How can knowledge about a Dutch Sand Motor help to combat beach erosion in Jamaica? And why did flatfish flourish during the first two years after its construction?
These and other questions were answered by twelve PhD candidates and three postdocs during the NatureCoast symposium. Scientists, engineers and decision makers discussed the first outcomes of the scientific research program around the Sand Motor.
Living Lab
NatureCoast started off four years ago. With the Sand Motor as a ‘Living Lab’, researchers from different scientific disciplines have gained knowledge about, among others, morphology, groundwater, geochemistry, ecology and governance.
International Cases
The research team also assessed the opportunities to export the Sand Motor solution. For many coasts in the world it does not simply mean copy-pasting the Dutch Sand Motor: what works for the Netherlands might not work out as well in another country.
A British Sand Motor
Support for a certain type of coastal reinforcement is also a matter of framing, which is a research subject of Ewert Aukes (Twente University). Relating to the frames and ideas of key stakeholders is pivotal for effective communication about and, ultimately, gaining broad support for any policy decision.
Jamaica
A third case involves the eroding beach of Negril, Jamaica. By request of local hotel owners, NatureCoast have been providing advice about coastal defence since 2014. ‘NatureCoast has generated a new type of researcher: one who knows the practical context of their work, who looks beyond traditional boundaries and who combines knowledge from different disciplines to come up with surprising new insights,’
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