The distance between the ocean and West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz has been growing thinner.

Hemmed in by highways and homes to one side and rising, ever-stormier seas to the other, beaches are shrinking up and down the state. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that California could lose three-quarters of its beaches by 2100.

That’s not just a huge bummer for future summer vacations. Dozens of species depend on those sandy shores. Our beaches also provide a natural buffer from flooding, erosion and other natural disasters for millions of California residents.

Luckily, UC researchers are combining diverse areas of expertise to understand and protect our coast.

Read the whole story from the UC Newsroom