Development of a Coastal Erosion Monitoring Plan Using In Situ Measurements and Satellite Images
Source abstract
Abstract
Coastal erosion affects nearly 70% of global beaches, threatening ecosystems and socio-economic development. This study proposes a monitoring framework integrating Differential GNSS RTK, RPA photogrammetry with PPK, and high-resolution satellite imagery to evaluate shoreline change and beach profiles along Panama’s Pacific coast. Short-term (3–5 months) and long-term (13 years) analyses were conducted using DSAS metrics—End Point Rate (EPR) and Net Shoreline Movement (NSM)—to quantify erosion trends. Results show Differential GNSS provides superior accuracy for sandy beach profiling, while RPA photogrammetry is effective in complex terrains such as rocky-bottom beaches. Combining RPA and satellite imagery enhances long-term shoreline monitoring. The proposed plan offers a scalable, cost-effective approach for coastal management, supporting evidence-based policy, land-use planning, and disaster risk reduction, while serving as a methodological reference for future research.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Coastal and Marine Dynamics · Remote Sensing and LiDAR Applications · 3D Surveying and Cultural Heritage
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Facultad de Ingeniería Civil, Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá, Panama City 0819, Panama
Grupo de Investigación en Hidrodinámica Costera, Laboratorio Marino Costero, Centro de Investigaciones Hidráulicas e Hidrotécnicas, Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá, Panama City 0819, Panama
Sistema Nacional de Investigación, Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, Clayton 0843, Panama
Estación Científica Coiba AIP, Clayton 0843, Panama
Funding
Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación
References (39)
Show source-provided references
1. Playas Críticas Por Erosión Costera En El Caribe Sur de Costa Rica, Durante El Periodo 2005–2016
2. Coastal Erosion Risk Assessment and Applied Mitigation Measures at Ezbet Elborg Village, Egyptian Delta10.1016/j.asej.2021.10.016 ↗
3. Recent Changes in the Coastline between Bocas de Ceniza and Puerto Velero (Atlántico, Colombia)
4. Estudio de La Erosión Costera En Cancún y La Riviera Maya, México
5. Erosión Marina, Vulnerabilidad de Impactos Antrópicos En El Sudeste Bonaerense
6. Erosión En Las Playas de Costa Rica, Incluyendo La Isla Del Coco10.15517/isucr.v14i27.10405 ↗
7. Luijendijk, A., Hagenaars, G., Ranasinghe, R., Baart, F., Donchyts, G., and Aarninkhof, S. (2018). The State of the World’s Beaches. Sci. Rep., 8.10.1038/s41598-018-24630-6 ↗
8. IPCC (2007). IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007. Report of Working Group II—Impact, Adaptation and Vulnerability, IPCC.
9. Changes in Land Cover in Coastal Erosion Hotspots in the Southern Caribbean of Costa Rica, during the 2005–2017 Period
10. Molina Gil, R., Anfuso, G., and Manno, G. (2020). El Litoral Mediterráneo Andaluz: Características, Evolución y Respuesta Frente a Los Procesos Naturales y Las Actuaciones Antrópicas. [Ph.D. Thesis, Universidad de Cádiz].
11. Vallarino Castillo, R., Negro Valdecantos, V., and del Campo, J.M. (2023). Understanding the Impact of Hydrodynamics on Coastal Erosion in Latin America: A Systematic Review. Front. Environ. Sci., 11.10.3389/fenvs.2023.1267402 ↗
12. Jimenez Calero, N.M., Magaña Monge, A.O., and Soriano Melgar, E. (2019). Análisis Comparativo Entre Levantamientos Topográficos Con Estación Total Como Método Directo y El Uso de Drones y GPS Como Métodos Indirectos, Universidad de El Salvador.
13. Lappe, R., Ullmann, T., and Bachofer, F. (2022). State of the Vietnamese Coast—Assessing Three Decades (1986 to 2021) of Coastline Dynamics Using the Landsat Archive. Remote Sens., 14.10.3390/rs14102476 ↗
14. Métodos Para El Cálculo de La Erosión Costera. Revisión, Tendencias y Propuesta
15. Vallarino Castillo, R., Negro Valdecantos, V., and Moreno Blasco, L. (2022). Shoreline Change Analysis Using Historical Multispectral Landsat Images of the Pacific Coast of Panama. J. Mar. Sci. Eng., 10.10.3390/jmse10121801 ↗
16. Rodríguez, E., Avila, G., and Guerra-Chanis, G. (2022, January 19–21). Coastline Changes in the Pacific of Panama Due to Coastal Erosion. Proceedings of the 2022 8th International Engineering, Sciences and Technology Conference, IESTEC 2022, Panama City, Panama.10.1109/IESTEC54539.2022.00075 ↗
17. Field Erosion Protection of Tidal Beach: Comparison and Synergy between Sulfide Aluminum Cementing Materials and Biomineralization Materials
18. Field Implementation to Resist Coastal Erosion of Sandy Slope by Eco-Friendly Methods10.1016/j.coastaleng.2024.104489 ↗
19. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Physical Monitoring—GIS Laboratory (2025, November 17). STRI GIS Portal. Available online: https://stridata-si.opendata.arcgis.com/maps/fdadd3da67ec4ab4a3045e218256b303/explore?location=7.949267%2C-79.694149%2C10.
