Programme aims

A strategic regional coastal monitoring programme for the southeast of England.

Local Authorities, the Coastal Groups of the southeast of England and the Environment Agency are working with a collective vision to develop a long-term, region-wide coastal process monitoring and analysis programme.

Following many years of ad hoc monitoring of coastal processes within the southeast, an extensive integrated survey programme has been developed to cover approx. 1000km of open coastline and estuaries between Portland Bill and the Isle of Grain. The programme came into being on 1 August 2002 and the first phase extended to March 2007. The second phase is underway and is funded until 31 March 2012, with an expectation that the programme will continue indefinitely. The programme is funded by DEFRA. The first phase of the programme acted as a regional pilot model that was later used for a similar programme in the southewest of England.

Data are collected via a series of contracts and also by in-house Local Authority teams. All data collected by the programme are made freely available, via this website. The data are useful to Local Authorities within the region, the Environment Agency, consultants in coastal defence, conservation management, academic research and for educational purposes. Links are established with research communities to provide opportunities for value-dded research programmes and in support of strategic research programmes.

A specialist team has been established at the Channel Coastal Observatory to manage the programme and develop the data analysis, storage and dissemination procedures.