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Coastal flooding

23 July 2007

The Coastal Flooding by Extreme Events (CoFEE) project is part of NERC's Flood Risk from Extreme Events (FREE) Programme. Its collaborators are the University of Plymouth, University of Liverpool (UoL), Edge Hill University, and Sefton Council. CoFEE is one of several POL FREE funded projects.

The project's aim is to improve our understanding of how the coast will respond to future changes in climate, sealevel, and storm and wave frequency. This will help us decide how to manage the effects of these changes. We are focusing on changes in coastal flood risk and changes in shorelines, beach profiles, and coastal habitats. The detailed outputs of the project will be defined in collaboration with the end-users of this information. The project will use the Sefton Coast as a case study but the outputs will include the presentation of results in a generic format so that the knowledge gained can be applied elsewhere.

The Project officially started on 1 April 2007 and runs for three years.

Sefton coast study site showing urban, marsh, dune and defended coastal sectors

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Notes

The Proudman Oceanographic (POL) scientific research focuses on oceanography encompassing global sea-levels and geodesy, numerical modelling of continental shelf seas and coastal sediment processes. This research alongside activities of surveying, monitoring, data management and forecasting provides strategic support for the wider mission of the Natural Environment Research Council.

As a public funded body it is part of our remit to inform the public of the science and research undertaken at the laboratory. Attending events like the 'Ocean Awareness Weekend' at the Blue Planet Aquarium offers the opportunity for our scientists to meet members of the public and present the laboratory's work.

The Natural Environment Research Council is one of the UK's eight Research Councils. It uses a budget of about £ 350m a year to fund and carry out impartial scientific research in the sciences of the environment. NERC trains the next generation of independent environmental scientists. It is addressing some of the key questions facing mankind, such as global warming, renewable energy and sustainable economic development.