Monitoring Resilience in Coastal Systems: A Comprehensive Assessment

Abstract

This work, conducted within the framework of the international network CRESTE (Coastal Resilience Using Satellites), examines the role of resilience in monitoring coastal evolution across diverse environments in Europe (France, The Netherlands), America (Mexico), Asia (China), and Oceania (Australia). High-resolution morphological datasets, derived from in situ measurements and video monitoring systems, were analyzed for wave- and tide-dominated beaches influenced by both climatic drivers and anthropogenic pressures. Findings indicate that beach resilience is strongly linked to system resistance, which depends on the intensity of climate drivers, including storm frequency, and site-specific conditions related to the type of sediment and its availability, and the presence of anthropogenic activities including coastal structures (e.g., Normandy, Yucatán) and shoreface nourishments (Netherlands). In Batemans Bay (Australia) and Hangzhou Bay (China), assessing the resilience is particularly challenging due to the combined influence of multiple drivers, fluvial inputs, and urban development. Accurate monitoring of coastal resilience across timescales requires accounting for long-term morphological, ecological, and socio-economic processes. This can be enhanced through satellite observations, which, when integrated with in situ measurements, numerical modeling, and artificial intelligence, support a more comprehensive assessment of resilience and refine projections under future climate change and sea-level rise; representing a key focus for further works.