10x10: Sand Beach

Even in the quietest of times, sand beaches are defined by movement and change.

“I think it's fair to say the beach is one of the most flexible or dynamic, if you will, habitats in the world. It’s super geologically unstable,” said coastal ecologist Dr. Bianca Charbonneau, also known as “the Dune Goon.”

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On this edition of 10x10, we explore how beaches move. Producer Justine Paradis examines the systems and feedback loops on and around the sand beach, the science taking place there, and how the way beaches are changing is itself changing in a changing world.

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Links

Hawaii’s Beaches are Disappearing, a report from ProPublica and Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Rockaway: Surfing Headlong into a New Life by Diane Cardwell

United Nations report on the global sand shortage

“Peak Sand” from Planet Money

Beach profiling and community science with NH Sea Grant and UNH Cooperative Extension.

Announcing: the Outside/In Book Club

Heads-up! In May, we will be debuting the O/I Book Club. The pick for the first book, selected by our listeners, is Trace: Memory, History, Race, and the American Landscape by geologist and writer Lauret Savoy. It is so good: she tells hidden stories of American landscapes, sometimes starting from the bedrock, and explores the interplay between geography, history, and culture.

if you don’t get a chance to read the book we think you’ll still enjoy the conversation. But if you want to read along with us, here’s a link to buy the book from your local independent bookseller, or you can always check it out from the library.