The Environment Agency (with its predecessors) have monitored the beaches of Sussex (and latterly the remainder of the Region) annually since 1973, through the Annual Beach Monitoring Scheme [ABMS].

The coast is flown by a specialist air-survey 'plane and stereoscopic photographs are taken; photogrammetric anaylis of these provides profiles of the beach at approximately 100m intervals along the coast. The resulting data enables scientists and engineers to calculate and understand if, and how, the beach is changing.

This dataset, now 30 years long, is invaluable to the Agency and local Councils in managing the coast and drawing future plans and scheme designs.

The ABMS dataset has recently been combined with other monitoring data and projects undertaken by other bodies, and continues as part of the Southeast England Regional Monitoring Project - click on link in the sidebar of this page for more information on this bold new Defra funded initiative.

For more information about the content of these pages or to obtain beach monitoring data, please contact coastal.defence@arun.gov.uk, explaining in as much detail as possible what data you require.