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Preventing Beaches from Eroding 

By Building a Coral Seawall 
Location: Wailea Beach, Kihei, HI.

Date: September 2018

Prepared For:

Mrs. Kolbrenner

Field Ecology Class

Prepared by:

Jenna and Kalolaine

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Project Summary

Project Title: Preventing Erosion from Eroding by building a Coral Seawall

Location: Wailea Beach, Kihei, HI.

Estimated Cost: $1,327,306

Time Frame: 13 weeks, from shipping to building and installing

Members Involved: Jenna Werner, Kalolaine Langi

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Table of Context

1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………....4

1.1 Purpose of Project……………………………………………………………..4

1.2 General Idea of Plan…………………………………………………………..4
1.3 Description of Location……………………………………………………….4

2. Environmental Setting…………………………………………………………………...5

2.1 Climate……………………………………………………………………….. 6
2.2 Tide………………………………………………………………………….. 6
2.3 Sea-Level rise………………………………………………………………… 6
. 2.4 Waves………………………………………………………………………… 6
2.5 Backshore Composition………………………...……………………………..6

3. Overview of Affected Environment…………………………………………………… 7

4. Physical Plan & Financial Breakdown……….………………………………………8

4.1 Cost and Calculations………………………………………………………

5. Alternatives Considered……………..…………………………………………………8

5.1 Traditional Seawall…………………………………………………………8

5.2 Artificial Beach Nourishment………………………………………………8
5.3 Sandbag……………………………………………………………………8
5.4 Vegetation……………………………………………………………………8
5.5 Groin…………………………………………………………………………9

6. Potential Impacts…………………….…………………………………………………9

6.1 Environmental………………………………………………………………9
6.2 Social………………………………………………………………………9
6.3 Noise………………………………………………………………………10

7. Potential Impacts of No Action………..………………………………………………10

7.1 Locations No-Action would Affect…………………………………………10

7.2 How it impacts Intertidal-dependant Organisms……………………………10
7.3 Aesthetics……………………………………………………………………11
8. Works Cited………………………………….…………………………………………11
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Section 1
Introduction

1.1 Purpose

The beaches are dying. Sea levels are rising and killing everything and stealing all of our

precious Hawaiian sand. It is true that destruction is inevitable and one day none of this will

matter because the sun will expand into a red giant and swallow the earth, but until that happens,

it is our civic duty to protect our sand. We will begin by slowing or preventing erosion at Wailea

Beach. That is the purpose of this project.

1.2 General Idea of Plan

This project involves building a coral seawall with a masonry base. This seawall will be

located at Wailea Beach in Kihei, Hawai’i. Unlike traditional land seawalls, this seawall will be

placed a mile away from the shore thus sitting in the ocean itself. The seawall is designed this

way to keep the aesthetic of the beach and to invite more wildlife. Such as the Parrotfish.

Inviting the Parrotfish only means more sand for the beach.

1.3 Description of Location

Wailea beach is characterised as the “perfect” beach. Which is why the beach is often

crowded with tourists, and is surrounded by resorts. The beach is wide, and is covered in

golden-white sand. Most of the time, the beach is under calm conditions. Entering the water,

you’ll notice that it is shallow and sandy. This beautiful beach needs to be protected from

erosion, and that exactly what we plan on doing.

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Section 2
Environmental Setting

Photo 1: Bird’s Eye-view of Wailea beach

Photo 2: view of Wailea Beach from sand

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2.1 Climate

Climate in Wailea is muggy, windy, warm and partly windy. Annual temperatures ranges

from 65℉ahrenheit to 87℉ahrenheit. Rarely dropping below 60℉ or rising above 90℉.

2.2 Tide

Tides rarely reaches 2 feet and can be as low as 0.2 feet.

2.3 Sea Level Rise

According to Maui news (​http://www.mauinews.com​), the island of Maui has

experienced a surge of water of 3.2 feet. If the sea continues to rise at this rate, beaches will be

lost, highways flooded, and certain residential areas emerged in water, all in a matter of five

years.

2.4 Waves

Waves is described as choppy but small. They usually don’t crash onto the shore in

life-threatening sizes though.

2.5 Backshore Composition

Beach is wide, therefore backshore composition is wide as well.

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Section 3
Overview of Affected Area

Wailea Beach is a beach mainly visited by tourists. It is cove-shaped with turquoise

waters and fairly gentle waves. However, storms can bring about larger waves, which contribute

to erosion. If this beach is lost, the resulting decline in tourism will affect Maui’s fragile,

tourism-based economy in a negative way.