20. Plano de Las Olas Del Golfo de Panamá
21. Community-Based Methods for Monitoring Coastal Erosion
22. Análisis de La Estimación Del Índice de Vulnerabilidad Costera de Panamá Oeste Mediante Sistemas de Información Geográfica10.48204/synergia.v2n2.4457 ↗
23. Shoreline Definition and Detection: A Review10.2112/03-0071.1 ↗
24. A Review of Field Methods to Survey Coastal Dunes—Experience Based on Research from South Baltic Coast10.1007/s11852-016-0428-x ↗
25. Vecchi, E., Tavasci, L., De Nigris, N., and Gandolfi, S. (2021). Gnss and Photogrammetric Uav Derived Data for Coastal Monitoring: A Case of Study in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. J. Mar. Sci. Eng., 9.10.3390/jmse9111194 ↗
26. Kurniawan, S., and Hariyanto, T. (2023, January 19–20). Analysis of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Accuracy Using Post-Processing Kinematic (PPK) Method for Measuring the Situation of Open Pit Mining in PT. Berau Coal. Proceedings of the 2023 IEEE Asia-Pacific Conference on Geoscience, Electronics and Remote Sensing Technology: Global Challenges in Geoscience, Electronics, and Remote Sensing: Future Directions in City, Land, and Ocean Sustainable Development, AGERS 2023, Surabaya, Indonesia.10.1109/AGERS61027.2023.10490978 ↗
27. Taddia, Y., Stecchi, F., and Pellegrinelli, A. (2020). Coastal Mapping Using Dji Phantom 4 RTK in Post-Processing Kinematic Mode. Drones, 4.10.3390/drones4020009 ↗
28. Himmelstoss, E.A., Henderson, R.E., Kratzmann, M.G., and Farris, A.S. (2021). Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) Version 5.1 User Guide, U.S. Geological Survey. Open-File Report 2021–1091.10.3133/ofr20211091 ↗
29. Mentaschi, L., Vousdoukas, M.I., Pekel, J.F., Voukouvalas, E., and Feyen, L. (2018). Global Long-Term Observations of Coastal Erosion and Accretion. Sci. Rep., 8.10.1038/s41598-018-30904-w ↗
30. Bozzeda, F., Ortega, L., Costa, L.L., Fanini, L., Barboza, C.A.M., McLachlan, A., and Defeo, O. (2023). Global Patterns in Sandy Beach Erosion: Unraveling the Roles of Anthropogenic, Climatic and Morphodynamic Factors. Front. Mar. Sci., 10.10.3389/fmars.2023.1270490 ↗
31. Liu, L., Sun, Y., Liu, R., Wei, X., and Li, Z. (2024). Evaluation of the Applicability of Beach Erosion and Accretion Index in Qiongzhou Strait of China. Front. Mar. Sci., 11.10.3389/fmars.2024.1453439 ↗
32. Storm-Induced Beach Erosion Potential on the Catalonian Coast
33. Lobeto, H., Semedo, A., Lemos, G., Dastgheib, A., Menendez, M., Ranasinghe, R., and Bidlot, J.R. (2024). Global Coastal Wave Storminess. Sci. Rep., 14.10.1038/s41598-024-51420-0 ↗
34. Morphological Impacts of Extreme Storms on Sandy Beaches and Barriers
35. Calculating Long-Term Shoreline Recession Rates Using Aerial Photographic and Beach Profiling Techniques
36. Accuracy of Sand Beach Topography Surveying by Drones and Photogrammetry10.1007/s00367-020-00638-8 ↗
37. Accuracy Assessment of Low-Cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Photogrammetry10.1016/j.aej.2021.04.011 ↗
38. Smith, R.K., and Benson, A.P. (2025, May 09). Beach Profile Monitoring: How Frequent Is Sufficient? 2001. Available online: https://www.jstor.org/stable/25736322?seq=1&cid=pdf-.
39. Castro, V., and Guerra-Chanis, G. (2024, January 23–25). Implementation of Topographic Techniques for Monitoring Coastal Erosion. Proceedings of the 2024 9th International Engineering, Sciences and Technology Conference, IESTEC 2024, Panama City, Panama.10.1109/IESTEC62784.2024.10820237 ↗