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.”
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.
Featuring Diane Cardwell, Dr. Donya Frank-Gilchrist, Dr. Larry Ward, Dr. Alyson Eberhardt, and Dr. Bianca Charbonneau.
Links
Hawaii’s Beaches are Disappearing, a report from ProPublica and The Honolulu Star
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.
Changes in sand volume at North Beach, New Hampshire, from the NH Volunteer Beach Profiling Report (2020). More information here.
Dune on Nantucket, Massachusetts. Credit Justine Paradis.
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.
Credits
This episode of Outside/In was produced by Justine Paradis with help from Taylor Quimby and Sam Evans-Brown.
Erika Janik is our executive producer.
Special thanks to Dr. Meagan Wengrove, Jen Poyant, and Daniel Helber.
Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder..
If you’ve got a question for our Ask Sam hotline, give us a call! We’re always looking for rabbit holes to dive down into. Leave us a voicemail at: 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). Don’t forget to leave a number so we can call you back.