vjb4515
WB Dredging
Wrightsville beach is home to around 2,500 residents, and hundreds of species of wildlife. Wrightsville Beach is currently undergoing a restoration project to add sand to the beach as a lot of it gets washed out by waves and tides. Sand is pumped from the floor of Masonboro inlet and is deposited throughout the main section of the beach. Dredging, as it is called, helps deepen the inlet after sedimentation occurs, and helps replenish the eroded parts of the beach. Although adding sand may seem like it would help wildlife, as it provides more breeding grounds for turtles and birds, but it is now believed it may be hurting them. The concept demonstrated here is human impact on communities. Beach houses are protected and there is more room for people to sunbathe, but the equipment gets in the way for turtles, and the sand now with more shells, makes it harder for the turtles to lay eggs. The change in sand profile also can hurt mole crabs and other crabs as they have trouble digging. The abrupt change in zonation of the island can negatively impact the organisms who reside in specific zones along the shoreline. Human efforts to maintain the physical aspect of the island may in turn limit the biodiversity of the island, especially with the endangered species who call Wrightsville beach home.
WB Dredging
Wrightsville beach is home to around 2,500 residents, and hundreds of species of wildlife. Wrightsville Beach is currently undergoing a restoration project to add sand to the beach as a lot of it gets washed out by waves and tides. Sand is pumped from the floor of Masonboro inlet and is deposited throughout the main section of the beach. Dredging, as it is called, helps deepen the inlet after sedimentation occurs, and helps replenish the eroded parts of the beach. Although adding sand may seem like it would help wildlife, as it provides more breeding grounds for turtles and birds, but it is now believed it may be hurting them. The concept demonstrated here is human impact on communities. Beach houses are protected and there is more room for people to sunbathe, but the equipment gets in the way for turtles, and the sand now with more shells, makes it harder for the turtles to lay eggs. The change in sand profile also can hurt mole crabs and other crabs as they have trouble digging. The abrupt change in zonation of the island can negatively impact the organisms who reside in specific zones along the shoreline. Human efforts to maintain the physical aspect of the island may in turn limit the biodiversity of the island, especially with the endangered species who call Wrightsville beach home.