ABSTRACT

During the period 1843-1973 the rate of shoreline change between St. Simons Island, Georgia, and Talbot Island, Florida, has ranged from 23 m/yr of accretion on both sides of St. Marys Entrance to 9 m/yr of erosion on the south end of Amelia Island. The average annual rate of change is considerably less. Major changes occur in the northern and southern one-thirds of the island while the central portions are relatively stable.

With regard to net shoreline change within the study area, accretion has been the prevailing process resulting in a net gain in land area of approximately 4 sq km during the past 130 years. Although severe storms and hurricanes cause extreme rates of erosion for short periods of time, the more prevalent condition of low energy favors shoreline accretion.

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