The 350-km long coast of Suriname, South America, is part of a unique system in the world characterized by large-scale mud supply from the Amazon and exposed to Atlantic waves. Large banks migrate alongshore from the Amazon to the Orinoco delta, separated by ‘inter-bank’ zones. Banks dissipate waves, partially weld onshore, and are colonized by mangroves, whereas waves in inter-bank areas cause shoreline erosion, mitigated where rare cheniers develop. Cheniers assure coastal protection and recreational and ecosystem services, notably providing nesting sites for marine turtles. Cheniers are also under pressure from sand mining. In order to gain a better understanding of how these cheniers form and evolve, a study was conducted on Braamspunt beach, a major... |