THE EFFECT OF COASTAL DEFENSE STRUCTURES (MOUNDS) ON SOUTHEAST COAST OF BUENOS AIRES PROVINCE, ARGENTINE

BUNICONTRO, MARÍA PAULA; MARCOMINI, SILVIA; LÓPEZ, RUBEN

OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2015

0964-5691

The rapid growth of tourist activities and urbanization in the coastline of Buenos Aires province resulted in the need for infrastructure and services development along the entire coast. However, the lack of environmental criteria of human activities altered the aero and hydrodynamic conditions and is causing an important cliffs regression and beach erosion. In this scenario and to minimize such problems, since 1980´s, installing coastal defenses structures became common. The main type used in the study area is mounds built with blocks of quartzite and set up as longitudinal defenses on the cliff ground. It was seen that these structures reduce the regression of the coastline strongly but they caused a set of environmental alterations that change all the natural dynamic conditions. These alterations could be direct or indirect, and have serious consequences in the coastal configuration, local and regional hydrodynamics, morphometry of the beaches, environments and ecology of the coast and obviously, in the human activities and recreation places. This paper analyses the evolution of the mound´s installation along the last years, its functions and consequences to nature (comparing altered environments with those witch still preserved natural conditions) and discuses its advantages and disadvantages with the aim to establish an antecedent for future integrated and conscious coastal management plans.