Texas High School Coastal Monitoring Program

Summary

The Texas High School Coastal Monitoring Program (THSCMP) engages students and teachers who live along the coast in the study of their natural environment. Scientists from the University of Texas Bureau of Economic Geology (UT-BEG) work with middle and high school students and teachers to gain a better understanding of dune and beach dynamics on the Texas coast. Students and teachers learn how to measure shore-normal beach and dune profiles, recognize and map the vegetation line and shoreline using hand-held GPS units, observe weather and wave conditions, and measure longshore currents at multiple sites during three field trips spaced throughout the academic year. The students are active participants in the research project, which has the dual benefit of enhancing their science education while providing valuable data on the dynamic
coastline. The data collected by the students are analyzed by BEG scientists and the students themselves and compared to data collected by students and scientists in previous years. Time series of measurements are important in understanding the dynamics of the coastal environment.