Experts unite to fight sea rises

Penzance last October: Easterly winds helped create flooding

Researchers have joined forces in Devon to discover ways to tackle rising sea levels on UK coastlines.

The Centre for Coastal Dynamics and Engineering (C-CoDE) at Plymouth University brings together a range of experts for the first time in the UK.

Researchers from science, engineering, mathematics, statistics and geography will pool their resources.

The cost of maintaining UK coastlines is more than £300m a year, and that will rise with sea levels, say experts.

'Vital area'

Professor Dominic Reeve, chair of C-CoDE's steering group, said pressures on the coastal zone were increasing due to climate change, with sea levels expected to rise by about 0.5m over the next century.

"In the UK alone, sea defences and shore protection for around 4,300 km of coast costs approximately £325m a year to maintain," he said.

"This figure is likely to keep on increasing until we find ways of managing coasts that are workable and cost-effective.

"C-CoDE brings together the experts who can make a real difference in this vital area."

Last year's storms which brought destruction to parts of the South West coast showed how changing weather patterns could affect the coastline.

Mr Reeve said: "Easterly winds combined with high tides to create an unusual effect, but if changing weather means easterlies become the norm we could see more incidents like this."