| Abstract: | This study compared the erosion/accretion rates of five shoreline types surrounding Galveston Island and Pelican Island, Texas. The shoreline types examined included sandy beach, mud flat, salt marsh, shell beach, and mud bank. Erosion/accretion rates of these shoreline types were used as a relative measure of stability. The determination of erosion/accretion rates were made by short-term direct field measurements, the examination of historical aerial photographs, and a survey of available literature. The research found that salt marsh shorelines possess erosion/ accretion rates that are much less variable than those of the other four shoreline types. Location was found to be a major factor influencing shoreline stability in the study area, since it determines energy conditions and sediment input. The use of the "point-stake method" proved to be successful at most field study sites. It was also concluded that the use of both a field study and a photographic analysis is necessary for a thorough investigation of any shoreline's stability over a long period of time. |
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