The iconic image of the “perfect” tropical beach is fine white sand, a few coconut palm trees, a gently sloping beach, and unobstructed views of the blue sea. This image came about to a great extent from fascination with Polynesian scenery at the time of World War II. And because of this imagery, beach resorts around the world have tried to achieve this look, often by reengineering and altering natural ecosystems to meet this artificial standard of perfection.
But natural tropical and subtropical beaches with their mangrove forests and seagrass meadows are complex ecosystems that support biodiversity, provide protection from storms, and capture carbon in significant amounts from the atmosphere.
With all this relandscaping of beaches, by the end of the 20th century, 35% of the world’s mangrove forests and 29% of its seagrasses were gone. Mangroves sequester 10 times more carbon than mature tropical forests and sea grass can pull in up to 15 times as much.
In recent years, some resort developers are starting to embrace having beachscapes in their more natural states. They are planting or preserving native vegetation and allowing sea grass to flourish. The Six Senses Laamu resort in the Maldives, a major luxury tourist destination, was a trendsetter in this way.
Coconut palms do little to prevent sand erosion, block wind, or even provide much shade. In a warming world with increasingly powerful storms, they offer little protection for the world’s beaches. They are not even native to the Caribbean, where they are now ubiquitous, having been introduced by Europeans.
Many resort developers are now rethinking the description of the perfect beach.
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Your Resort’s ‘Perfect’ Beach Is a Lie
Photo, posted March 2, 2011, courtesy of Breezy Baldwin via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio
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