• Hurricanes and tropical storms, occurring between June and November, cause dramatic beach changes usually resulting in serious beach erosion.
• High waves in winter resulting from storms in the North Atlantic Ocean, and known as swell waves, or locally as ‘groundswells’.
• Sea-level rise, which is a long-term factor, taking place very slowly over decades causes shorelines to retreat inland.  

Since 1995, the Atlantic Basin (including the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico) has entered a more active hurricane cycle, which may continue for more than 20 years.  

Pipes discharging
onto the beach
and into the 
sea cause
pollution and may
harm marine life,
Dickenson Bay,
1995

• Removing sand from beaches and dunes for construction purposes causes erosion and the loss of beaches and coastal lands, destroying the natural heritage of the coast and reducing the vibrancy of the tourism industry.
• Building too close to the beach interferes with the natural sand movement and may impede beach recovery after a serious storm or hurricane.
• Badly planned sea defences may cause the loss of the beach, and of neighbouring beaches.
• Pollution from human activities on the land may damage coral reefs and seagrass beds; these biological systems protect, and provide sand to the beaches.
• Removing vegetation from the dunes destabilises these protective sand barriers; and clearing sites inland results in increased soil and dirt particles being washed offshore and smothering coral reef systems.

Beach monitoring
in progress at Low
Bay, Barbuda,
1998

In order to manage these changes, beaches have been monitored since 1991 in Antigua and since 1995 in Barbuda by the Fisheries Division, who measure the beach slope and width every three months at numerous sites around the two islands.

BEACH PROFILE
Runaway Bay, Antigua. Beach erosion

Prior to Hurricane Luis
there was a sandy
beach at the northern
end of Runaway Bay,
1994

After Hurricane Luis
the beach had gone
and the waves were
undermining the
retaining walls, 1996

Dunes such as
this one at Two
Foot Bay,
Barbuda, play
a valuable role
in protecting
coastal lands,
1995

Low dunes at Willoughby Bay, Antigua, were 
severely eroded by Hurricane Georges, at least
in part because the vegetation had been 
removed, 1998

Clearing the
natural vegetation
and building close
to the water, seen
here at Dutchman
Bay, Antigua in
the early 1980s, is
an unwise practice

Maintaining the
natural vegetation,
as seen here at
Half Moon Bay,
Antigua, helps to
stabilize the
beach, 1995

The state of the beach affects everyone’s lives. There are no simple or universal solutions to shoreline erosion, since there are often several factors, both human and natural, contributing to the problem at a particular beach. Each beach behaves differently, so it is advisable to find out as much information as possible about a particular beach before taking any corrective action. It is necessary to consult the Development Control Authority before undertaking any action at a beach.

Some forces of change, such as hurricanes and winter swells are natural, and there is little we can do to stop them, yet there are ways we can help to slow down the rate of erosion:

Recommended coastal development setback distances in Antigua