Disappearing beaches

Beaches form when waves and currents deposit loose sediment like sand, gravel, and shell fragments along a shoreline. They erode when strong wave action or rising water strips that material away. Beaches erode; it’s what they do. For them not to disappear entirely, there needs to be a continuing supply of sediment. Rivers carry sediment and sand from inland areas down to the coast. Ocean waves contribute by breaking down offshore reefs and coastal cliffs into small particles.