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Above,A trio of current meters records the rush and retreat of water within the swash zone,
the portion of the beach alternately covered and uncovered by waves. Investigator Britt Raubenheimer set out a transect of five instrument-bearing
platforms stretched out to catch activity in as much of the 20-meter-wide (65-footwide) zone as possible.
Top right,Scripps researcher, Bob Guza
Top right,Scripps researcher, Bob Guza
The answers to those core NCEX questions have very practical implications. Knowledge gained from NCEX and related nearshore science projects could save millions of dollars through improved beach management, and indirectly through preservation of tourist revenue. NCEX is no small matter, especially to a county that recently spent $17 million to place 2 million cubic yards of sand onto local beaches.
"We're sand-starved in San Diego County and it´s going to get worse, not better," said Bob Guza, co-chair of the Integrative Oceanography Division at Scripps.