Coastal Case Studies
Beach loss looks different everywhere. Some places are starved of sand. Others are shaped by harbors, seawalls, jetties, reefs, storms, or decades of coastal engineering. These case studies show how different communities are confronting the same basic question: what happens when the beach starts disappearing?
San Clemente, California
San Clemente is BBOB’s origin story and a clear example of what happens when a coastal system falls behind on sand. The city needs both a sand reset and a long-term maintenance plan.
Gold Coast, Australia
The Gold Coast shows what intentional coastal management can look like at scale: sand bypassing, nourishment, groins, monitoring, and one of the world’s most famous engineered surf zones.
North Shore, Oʻahu
The North Shore shows how dynamic beaches can become high-stakes conflicts when homes, roads, and infrastructure sit close to an active shoreline.
Puerto Escondido, Mexico
Puerto Escondido is a reminder that coastal intervention can change waves, sand movement, and beach shape in ways that are hard to reverse.
