Beach Profile Protocol
Purpose
Characterizing the beach profile provides valuable information on the physical structure of the beach. This may change depending on such actions as winter storms, restoration activities, and shoreline armoring. The variability in beach topography and slope is indicative of physical forces acting on the beach and can affect associated algae and invertebrates. Monitoring beach profiles over time can inform processes of sediment transport and supply as related to the drift cell. Also see this report for more information on beaches and bluffs in Puget Sound.