Half of the world's beaches could disappear by the end of the century, study finds

Photos: Climate crisis threatens favorite beaches worldwide
Ocean City, Maryland. Ocean City's beach is an important economic driver for the local economy, but the city has had to spend millions of dollars in recent years to dredge up sand to keep up with the quickening pace of erosion.
Hide Caption
1 of 8

Photos: Climate crisis threatens favorite beaches worldwide
Barceloneta Beach, Barcelona. This man-made beach in the heart of Barcelona, Spain, draws millions of visitors each year, but strong storms and rising seas have reduced the size of the beach significantly.
Hide Caption
2 of 8

Photos: Climate crisis threatens favorite beaches worldwide
Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro. This iconic Brazilian beach has been hit hard by a series of extreme storm surge events that have damaged the beach and sent sand spilling into surrounding streets.
Hide Caption
3 of 8

Photos: Climate crisis threatens favorite beaches worldwide
Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Surfers Paradise has dealt with erosion problems for years, but the cost of beach nourishment is expected to climb steeply as sea levels rise.
Hide Caption
4 of 8

Photos: Climate crisis threatens favorite beaches worldwide
Santa Monica Beach, Los Angeles. Santa Monica Beach has already been drastically altered by humans over the years, and with a 66% chance that sea levels could rise more than three feet in the next 80 years, the beach's future remains uncertain.
Hide Caption
5 of 8

Photos: Climate crisis threatens favorite beaches worldwide
South Beach, Miami Beach, Florida. Miami Beach's art-deco buildings and high-end real estate sit just feet above sea level, putting the city and its beach at serious risk from rising seas.
Hide Caption
6 of 8

Photos: Climate crisis threatens favorite beaches worldwide
Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii. The quintessential Hawaiian shoreline, Waikiki Beach could vanish in the next 15 to 20 years, according to a 2017 Hawaii Climate Commission report.
Hide Caption
7 of 8

Photos: Climate crisis threatens favorite beaches worldwide
Ocean Beach, San Francisco. After recent El Niño events consumed large chunks of this California beach, San Francisco has adopted a strategy of nourishing the beach by dredging sand and moving critical infrastructure further inland.
Hide Caption
8 of 8
