Answering critics who believe beach nourishment destroys the life found on a beach, a study completed over the summer shows a properly nourished beach, such as Nags Head, is no different than any other beach. Jeff Hampton writing for the Virginian Pilot explains.
“When Nags Head replenished its beach three years ago, it wasn’t just tourists who benefited from a wider swath of sand.
So did crabs. And clams. And other critters.
A $450,000 study released last week shows that benthic organisms such as mole crabs, known as “sand fleas,” and coquina clams in the surf prosper on the new, wide beach. Sand grains slightly larger than the period at the end of this sentence are just right – not too big and not too small.”
[box type=”bio”] Studies show a properly nourished beach will continue to thrive. Nags Head nourishment was done correctly according to the Virginian Pilot.[/box]