The Essex Coast, situated in the east coast of UK, is an estuarine coast with extensive areas of fringing saltmarshes, mudflats and offshore sand banks. The coast sediment is abundant, with a relatively small grain size. Local topography has a marked effect on wind conditions and the Essex estuaries can be severely affected by easterly storms, as well as the >1mm mean annual sea level rising. There appears to be a general decline in beach levels, attributed to the poor supply of material from the north and enclosure and subsequent use of slatmarshes for agriculture. The coastal zone holds agriculture, forestry, fisheries, tourism, harbours, industry and nature conservation as its main economic activities. So there is an important amount of capital at risk, majorly agricultural land. The strategy adopted for this case was the construction of breakwaters, polders, embankments and seawalls to protect the land from floodings.

• Study area: 505 km (total Essex shoreline) ; Sedimentary cell: confined cell, tidally dominated
• Type of coast: Estuary, saltmarsh, shingle beaches
• Tidal regime: bi-diurn mesotidal, up to 4 m
• Range of waves : dominant sea, 2-3 m high, H max about 6 m.

Alex.midlen@colchester.gov.uk
maria@coastalguide.org