April 2009


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Coastal students not quite at sea!

At the end of March this year, for the first time, students studying the MSc in Coastal Zone Engineering and Management attended a field trip in Charlotteville, Tobago. This was part of the module on Coastal Zone Metrics which aims to provide an understanding of measurement techniques used in the coastal region for environmental assessment, shoreline management and coastal engineering schemes.

Fifteen students attended the course, which was supervised by Professor Andrew Chadwick (professor of Coastal Engineering), David Neale (part-time lecturer and director of Cane Associates) and Dr Joanna Ibrahim (part-time lecturer). The students were set a comprehensive scoping study for the potential upgrading of the beach facilities at Man-O-War Bay, involving measurements of beach profiles and material properties, sea bed contours, tidal currents and water levels and water quality parameters.

They worked in groups of five, spending the day taking measurements and the evenings preparing the reports and making presentations. The hard work was enjoyed by all and by the end of the trip everyone was exhausted but very satisfied. A celebratory barbecue was held on the Saturday evening, before returning to Trinidad the next day.