Miramar (Goa) Beach Management Project: An Oceanographic Evaluation

Abstract

Miramar beach is a faunal storehouse as 50 macrobenthic species are recorded. About 80% meiobenthic communities and >50% macrobenthic communities inhabit the top 5 cm section of the intertidal zone. As such, mechanical beach cleaning would upset and permanently eliminate faunal diversity. Human actions are responsible for the degradation of vegetation resulting in exposed dunes at Miramar. When wind speed attains around 20 km/h, continuous eolian transport and loss of beach sand onto roads is one major impact, creating hazardous conditions for beach users and motorists. Fixing of 1m high sand fences made of wooden strips can provoke prevailing winds to deposit their sand content, curtail loss of beach sand and establish new sand dunes. Ecological implications of sand dunes, significance of benthic biodiversity, knowledge of coastal geological processes and restoration of degraded sand dunes should form an integral part of any beach management strategy.