Boineau 1

Bri Boineau
Mrs. DeBock
English IV
3 March 2016
Environmental Effects of Beach Dredging

Beach dredging is a multi-million dollar corporation, intended for the use of excavating
and relocating earth materials. However, with this man-made alteration comes a price. That price
is the extensive list of environmental effects that come with dredging. There are many positive
and negative effects of beach dredging including factors such as distorted marine life, distinct
change in water quality, and unnatural changes in erosion.
Beach dredging or offshore dredging refers to the excavation of sand and sediments at
least 25 feet off of the shoreline. The dredge is the large piece of machinery used to dig through
and harvest the sand. Surprisingly, many see no problem with it. As said in a source, many
uninformed see beach dredging as a big sand pail building sang castles (dunes) down the
beaches. Sadly this is not the case. Once a dredge touches a coastline, everything changes.
Offshore dredging essentially leaves mass voids within the ocean that require great forces of
nature and great amounts of time to fill, therefore leading to the diminishing of coastlines and
turbidity suppressors(Reaction and refraction of sunlight to keep the water clear). However,
producing gaping holes in the ocean floor are only one of the many environmental factors
associated with beach dredging.

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Once a dredge touches a coastline, marine life can become completely distorted. The
most greatly affected are the sensitive coral reefs, embedded egg nurseries, local fish and sea
turtles. During the dredging process sensitive coral reefs can be destroyed or damaged, and egg
nurseries buried in the ground get completely obliterated. Dredging also imposes problems on
sea turtles, due to the fact that they get grinded up in the dredge grates because they were
burrowed in the sand. Also, sea turtles nesting on freshly dredged beaches imposes the threat of
being extremely applicable to wash away. The dredging process leaves a sort of smut or layer of
dust over the seagrass, an essential key nutrient to small marine animals, thus altering the food
chain. As sad as it already is, beach dredging also imposes a great threat on the local fish. Fish
are killed due to the toxins released which clog their gills, thus killing them.
Beach dredging is killing fish, not because of the actual machines performing the act but
because of the toxins released into the water from the excavation. When a body of water is
dredged, it creates a mass void, and also adjusts pH balances and water pressures to where it
alters water qulity altogether. The dredge itself emits harmful and mass amounts of Co2 gasses
into the water, overbearing and killing fish and changing the overall water quality.

While there may seem to be many negative environmental effects of beach dredging,
there are some positives. Beach dredging is intended to improve protection of coastal properties
from flooding or waves, and for the improvement of the beach for recreational purposes. Over
the years, the sand dunes which typically keep the tide at bay, have been deteriorating. The use of
beach dredging keeps the dunes up and somewhat secure. While the new recreated dunes arent
nearly as sturdy as natures intended dunes, they do still hold up for their intended purpose.

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Beach dredging is a multi-million dollar corporation that excavates and relocates sand or
earth material for recreational and protection benefits. Although it is intended for good purpose,
beach dredging comes with its extensive list of environmental factors. There are many positive
and negative environmental effects associated of beach dredging including factors such as
distorted marine life, distinct change in water quality, and unnatural changes in erosion.
While there are many known effects of beach dredging, the long term effects are still
greatly unknown, and thats the scary part.