identified as the coastal area undergoing the most beach erosion among three islands: O'ahu, Maui, and Kaua'i. Image courtesy of USGS

An assessment of coastal change over the past century has found 70% of beaches on the islands of Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, and Maui are undergoing long-term erosion, according to a US Geological Survey (USGS) / SOEST report released on 05-07-12. “A better understanding of historical shoreline change and human responses to erosion may improve our ability to avoid erosion hazards in the future,” said Chip Fletcher, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, head of the Coastal Geology Group (CGG), professor of Geology & Geophysics (G&G), and lead scientist on the decade-long study that examined more than 150 miles of Hawai‘i coastline.
Read more about it and watch the video report at KITV4 and Hawaii News Now; listen to the interview with Chip Fletcher on HPR’s “The Conversation“ (starts at ~37min) and download the Radio New Zealand International podcast MP3 (starts at 17:20); read about it in The New York Times, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser (subscription), USGS Newsroom, Maui News, LiveScience, and UH System News. See also the SOEST press release PDF.