Hydrodynamics and Morphology of Low Sediment Beaches

The intensive development of the tourist industry for more than 30 years on Cancun’s beach has caused significant alterations in the functioning of this natural ecosystem. Its geographical location in a frequent hurricane transit zone constitutes an additional threat. The presence of an erosive process, which degrades its aesthetic values and its conditions of use, has led to the implementation of two artificial sand nourishment campaigns to mitigate the effects of this process. The general objective of this research is: ＂To assess the natural recovery processes of beaches and the effect of artificial regeneration on the system in order to optimise engineering actions on beaches with low sediment input＂. The results obtained indicate that the erosive process identified is irreversible under current conditions and that artificial sand nourishment is the best option to mitigate the effects of this process. To increase the effectiveness of artificial sand nourishment projects in the future, modifications to their design and implementation are proposed.