Section 4
Physical Plan & Financial Breakdown

4.1 Cost and Calculations

Cost of building coral reef costs $1290 per meter. With Wailea beach being 411 meters

long, building a coral reef will cost about $530,190. Masonry base itself will cost $453,000.

Labour costs would probably cost about $​344,110. This would all total to $1,327,306.

Photo of Plan
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Section 5
Alternatives Considered

5.1 Traditional Seawall

A traditional Seawall would protect sand behind it, but would cause he sand in front of it,

namely the main part of the beach, to erode even faster. This would also do nothing to help the

environment, and would not be very aesthetically pleasing.

5.2 Artificial Beach Nourishment:

Artificial beach nourishment is the act of continuously taking sand from another location

to replenish a beach. Not only does this require constant maintenance, but organisms in the new

sand could disrupt the environment.

5.3 Sandbags

Although this solution seems popular among beach resorts, sandbags did not appeal to us

as a good and efficient way to prevent erosion. Not only are sandbags ridiculously expensive, but

they aren’t very aesthetically pleasing. Sandbags would require lots of maintaining as well, and if

one was to rip open, that would only mean more money being lost. Spending money on an

inefficient and non-permanent solution is merely a waste of time and effort.

5.4 Vegetation

Although this seemed like a good idea, me and my partner decided not to choose this

solution. We were concerned with the fact that it would affect the local organisms in the sand in
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a negative way. In doing this, it could also possibly affect tourists’ experience as there would be

less beach to play or relax on.

5.5 Groin

According to research, when a poorly designed groin is built, it will only increase the rate

of sand erosion. As sand is moving along the beach in a downdrift direction and is trapped on the

updrift side of the groin, it would only cause a sand deficit and the increase of erosion on the

downdrift side. In building a groin, it would also negatively affect the aesthetics to the beach.

With these as possible factors, we decided not to risk it.

Section 6
Potential Impacts

6.1 Environmental

The potential impacts that an aquatic seawall will have on this beach include, but are not

limited to: slower loss of sand, smaller waves, habitat gain for native species, and new sand

created by Parrot fish.

6.2 Social

In creating this aquatic seawall, it would only invite more people to visit this beach.

Scuba divers, fishermen, more tourists, ect. would all want to explore the waters of Wailea

Beach. Of course inviting more sea life also puts clueless and reckless visitors at risk, as they are

more prone to stepping on vana, eaten by sharks, etc. Due to this possibility we would suggest
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the city to post lifeguards or at the very least educational/warning signs in obvious places. That

way visitors are aware of the risks in entering the wailea waters when this coral reef in built.

6.3 Noise

Due to the fact that building this living seawall would invite more people, it would of

course increase the noise level. Children would be screeching in excitement, groups of adults

scolding their kids, and people talking over each other, trying to communicate. This increase of

noise level would probably disturb nearby accommodations. But if building this aquatic seawall

helps the beach, then the increase of noise level would only be a small price to pay.

Section 7
Potential Impacts of No Action

7.1 Locations No-Action would Affect

If there was no action to be placed at Wailea beach, then it is inevitable that this beach

will slowly erode into nothingness. This would affect Wailea beach resorts and Four Seasons

Resorts which located right by the Wailea beach as well. This would have a huge impact to our

economy, since it is heavily dependant of the tourist industry.

7.2 How it impacts Intertidal-dependant Organisms

I think building this seawall would benefit rather than hurt intertidal-dependant

organisms. Since the seawall isn't completely blocking the tides, they should be able to move just
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fine. If anything this plan would probably invite more of their kind such as turtles, crabs, opihi,

etc.

7.3 Aesthetics

Although Wailea beach is beautiful in itself, I think building this aquatic seawall will

only add to the aesthetics. Having the waters populated with different colors, and underwater

sea-creatures, will only make tourists swimming experience vibrant and lively.

Works Cited

https://weatherspark.com/y/157/Average-Weather-in-Wailea-Hawaii-United-States-Year-Round

https://tides.willyweather.com/hi/maui/wailea-beach.html

https://www.remodelingexpense.com/costs/cost-of-masonry-wall/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265629046_Economics_of_Coral_Reef_Restoration

https://www.wavespartnership.org/sites/waves/files/images/5_Practical%20Valuation%20Coral

%20Reefs%20Answers.pdf

http://www.mackay.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/211588/Coastal_Vegetation_factshee

t.pdf