Team of scientists conducting surveys at Murlough Bay to find out why our coastline changes

Their findings will be used to predict future changes to help better plan how we use and also protect our fragile coastal environment.

The work is part of the €6.4m European environment project that will develop tools and plans to protect vulnerable marine habitats and species in the waters between Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Murlough Bay beach study explores how climate-related processes including sea-level rise and storms, may alter the physical environment that supports protected species and habitats on our coasts.

Lead scientist Professor Derek Jackson from Ulster University’s School of Geography and Environmental Sciences, said: “Naturally, our coasts are constantly and slowly changing.

“These changes are becoming more apparent when extreme weather events increase and sea levels rise. Using ground based survey technology, we can now study relatively rapid changes in the movements of beach sands on this site. Research to date has shown that the once golden beaches at the promenade at Newcastle have over the past few decades been pushed down the coast towards Ballykinler through wave and tidal action. With increased storm events we are studying how this may present itself in the near future.”

“As well as past and present movements, we are examining future scenarios of how heightened sea levels at the site will alter the coastline dynamics; using Murlough Bay site as a test bed for establishing coastal monitoring protocols for other sites.”