Expanding walls and shrinking beaches: loss of natural coastline in Okinawa Island, Japan

• Published in: PeerJ (San Francisco, CA) Vol. 7; p. e7520
• Main Authors: Masucci, Giovanni Diego, Reimer, James D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Diego PeerJ. Ltd 06.09.2019; PeerJ, Inc; PeerJ Inc
• Subjects: Aerial photography; Aquatic ecosystems; Archipelagoes; Beaches; Biodiversity; Caretta caretta; Coastal armoring; Concrete; Conservation Biology; Construction; Coral reefs; Coupled Natural and Human Systems; Ecosystem services; Ecosystems; Environmental Impacts; Geographic information systems; Habitat fragmentation; Habitat loss; Infrastructure; Islands; Land reclamation; Marine ecosystems; Okinawa Island; Photographic industry; Ports; Reefs; Satellite photography; Soil erosion; Sovereignty; Spatial and Geographic Information Science; Tourism; United States > US; Japan; Okinawa

Okinawa is the largest and most populated island of the Ryukyu Archipelago in southern Japan and is renowned for its natural resources and beauty. Similar as to what has been happening in the rest of the country, Okinawa Island has been affected by an increasing amount of development and constructio...