An innovative public science project has gone live to help track environmental changes to Denbighshire’s coastline.
Denbighshire Countryside Services has joined with the Wales Coastal Monitoring Centre and the Wales Coast Path to launch the CoastSnap project from Rhyl down to Gronant Dunes.
CoastSnap is a citizen science project where the public can submit images of the coast in locations where there is a CoastSnap sign via a QR code.
Through the help of the public, these images will support the tracking of coastal change over time, in particular coastal erosion and other impacts of climate change that affects our shoreline.
Using a technique known as photogrammetry, CoastSnap turns submitted photos into coastal data that is used by scientists to understand and forecast how coastlines might change in the coming decades.
Photogrammetry helps the location of the coast to be located from photos to an accuracy that is similar how professional coastal survey teams operate.
CoastSnap signs have been installed at Gronant Dunes, Barkby Beach (the end of the prom) and at Horton’s Nose.
North Denbighshire Coastal Ranger Claudia Smith said: “The CoastSnap locations we have installed will really help us get a sense of how our Denbighshire coastline is affected by Climate Change, especially as we see an increase in the frequency of storms. We would encourage those out walking in these areas to scan the code and log your snaps as the support will really help our coastline going forward.”
Cllr Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport and Council Biodiversity Champion, said: “Our coastline is seeing more and more periods of stormy weather and with the impact of Climate Change also affecting water levels, this is a really important partnership initiative for us all to help understand the affects on our county coast.”
