Dynamic coasts, resilient futures: Navigating changes in the Great Lakes – Foreword to the special section

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-1-2025

Department

Great Lakes Research Center; Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering

Abstract

Historically, research on coastal processes has largely been concentrated on oceanic environments which have much in common with the Great Lakes but also differ in significant ways. This is particularly true with respect to substantial and lasting water level fluctuations that occur on seasonal and decadal time scales that differ temporally from shorter term tidal fluctuations and greatly exceed long-term oceanic sea level rise. Since the late 1990s, the Great Lakes basin has experienced record-breaking high and low water levels as well as more frequent and intense storms. This combination of factors has led to changes to these nearshore environments and stimulated new and exciting coastal research characterizing and quantifying these changes and offering new insights into Great Lakes coastal processes. Studies in this special section address these unique coastal landscapes shaped by both natural forces (e.g., ice dynamics, waves, and fluctuating lake levels) and human influences (armoring, coastal structures, sediment nourishment, and policy interventions). The findings shared in this collection provide actionable knowledge for anticipating change, mitigating risk, and building long-term resilience while calling for adaptive management frameworks to foster proactive, equitable stewardship of the Great Lakes shorelines.

Publication Title

Journal of Great Lakes Research

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