How is beach erosion and the movement of sand affecting the marine life on Cape Cod?
As far as beach erosion is concerned, marine life on Cape Cod is as happy as a clam. The natural processes of erosion, transportation, and deposition of sand may locally destroy marine life, but, in the long run, these processes provide the habitats where much of our marine life flourishes. Back to Top • Is the break in North Beach in Chatham part of a cycle of erosion and coastal change that has occurred before and will again in the future? Changes in North Beach have been observed over almost 400 years. Historically, breaching of the barrier and the subsequent southward migration of the inlet and the destruction of the barrier south of the breach has occurred at least four times. However, although some scientists consider the breaching and subsequent events to be cyclic with a frequency of about 100 or 150 years, the repetition of these events is better described as being episodic. • What causes these cycles to occur? The passage of the tides in and out of Chatham Harbor (including P
