Keep in mind that you are writing about the issue that you chose back in Module 0, and you may want to go back and review that issue before you proceed. 

module 0 

Before you proceed, you should take a moment to review the rhetorical situation for this project:

You are the president of a marketing company that specializes in helping non-profit organizations promote their mission and inform the public about the topic.  You have a degree in marketing and graphic design and your company is well known for creating awesome websites for non-profit organizations.  Your ultimate goal for this project is to research the topic and convince the non-profit organization to hire your company to create their website.  

Project Description:  We are looking for a company to create the content and design for a website informing the public about our organization, the problem of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and possible solutions to this problem.

Name of Non Profit:  Save Our Seas 

Address: 1239 South Street

City, State, Zip Code:  Fort Myers, FL 33030

Procurement Contact Person:  Susan Borden

Telephone Number of PCP: 233-098-0987

Email Address of PCP: sborden@sos.org

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is the largest of the five offshore plastic accumulation zones in the world’s oceans. It is located halfway between Hawaii and California.  To learn more about this environmental problem by clicking on the link below:

https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/videos/trash-talk-wh…

A very common type of technical description is the definition paper.  Your first formal writing assignment is to create a document that you will use in your project proposal as well as in the final deliverable.  In this document, you will be researching your topic and writing a 600-700 word document that defines the problem.

You will begin this report, with a brief overview of the problem including any definitions that the reader might need to know.  In this section, include a brief history of the problem.  Next you will go into some of the reasons why this problem exists.  What are the factors that contribute to this problem.  In the last section, you will focus on the effects of this problem.  This section will use persuasion to convince the reader that the problem is real and that it must be addressed.  Finally, sum up the main ideas of your paper in a conclusion. 

Read the requirements listed below and make sure you follow the guidelines:

Paper should be at least 700 words.

You need to have a minimum of 4 citations from 2 different sources. Information from these resources should be incorporated into the final report by using signal phrases and in-text citations

You will need a Works Cited page at the end of the report listing the sources cited in MLA format.

Use the template provided for your final report.  It is set up correctly.

Underline the thesis statement at the end of your introduction.

Beach Erosion

Definition of a Problem

Jon Smith

8-11-2018

Introduction, Definition of Terms, and Purpose Statement

According to Grabar, nearly half of Florida’s beaches, 411 miles’ worth, in fact, are considered “critically eroded.” The Florida State Department of Environmental Protection defines “critically eroded” as “a segment of the shoreline where natural processes or human activity have caused or contributed to erosion and recession of the beach or dune system to such a degree that upland development, recreational interests, wildlife habitat, or important cultural resources are threatened or lost.” The erosion is considered “critical” if it threatens “upland development, recreation, wildlife habitat, or important cultural resources” (“Critical Erosion Report”). The purpose of this report is to examine the problem of beach erosion in Florida. This includes a brief historical overview, a discussion of the causes and effects. Possible solutions will be presented in Part II of this report.

History

The DEP began tracking erosion in 1986, and the list of critically eroded beaches has been updated every year. Since Florida is prone to hurricanes, the shoreline is affected each time a storm hits. In 1994, 1995, and 1998, three hurricanes and a tropical storm impacted the shoreline. In 1999 the list was affected by Hurricanes Opal, Earl and Georges. Hurricanes Floyd and Irene and Tropical Storm Harvey caused more erosion. In 2004, Florida experienced the most active storm season since records began in 1851. Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne caused massive damage to the beach and dune system on both coasts. The 2005 updated listing of “critically eroded” beaches was increased by 13.2 percent, or 43 miles (“Critical Erosion Report”). Hurricane Irma was the latest blow to the beaches in South Florida as Miami-Dade lost 170,000 cubic yards of sand due to the storm (Grabar).

Causes of Beach Erosion

According to the United State government, beach erosion results when the waves and currents from the flowing water remove sand from the beaches. When the sand erodes, the beach becomes more narrow and lower in elevation. Often the waves caused by storms carry the sand offshore and deposit it in sandbars. In many cases, the sand is returned to the beach over time by the waves created by calm waters. Sometimes, though, the sand is lost for good and the beaches will not recover without intervention. Erosion is due, in part, to the storms described in the previous sections. However, unchecked coastal development has resulted in the construction of jetties and seawalls in hopes of protecting the coastal properties from flooding and storm surge. More than 100 miles of Florida shoreline is protected by these manmade structures (Graber). Although these structures are designed to hold back water and prevent flooding, unfortunately, they also accelerate beach erosion. Pilkey and Cooper wrote a book called The Last Beach. They state that dunes and wide beaches protect buildings from storms far better than sea walls. “The beach is a wonderful, free natural defense against the forces of the ocean. Beaches absorb the power of the ocean waves reducing them to a gentle swash that laps on the shoreline. “

Effects of Beach Erosion

Florida relies on beach-related tourism as a main source of income, so beach erosion is a serious concern for all coastal communities. According to Doane, tourism pumps 2.6 billion into the economy of Southwest Florida annually and employs approximately one in five people in Lee County. The lifeblood of the coast communities is the beaches. Therefore, if the beaches disappear, so does the thriving tourism. Beach erosion is also a threat to coastal properties and infrastructures. As the beach erodes, so does the protection the beach provides; thus, the coastal properties become more vulnerable to future storms and storm surges. Natural beaches with healthy dunes structures provide a barrier between the waves and the beach front properties. Another effect of beach erosion is the loss of ecosystems as the coastal wetlands deteriorate. The wildlife and plants that depend on these ecosystems are negatively affected by the erosion of the beaches. Many species of sea turtles depend on the Florida beaches to lay their eggs. In many places, erosion has left them with no place to dig a good nest.

Conclusion

Beach erosion is a major problem facing all coastal communities. Over developments, storms, and poorly managed sea walls and jetties are causing the beaches to erode at a rapid rate. This is not only a problem for tourism and property owners, but also harmful to the environment and wildlife. Therefore, finding solutions that will work is an important task facing these communities.

Works Cited

“Beaches.” Florida State Department of Environmental Protection. 2018. https://floridadep.gov/water/beaches. Accessed 9 Aug. 2018.

“Critical Erosion Report.” Florida State Department of Environmental Protection. 2018. https://floridadep.gov/water/engineering-hydrology-geology/documents/critically-eroded-beaches-florida. Accessed 8 July 2018.

“Coastal Change Hazards: Hurricanes and Extreme Storms.” United States Geological Survey. United States Government. https://www.usgs.gov/science-explorer-results?es=beach+erosion. 2018. Accessed 12 June 2018.

Doane, Steve. “Erosion: A Big Threat to Southwest Florida Beaches.” USA Today. 3 Aug. 2014. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/08/03/sea-levels-rising-erosion-southwest-florida/13544221/. Accessed 1 July 2018.

Grabar, Henry. “South Florida, Out of Beach, Wants to Buy Sand from the Bahamas.” Slate. 2 Nov. 2017. https://slate.com/business/2017/11/south-floridas-beaches-are-disappearing-and-the-state-wants-to-import-sand-from-the-bahamas.html. Accessed 10 July 2018.

Pilkey, Orrin and Andrew Cooper. The Last Beach. Duke University Press. 2017.